The FAHS is developing a new look website to
promote the significant work historical societies make to historical
research, collections and exhibition across Australia.
The contributions you make to the community through talks, outings, and
school's programs are often overlooked and we are keen to promote these
aspects on the website.
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We are looking for photographs
showing the ways that you do history - through research, events,
managing collections, and exhibition - and to illustrate how you engage
with the local community and visitors from further afield.
We are seeking:
Three or four feature 'hero images' to use in the website banner and twenty to thirty images for content pages.
Images including people will best represent your contribution to the
community. As a starting point, the areas we're focusing on are below:
* Collections activity - groups & individuals working with the collection; conservation; textiles; volunteer training etc
* Research/publication - e.g oral histories recorded in the field; researcher at work with the community or in-house; publication launch event
* Exhibition - e.g public/curator engagement with the exhibition; special programs; installation processes etc
* Governance - groups/dynamic meetings; engaged and inspired people
* Events - public programs; talks; cultural activities etc
There are a few technology requirements to show the best images. If you
have some compelling images of people engaging with your society and are
unsure about the format - send them in and we can evaluate the
technical side of things. Not every image will be suited to the
content, so we can't promise that every society's image will be
published.
Pixel dimensions:
Banner images - 2560 pixels horizontal
Rectangular or square images at least 800 horizontal
Format:
TIF, PNG or Jpeg
With your permission we will crop or scale images if required by the web design.
Image files to: Bernadette Flynn
FAHS National History and Community Heritage Officer and Curator
fahsbflynn@gmail.com
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Featured Historical Society - Port Fairy Historical Society, Victoria
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The Port Fairy Historical Society was formed in 1963 as a centre for local research into the early history of the town and its pioneer families.
Today the society operates a museum and archive in the 1860 heritage listed Port Fairy Courthouse.
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The Society developed from an interest in
preserving the local history of Port Fairy - from the time of the first
visits of whalers to current times. The group struggled for a number of
years for a local centre, while storing a growing collection in
members’ homes until the purchase of an old dentist’s surgery. In 1992
the society was able to negotiate the lease of the historic Courthouse
building from the Shire Council for a nominal rent. Since then an
annex has been added which houses a large collection of documents,
archival photographs and objects.
Marten Syme, member of Port Fairy Historical Society, outlines
how the community recognises the Society as the custodian of
historical material about the town. Much of the collection has been
acquired through family donations and as people pass on more material is
donated. A collection policy is in place ensuring that, where
appropriate, items can be de-accessioned and gaps in the collection
addressed. Digitisation of the catalogued collection is progressing
in-house. Significant items from the collection are hosted on-line with
Victorian Collections.
Since the early 1980's, Port Fairy has been an area of increasing
interest on the tourism map. Marten notes that most visitors to the
museum are people from outside, with locals attending special
events and exhibition openings. The museum is an accredited museum
through the Museums Australia, Victoria (accredited since 1998) and
its completely volunteer staff seek to operate at
a professional standard. A range of exhibits are on display
throughout the Courthouse - both permanent and temporary.
A theatrical presentation of an active sitting is installed in the main
Courtroom with the original court furniture and costumed figures
(when constructed in 1859 this was the only courthouse in the Western
District of Victoria holding sittings of the Supreme Court and County
Courts as well as General Sessions). Five other rooms throughout the
Courthouse contain exhibitions on themes such as the early pioneers of
the district, the whaling era in Port Fairy, local shipping and wrecks
along the coast. A forthcoming exhibition opening on 22nd
September is currently being prepared - through photographs
and objects Icons of Port Fairy tells the story of people from Port Fairy who have made an impact in the wider world in their chosen fields.
Port Fairy has a growing population with new people arriving from
outside and bringing in extra skills to the Society. There are about
20-25 active volunteers, with many of them very enthusiastic about local
history. Some volunteers have specific roles and have built up
expertise in areas such as exhibitions and museum management
through undertaking Museums Australia courses and attending other
professional development seminars over the last 10-15 years. The
Society is also active in the Western Victoria Association of Historical
Societies, a regional body managed through Royal Historical Society of
Victoria, which meets four times a year.
The Society has developed educational resources to attract school groups
to the museum. Glen Foster, a school teacher has designed a series of
historical games Fun with History using role-play and
cards. The games explore key aspects of the life and times of
European settlement in Melbourne, Portland, Port Fairy and
Warrnambool through hypothetical scenarios that incorporate factual
events and real characters from the times. The series is designed
for the Victorian and Australian Curricula for History and has content
useful in other subject areas such as Drama, English, Geography and
Mathematics. To encourage school students to engage with local
history the Society also offers a History Prize.
