PHA publications

The PHA’s publications include Circa and Historia (see below for details).

Since its inception, the PHA (NSW & ACT) has also produced a suite of publications. These include monographs, conference proceedings, lectures, and the quarterly newsletter Phanfare.

PHA (NSW & ACT) publications explore a variety of topics including practical exploration of the practice of public history. They also feature the work of our members.

Islands of History

For the 25th anniversary of the establishment of what was then called ‘PHA NSW’ in July 2010, a conference was held on Norfolk Island. The Islands of History conference attracted a fascinating range of papers about the South Pacific presented by historians and archaeologists from Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island.

An illustrated book of conference proceedings was published by Anchor Books Australia.

Copies may be purchased for $25.00 plus postage. Email phanswsecretary@gmail.com.

The PHA publishes occasional monographs on topics of interest and relevance to professional history. Publications to date are:

  • The Role of History in Conservation Work (out of print but may be available in libraries)
  • Ethics for Historians (out of print but may be available in libraries)
  • Historians and Native Title – $22.00 (including GST) free postage within Australia, plus postage overseas. Contact the Secretary to order.

Historia is a quarterly e-bulletin published by Professional Historians Australia.

Circa: The Journal of Professional Historians Australia is a peer-referred journal.

Phanfare was the PHA NSW’s newsletter and public forum for professional history. It was first published in 1985 and ran until 2012. It was published online six times a year between 2003 and 2012.

Email phanswsecretary@gmail.com for more information.

Download past issues of Phanfare below, or view the 1995-2002 index for Phanfare.

Past Phanfare editions

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

The PHA NSW works as an advocate for professional historians and from time to time writes submissions to government and other bodies in furthering our objectives.

Statement on the neglect of the National Archives of Australia, July 2021

Click here to read the PHA ( NSW & ACT)’ s statement on the neglect of the National Archives of Australia.

Statement on the review of the NSW Heritage Act 1977, June 2021

The PHA ( NSW & ACT) has made formal submissions to inquire into revising the NSW Heritage Act 1977. Click here to read the PHA’s submission to the review. Members are encouraged to review the transcripts of proceeding and all submissions tendered here.

Statement on the review of the NSW State Records Act 1998, March 2020

The PHA (NSW & ACT) has made formal submissions and appeared before a select committee to inquire into revising the NSW State Records Act 1998. Click here to read the PHA’s submission to the review; here to read the opening remarks made by PHA representatives Dr. Lisa Murray and Dr. Michael Bennett at the select committee; and here to read the PHA’s responses to questions on notice. Members are encouraged to review the transcripts of proceedings and all submissions tendered here.

The PHA has also joined with several other organisations to write to the Premier and Minister for the Arts about the review – you can read that letter here.

Statement on the Proposed Restructure of University Fees 2020

Click here to read the PHA (NSW & ACT)’s statement against the Minister for Education Dan Tehan’s proposal to restructure funding for university undergraduate courses.

NSW Arts and Culture Policy, December 2013

This submission was made on the draft policy, with the main point being the need to rectify the exclusion of history and historians from the draft policy: Framing the Future: Developing an Arts and Cultural Policy for NSW

ABC Radio National, Hindsight, September and October 2014

These two submissions, from PHA (NSW & ACT) and Professional Historians Australia, argue for the retention of Hindsight and other history programming on ABC Radio National. The response from the ABC is also below.

Census, March 2015

Professional Historians Australia has recently made a submission to the Federal Government arguing for the retention of the five-yearly census.  The submission is below.

Census letter to ABS

Public Stoneyard (Sandstone Heritage), August 2015

Two submissions were made, to each of the relevant NSW Ministers, arguing the Stoneyard should be kept as an operating public asset.

Perpetual Copyright, July 2015

A submission was made to the Commonwealth Attorney-General, asking that the perpetual copyright in unpublished materials be changed to have a time limit.

Letter to Attorney-General Brandis

Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for the Arts

Letter to Minister Fifield regarding threats to Trove and the NLA.

 

Prior to 2020, the PHA (NSW & ACT) sponsored an annual Public History Prize. This prize was open to NSW and ACT students engaged with the field and practice of public history. The winner received a certificate and prize of $500, presented at the PHA NSW & ACT’s Public History Prize awards night.

2018

Winner – Anthony Merlino, Australian National University
Taking Centre Stage – Indigenous Australian Activism and Popular Music

2017

Winner – Debbie Waddell, University of Newcastle
To flush or not to flush?: Can an artificial channel help save the Tuggerah Lakes?

Highly commended – Chloe Haywood-Anderson, Macquarie University
Erko Archives

2016

Winner – Alix Biggs, University of Sydney
Building Mosques, Building Community: Australian Mosque Establishment and the Muslim Migrant, 1967–1990

Highly commended – Daniel McKay
Silent Empire: Empire Unity and the First Observance of Two Minute’s Silence on Armistice Day, 1919

2015

Winner – Imogen Dixon-Smith, University of Sydney
Keeping up with the times: Complicating understandings of gender at the historic house Meroogal

Highly commended – Claire Ogle, University of Sydney
Gumine Oral History Archive

2014

Nathan Fallon, Macquarie University
Transmitting the memory of the Holocaust to the Australian Public: the cultivation of prosthetic memory in the Sydney Jewish Museum

2013

Nathan Stormont, University of Sydney
Challenging Helsinki: Human Rights-Agitation National Aspirations and Socialist Legality in Soviet Ukraine 1965–1980

2012

Sarah Gregory, Macquarie University
Understanding Shades of Grey: The Testimonies of Two Former Auschwitz-Birkenau Sonerkommando Survivors: The Gabbai Brothers

Brett Seymour, University of Sydney
Robben Island: Histories, identities and futures

2011

Rosa Grahame, Australian National University
Mountains out of molehills: Black Mountain and the Human Imagination

2010

Megan Walford, University of NSW
Protest and memory: the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Gary Boyce, University of New England
Understanding the heritage of the City of Sydney Fire Station

2009

Joanna Laidler, University of NSW
What roles do Museums play in shaping our understanding of the holocaust?

Lena Hattom, University of NSW
Coming to Australia: Voices from the SIEV-4

2008

Ilana Cohn, University of NSW
The Holocaust Since 1945

Bethan Donnelly, University of NSW
Villawood Migrant Hostel