History Matrix

  …In this occasional series about membersā€™ blogs, we introduce HistoryMatrix, the electronic journal of Dr Bruce Baskerville. Bruce maintains four blogs ā€“ HistoryMatrix is the ā€˜historyā€™ blog; mrbbaskerville is the place he opines; Ā Sepia Green is a blog for reviews; and, Green Plaques is a grant project to create an archive of commemorative plaques … Read more

Happy New Year

  Thank you to all those who contributed to the PHA NSW & ACT blog in 2017. The year’s 25 posts covered: Aboriginal history surprising resources for historical use such asĀ knitting and the Botanical Gardens issues in the practice of history, history tourism and memorialisation (this post received more comments than any other) discussions on … Read more

Recovering Landscapes

  ā€¦ by Sue Castrique, author ofĀ One Small World: The History of the Addison Road Community Centre. Some PHA members may recognise the photographs that make up this panorama. They were once identified as being in Kensington; the tall building thought to be theĀ Old Tote Theatre. They are, however, the Addison Road army depot in … Read more

Deep time and public history

  …by Stephen Gapps Recently there have been calls for historians to consider ways of writing ā€˜deep timeā€™ into Australian history. These include pleas to write more interdisciplinary history, especially to work with archaeologists dealing with the long Australian human past prior to colonisation. We now have a Deep History Research Centre that ā€˜aims to … Read more

National Gathering of Indigenous watercraft custodians

  …by Michael Bennett The Nawi Symposium, the second National Gathering of Indigenous watercraft custodians and cultural practitioners, was held at the National Maritime Museum on 9 November. Over 70 traditional owners, researchers and community supporters gathered to hear a range of presentations about the history of Indigenous watercraft use and current projects to reinvigorate … Read more

Camden History Notes

  ā€¦this post introduces PHA NSW and ACT member, Ian Willisā€™ blog, Camden History Notes. Camden is a town southwest of Sydney, situated on land belonging to the Dharawal (Tharawal) people. Ianā€™s blog presents stories about the districtā€™sĀ people, its history, heritage and traditions. He draws on the memories and experiences of local families, local identities, … Read more

The Catch: The Story of Australian fishing

  … Anna Clark introduces her new book. As a kid I used to go down to the beach after dinner and watch my grandfather, dad and uncle spinning off the rocks or bait-fishing in the estuary. When I wanted to learn, they had me casting lures across the paddocks before I was set loose … Read more

Shaping Aboriginal History

  ā€¦Emma Dortins reports on the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal History journal founded in 1977. On Friday 27 October, a birthday celebration was held at the Australian National University (ANU), whereĀ Ā Aboriginal History was born and has been based ever since. Ngambri-Ngunnawal elder, Matilda House, welcomed us to Country. Several founding editorial board members were … Read more

Five minutes with Dr Emma Gleadhill

  … Emma Gleadhill is aĀ Junior Research Fellow in Enlightenment StudiesĀ in the Sydney Intellectual History Network (SIHN) Enlightenment and its Impact Program at The University of Sydney. Her historical interests revolve around womenā€™s history, eighteenth-century history, material culture and tourism studies. What made you decide to pursue a career in history? I never really decided … Read more

They Came By Boat

  … Ruth Banfield reports on an exploration of the history of Macarthur. They Came By Boat is an exhibition [until 15 October] that explores the incredible journey convicts, free settlers and, in current times, refugees, faced when leaving their homeland and arriving in a new and foreign country. The exhibition features a range of … Read more