We hope you all enjoyed the PHA National Conference that was held in Darwin between 25–26 October. If you were not able to make it, don’t worry, the two recipients of the bursary have kindly provided two comprehensive reports. Thank you to Jacqui Newling and Alison O’Sullivan for taking the time to prepare these reports. … Read more
Dr Lisa Murray Chair, Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT) The PHA (NSW & ACT) welcomes the state government’s nation-leading Writing and Literature Strategy. The Minister for Arts, John Graham launched the three-year strategy ‘Stories Matter’ at the State Library of NSW on 17 October 2025. The strategy aims to provide policy frameworks and funding … Read more
The 2025 Public History Awards were presented during History Week at Customs House in Sydney, as part of the History Council of NSW’s Annual History Awards. The 2025 Public History Award is supported by the Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT), and the Australian Centre for Public History at the University of Technology Sydney. The … Read more
On 10 June 2025, the PHA NSW-ACT hosted a panel discussion about how to get your history heard. Three expert historians shared their experiences crafting histories for radio and podcasts, including: The session was chaired by PHA NSW-ACT President Dr Naomi Parry Duncan. Panel members: Minna Muhlen-Schulte Minna Muhlen-Schulte is a professional historian and project … Read more
By Dr Katharine Blake, PHA Blog Editor Public history — history for the general public — is a ‘broad church.’ Diagrammatically it looks like a tree: with its roots in academic history, growing and branching out in many directions. It encompasses various styles; it caters to different audiences; and it’s created by different practitioners in … Read more
By Dr Katharine Blake In my first post as the new Blog Editor, I pay tribute to its former Editor, Francesca Beddie. Many of you know Francesca from her years in PHA NSW or because she’s now a member of the Committee. You may also have seen her at PHA gatherings, discovering a prospective guest … Read more
…by Francesca Beddie Whatever comes the way of the professional historian it’s important to stick to your principles. This was a recurring message during a forum, Challenging Histories, organised by PHA Victoria and Tasmania and held on 27 July at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart. The event was made particularly special by … Read more
by Patricia Curthoys… Your experience of large, multi-stream conferences can only ever be partial and peculiar to you. What follows was my experience of the 2019 AHA Conference, which began with the Green Stream (Australian and New Zealand Environment History Network) Keynote, #CoalMustFall: Revisiting Newcastle’s Coal Monument in the Anthropocene, given by Nancy Cushing, of … Read more
…by Minna Muhlen-Schulte In the Antipodes Christmas in July has become a mid-year winter tradition to indulge the food and booze we normally enjoy at the end of the year. What is the historical lineage behind turkeys, puddings, mince pies and mulled wine? In her new book Christmas Food and Feasting PHA NSW member Dr … Read more
… by Michael Bennett I really should have had a haircut! After being asked half way through last year to appear on the Casey Donovan episode of SBS’s Who Do You Think You Are, I naturally began thinking about how TV shows are made. I imagined rocking up to the set to be greeted by … Read more