Federation of Australian Historical Societies

FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

e-BULLETIN No. 131 – 1 November 2014

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

1) City of Sydney history publications sponsorships

2) New South Wales Government Gazette survey

3) Cultural heritage ethics - new publication available online

4) New East Perth Cemeteries website launched

5) Special branch - some of history's most notable moments

1) City of Sydney history publications sponsorships

This program helps historians, independent researchers, organisations and publishers with the costs of history publications that are considered relevant to the ongoing research and recording of the history of the City of Sydney. Sponsorships of up to $15,000 are available.

The aim of the program is to complement the work of the City's historians by supporting the publication of new historical research that is relevant to the local area and supports the history program's core research areas of local, community, social and urban histories.

For more information visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/community/grants-and-sponsorships/community-grants-sponsorships/history-books.

(Source: Royal Australian Historical Society E-Bulletin – Email - 9 October 2014)

2) New South Wales Government Gazette survey

The National Library of Australia, in conjunction with the State Library of New South Wales, is working towards making a digitized version of the New South Wales Government Gazette from 1832-2001 available through the Trove.

The Library is conducting a short online user survey on use of government gazette materials to help us better understand why and how people use government gazettes for information, so we can align with those needs.

The survey consists of 15 questions and aims to find out:
- which government gazettes you consult and how frequently
- the kinds of information you are seeking
- if there is a difference in your use of print or microfilm gazettes and online gazettes
- which ways for finding information in government gazettes are most useful to you, and
- how you would prefer to make use of what you find.

Click https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GovGazetteUse to access the survey, which is open until Sunday 2nd November.

(Source: RAHS E-Newsletter October 2014 issue 2)

3) Cultural heritage ethics - new publication available online

The Open Book Publisher is a non-profit organization directed by academics from Cambridge and London. Its mission is to make high quality research available to readers worldwide for free.

Their latest publication Cultural Heritage Ethics, edited by Constantine Sandis, offers arguments based on vanguard case studies of cultural heritage and its management in a variety of geographical and cultural contexts. This interdisciplinary book links the gap between theory and practice by bringing together a stellar cast of scholars, activists, consultants, journalists, lawyers and museum professionals, each bringing their own experience to broader topics of discussion of the cultural heritage of the early twenty-first century.

The volume discusses current issues such as access, acquisition, archaeological practice, curating, education, anthropology, historiography, integrity, legislation, memory, museum management, ownership, conservation, protection, public trust, restitution, human rights, administration, and tourism. This volume is neither a textbook nor a manifest in favour of a particular approach to the ethics of the inheritance, but a snapshot of different positions and approaches that inspire thought and action.

It was released on 15 October 2014 and can be read for free online.
At the above link, it is also possible to purchase a copy of the publication, either as a PDF or in hard copy.

(Source: ICOMOS Email news – No.655 – 24 October 2014)

4) New East Perth Cemeteries website launched

In a partnership between the Friends of Battye Library (the Western Australian collections in the WA State Library) and the National Trust, a new website has been made available giving details of 9,056 of the estimated 10,000 individuals buried in the East Perth Cemeteries between foundation in 1829 and closure of the cemeteries in 1899. Using a multitude of sources and building on the work of others before them researchers Lorraine Clark and Cherie Strickland have uncovered many previously unknown facts - such as the number of stillbirths buried among the 2929 babies under 18 months.

With a grant from Lotterywest to cover their costs, the two have photographed all memorials, and complied biographical information about the majority of those interred in the cemeteries from the newspapers (with thanks to Trove), data held within the Registrar Generals files, correspondence within Police Registers, and State Gardens Board review documents, which contained many letters from families wishing to be buried alongside their loved ones. Perth Gaol Occurrence Books, Convict General Registers, and Department of Lands records all provided information. Chipper Funeral Directors records, filmed by the Latter Day Saints, contained valuable information pertaining to previous internments and addresses of next of kin. One of the last sources consulted - which proved invaluable - was the Colonial Hospital Admission Registers owned by the Royal Perth Hospital Museum. All the information collected is now available on line, thanks to the National Trust, at www.eastperthcemeteries.com.au. An article summarizing the findings of the two researchers is also available on the Friends of Battye Library website.

(Source: Dr Pamela Statham-Drew, RWAHS – email – 27 October 2014)

5) Special branch - some of history's most notable moments

The Woodland Trust in the United Kingdom together with the National Trust is seeking to have a legally binding National Tree Register to protect from destruction ancient trees including those under which significant historical events have occurred. In the United Kingdom such trees include the Ankerwycke at Runnymeade under which the Magna Carta was signed in 1215. There is also the Maid Kent apple tree at Woodsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire which is thought to have inspired Sir Isaac Newton’s theories of gravity. The National Trust has surveyed trees throughout the United Kingdom recording their species, location, girth and condition. Europe has a system of recognition of trees significant in the countries’ heritage. The United Kingdom only has Tree Protection Orders. Thirty thousand trees have been recorded in the United Kingdom. Some have been discovered for the first time such as oak trees dating back to the time of William the Conqueror with girths over 10 metres.

(Source: The Independent 9 October 2014 p.39)