L to R: Installation in the main Courtroom; Recent publication The Lighthouse Keeper and the One-Armed Cricketer, Society event at the Courthouse.
The Society takes part in many of Port Fairy’s annual events such as the
Moyneyana Festival and Winter Weekends and has a strong community
engagement ethos. Marten outlines how the society has made a
significant difference to the community awareness of history. An
active Facebook page of over 1,200 followers functions as a vibrant
interactive space with input from locals on the history of buildings,
people and places. The Society produces a bi-monthly newsletter with
curated articles and has a small publishing unit. Books published
include: Port Fairy Buildings - 1843 to 1889; The
Lighthouse Keeper and the One-Armed Cricketer; Some Shipwrecks of
Port Fairy Bay.
The main challenge is managing a dispersed collection of a large
collection of documents, archival photographs and objects which
are scattered throughout the Courthouse, due to the small side
rooms in such buildings. In order to provide better access to
artefacts and materials the Society is seeking to build a
purpose built archive and is pursuing funding from Council and
donations from local businesses.
Society meetings run once a month and usually include an invited guest
speaker. New members and interested visitors are always welcome to
attend general meetings.
Location: The History Centre, 30 Gipps Street, Port Fairy, Victoria
Open: Saturdays, Wednesdays, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm, Sundays, 10.30am - 12.30pm.
Entry: Adult $5.00, unaccompanied teenagers with adults $1, accompanied younger children free.
email: pfhsmuseumandarchives@gmail.com
Website: http://www.historicalsociety.port-fairy.com
Tel: +61 0355682263
Sources: Port Fairy Historical
Society Website, interview with members of Port Fairy Historical
Society, Angela and Marten Syme.
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This Place, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Names
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Across Australia, places are known for their
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander names. But what do they mean?
What's the story behind them?
Place names are a starting point for sharing Australia's ancient history and cultures.
This Place (ABC Indigenous) invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to create a short video about a place name, and the story behind it.
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Queen Victoria Market - National Heritage Listing
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 Melbourne’s
Queen Victoria Market has been added to the national heritage
list, following a nomination from the City of Melbourne in 2015.
Federal environment minister Josh Frydenberg officially inscribed the
market on the heritage list on 23 July. 'For almost 150 years, it has
sustained Melbourne, first as a meat market and then as a food and
produce market,' he said.
'The colour, noise and traditions of market trading continue to this day
within the Victorian-era structures, layout and fittings that make it
such a grand old part of the Australian story.'
The Queen Victoria Market was formally opened in 1878, having previously
operated as a meat market, on the site of Melbourne’s first cemetery,
the Old Melbourne Cemetery. The national heritage listing statement of
significance describes it as 'an outstanding example of an Australian
metropolitan food market established in the 19th century,' noting the
vital role 19th century markets played in establishing colonies
around Australia.
National Heritage Listing: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/queen-victoria-market
Source: https://architectureau.com/articles/queen-victoria-market-gains-national-heritage-listing/
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New Historical Society Formed - Kuranda Historical Society, QLD
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Kuranda Historical Society has been formed and has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kurandahistory
The objective of the Kuranda Historical Society is: ‘To
receive and preserve historical items from or relevant to Kuranda
region and display them appropriately to as wide an audience as possible.’
The office bearers are: President: Dugg Stratford, Hon Secretary Annie
Clarke, and Hon Treasurer Gayle Hannah. Mareeba Shire Council is
providing the Society with premises in Centenary Park in Kuranda.
The Society has obtained two small grants from GLAM Peak (Galleries,
Libraries, Archives and Museums) Digital Access to Collections Project
supported by the Commonwealth government through the Catalyst Arts and
Culture Fund.
The Society offers special events and guest speakers, assistance with
historical research, a monthly Newsletter to members, a vote
at the AGM, and opportunity to participate in and help grown this new
community group.
email: kurandahistory@gmail.com or c/- PO Box 66 Kuranda Qld 4881.
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Digitisation of Pilbara Region History
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 Port Hedland Historical Society’s Arnold Carter with a picture of the Esplanade Hotel in the 1960s. Picture: Harrison Quenault
The unique history of the Hedland region is set to be preserved for all
to enjoy thanks to the collection of various items of historical
significance.
