On the eve of Gough Whitlam’s memorial service, Guy Betts reminds us of Whitlam’s respect for the historical perspective. One of the treasures of the Whitlam Institute’s collection is a remarkable series of school reports. These school reports comment on Gough Whitlam’s character and his intellectual development from the age of seven. In them, we … Read more
by Bruce Baskerville, PHA NSW & ACT Chair. The death of Jim Kerr on 15 October 2014 has received less attention in the mainstream media than that of Gough Whitlam, but for anyone working in cultural heritage his passing was the passing of a giant. Jim Kerr will have been known personally to many … Read more
by Bruce Baskerville, PHA NSW & ACT Chair. The death of Gough Whitlam on 21 October, Prime Minister between 2 December 1972 and 11 November 1975, has been marked by many obituaries and reminiscences in the media. Fine words have been printed and spoken, far finer than anything I can draw together. So, I … Read more
PHA member and librarian, Diana Wyndham, alerts us to the continuing threats to libraries, recalling that protests helped to reduce the cutbacks which were initially planned for Sydney’s Mitchell Library and which now threaten the staff and books at Sydney University’s Fisher Library. David Malouf and Bob Ellis spoke at a rally in front of Fisher on … Read more
It’s spring! Time to dust off our togs, thongs, hats and all the things that make us comfortable at the beach. This year, beach-going historians will have the perfect reading material. PHA (NSW) member Caroline Ford’s new book has just come out – Sydney Beaches: A History. Caroline offers her reader a fascinating analysis … Read more
Bruce Baskerville, PHA NSW & ACT Chair, posts some ideas about pathways between Professional, Associate and Graduate membership of the association. I flagged the question of pathways between different levels of membership in the PHA NSW/ACT in my annual report. Now, I would like to encourage more discussion among members to assist the committee in … Read more
Last August, Tony Abbott said at the launch of an exhibition at the National Museum of Australia: ‘Australians are encouraged to reflect on our remarkable history and contribute to the selection of the 100 moments that have defined Australia’. The Prime Minister used the passive voice, leaving unanswered the question ‘by whom’? It’s not … Read more
During the week I am the North Sydney Council Historian which means I have a professional interest in all things historical and heritage related in the North Sydney area. This entails research work, reports to fellow Council employees, drafting interpretative signage, mounting exhibitions, writing monographs, managing the cultural and heritage collections, leading historical tours … Read more
What is your current position/area of historical interest? I have worked as a curator at Hurstville Museum & Gallery since 2012. In my role, I develop social history exhibitions with a focus on the St George area. I am currently preparing a WW1-related exhibition for the Anzac Centenary 2015. Another recent project I really … Read more
The year 2014 represents the 50-year anniversary of the Committee on the Future of Tertiary Education report. The Martin Report[i] led to the introduction of the binary policy of tertiary education in Australia, made up of universities and colleges of advanced education. Francesca Beddie looked back at the binary system and its replacement by … Read more