…by Stephen Gapps Recently there have been calls for historians to consider ways of writing ‘deep time’ 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 ‘aims to … Read more
…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
…this post introduces PHA NSW and ACT member, Ian Willis’ blog, Camden History Notes. Camden is a town southwest of Sydney, situated on land belonging to the Dharawal (Tharawal) people. Ian’s blog presents stories about the district’s people, its history, heritage and traditions. He draws on the memories and experiences of local families, local identities, … Read more
… 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
…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), where 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
… Emma Gleadhill is a Junior Research Fellow in Enlightenment Studies in the Sydney Intellectual History Network (SIHN) Enlightenment and its Impact Program at The University of Sydney. Her historical interests revolve around women’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
… 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
Berlin wears its history on its sleeve. Its reputation as the seat of Hitler’s Third Reich and pivotal position during the Cold War, then the collapse of the divide between east and west, make that inevitable. But the modern German state has propelled history further into the public eye, in the hope that frank … Read more
This week (13 to 16 September 2017) Oral History NSW hosted the 2017 Oral History Australia conference. Minna Muhlen-Schulte provides a snapshot. Moving memories: oral history in a global world presented an exciting, challenging and moving survey of the impacts of oral history. The conference also covered new directions shaping the discipline. Some of … Read more
Minna Muhlen-Schulte reflects on the current debate about statues. As the removal of Confederate statues increases in the wake of Charlottesville, the questions proliferate about public history, the politics of commemoration and our role as professional historians in these debates. What happens when the meaning of a memorial or statue shifts between generations and … Read more