The Pilbara Regional Council and the Town of Port Hedland headed up an
initiative which had residents donating family photographs, letters,
diary pages, newspaper clippings, wills, deeds, essays and artefacts.
Author, historian and broadcaster Richard Offen was the special guest
facilitator and helped to assess the historical significance of the
items.
Some of the main items included photos of the Lumper’s Mess Christmas
Day celebration; Pretty Pool in 1948; the first electronic ship
navigation system 'decca', which was located at Turner River; old Port
Hedland buildings; and port dredges.
The collection is available for the community to view in person at Dalgety House for a limited time.
The donations are set to be digitised over the coming year, with the
items then returned to their owners and the collection eventually
available for the public to view online.
Source: https://www.kimberleyecho.com.au/?news/north-west-telegraph/personal-treasures-bringing-hedlands-history-to-life-ng-b88906026z
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Exhibition from the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, WA
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Community, not colour, lies at the heart of
the Berndt Museum of Anthropology’s photographic exhibition Stockyards and Saddles: A story of Gibb River Station.
It is the story of a remote cattle station in the East Kimberley region
but also the story of one family, and many families, claiming kinship
through a shared enterprise.
L: Reggie on an Apache horse; R: Branding at Gibb yards: Reggie with a
lasso made of green hide rope. Photographs: Colin Russ.
'The images centre on the Russ family and a close-knit community of
Aboriginal stockmen and women from the early 1900s until the 1980s,'
writes curator Dr Vanessa Russ, associate director of the Berndt Museum,
in the exhibition’s catalogue.
The exhibition features photographs from public and private collections,
including those of Colin Russ, Sylvia Russ, Andreas Lommel, the Western
Australian Museum and the State Library of Western Australia.
Vanessa Russ has elegantly grouped them under the headings History,
Homestead, Food and Shelter, Stockyards and Saddles, Labour, People,
Animals, Environment and Communication.
'We start with my grandfather’s photographs,' Russ says. 'He had a box brownie from about 1911.'
They’re not professional photographs; neither are any of the others in
the show. All resonate with the raw truth of amateur photography.
'I thought about cleaning them up, then I thought no, it adds something
to them. You can still see all the scratches on the surface.'
For Russ, however, the exhibition was an opportunity to do more than
just scratch the surface. She wanted to present a different
narrative to those often told about life on remote cattle stations last
century.
'This is not an art show,' she reiterates.
'This is a people show. It’s about relationships, and about 50 years of
history and transition in the Kimberley. We have tried to present this
exhibition as a positive story, which is the most common experience
shared by those who were there.'
Russ talks about the animals which were 'food, friends and transportation' and therefore part of that shared experience.
'There’s often this idea that people living on the stations don’t love
their animals. They do, and they care about their welfare,' she says.
Not that Russ, who grew up on the station, is trying to romanticise what
was a life filled with dust and hardship. 'You talk to some
Aboriginal people about the times depicted in some of these photographs
and they have this romantic feeling towards them,' she says. 'It wasn’t
like that.'
She motions towards one photograph showing a group of stockmen. 'They
look so tired. And you can see they used to tie the legs of their
trousers around their ankles to prevent scorpions crawling up them.'
But everyone, black and white, was in it together. 'Everyone was
connected, everyone felt valued,' she says. 'They were never rich;
the bulk of the money went on supplies. But they’d all get their fair
share of damper, tea, some beef. It was quite socialist, in a way.'
The exhibition is showing at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA until December 8th (not open on Mondays).
Source: https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-west-australian/20180728/282252371327988
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Millthorpe and District Historical Society receives $45,000 grant
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The Golden Memories Museum run by
the Millthorpe and District Historical Society houses over 14,000
items across ten buildings.
The Society has been awarded a $45,883 grant from the NSW government’s
new Regional Cultural Fund to digitise its entire collection. Read More
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Canberra Railway Museum Update
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A reborn Canberra Railway Museum will
celebrate its official return to the Kingston yards with a visit to the
national capital by its former prized possession, the Garratt-Beyer 6029
steam locomotive.
The Beyer-Garratt 6029, will be providing rides with a choice of two
shuttles from Canberra to Queanbeyan or Bungendore for the Canberra Steam Weekend on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September 2018.
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The Canberra Railway Museum was formally
operated by the ACT division of the Australian Railway
Historical Society. The Society preserved railway history,
particularly that of Canberra and the southern districts of New South
Wales, for the enjoyment and enlightenment of present and future
generations. Members worked toward this goal by collecting and restoring
locomotives, other rolling stock and items of railway memorabilia;
preserving and recording railway history; and operating trains with
restored rolling stock.
On 1 September, the liquidator of the former Australian Railway
Historical Society ACT will hand over the site to the new body and
registered charity that will run the Museum and operate heritage trains,
Capital Region Heritage Rail.
Source: https://the-riotact.com/canberra-rail-museum-back-on-track-with-garratt-visit-to-mark-site-handover/259373
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The John Forrest Collection donated to the RWAHS
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The John Forrest collection of personal
papers has been donated to the Royal Western Australian Historical
Society by Nicholas Hasluck from the estate of his father, the late Sir
Paul Hasluck.
John Forrest was one of Western Australia’s most influential
political leaders and the colony’s first Premier (1890-1901). The
collection contains records from Sir John Forrest’s time as surveyor and
explorer in the 1860s-1880s
2018 is the centenary of his death
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The Society has been fortunate to attract
two new volunteers to work on the collection. Carol Leigh, a retired
archivist previously working for the City of Wanneroo, has started the
huge task of cataloguing over 1,000 items. Ulli Broeze, former paper
conservator at the WA Museum, is advising and helping with appropriate
storage of the collection. The collection will be on the database in due
course and available for research.
John Forrest’s expedition scrapbook from the three expeditions he
led in 1869, 1870 and 1874 is on view at Stirling House from Mon 3
Sept to Thu 6 Sept, 10am-4pm.
Contact RWAHS on 08 9386 3841 or admin@histwest.org.au
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Australian Lebanese Historical Society in North Queensland
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Members of the North Queensland Branch of the Australian Lebanese
Historical Society Ray Holyoak (Chairman), Max Tomlinson, Richard
Anthony, Lorraine Tomlinson, Geraldine O’Brien and Lisha Kayrooz.
Picture: Kelsie Iorio.
A group of North Queenslanders with Lebanese heritage has formed the
local branch, and are on a mission to capture the stories of Lebanese
history in North Queensland.
Lebanese immigrants were among the early pioneers to North and far north
Queensland, and it’s understood some local politicians descended from
Lebanese immigrants.
Because of labour restrictions on non-Europeans - part of the White
Australia policy - most migrants from the Middle East earned a living
from hawking or retailing.
North Queensland branch chairman Ray Holyoak said the group intended to
collect and collate the history of early Lebanese migrants so their
contribution to the nation’s history could be recognised and preserved.
'We are keen to interview living relatives of Lebanese immigrants here
in the North and far north before that important history is lost,' he
said.
Contact ALHS branch secretary Max Tomlinson at max@tomlinson.com.au or 0419 782 729 for more information.
Source: https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/nq-australian-lebanese-historical-society-delve-into-local-history/news-story/8565cf41b0b3bb7b4227f0942fbf5979
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Mapping Van Diemen’s Land and the Great Beyond, Tasmania
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The Royal Society of Tasmania is celebrating its 175th Anniversary Year
As part of the celebrations, two books are being published. The first, Mapping Van Diemen’s Land and the Great Beyond edited
by Lynn Davies, Margaret Davies and Warren Boyles was published in mid
July. The volume contains over 100 high resolution images of rare and
beautiful maps from the Society’s collection with text from
authoritative contributors contributing to their understanding.
The official launch took place on Thursday, 19 July 2018, in the foyer
of the Stanley Burbury Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay
campus. The Welcome to Country was conducted by Dr. Greg Lehmann,
and then the book was officially launched by Dr. Tony Sprent AM from the
University of Tasmania.
https://rst.org.au/product/mapping-van-diemans-land-and-the-great-beyond
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Australasian Mining History Association Conference
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The 24th Australasian Mining History
Association Conference will be held from the 7th to the 13th
October 2018 at Cromwell, Otago Region of the South Island of
New Zealand. The theme of the conference will be ‘Rivers of Gold‘.
http://www.mininghistory.asn.au/next-conference/
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The Australasian Mining History Association
is a not for profit organisation formed in 1995 to foster the exchange
of information about our extensive and fascinating mining past.
Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in mining history and
its various related aspects.
The very successful 2017 conference was held in Traralgon, Victoria and
other conferences have been held in most of Australia’s well known
mining districts and in New Zealand.
The Association has also held joint meetings with other organisations,
including the International Mining History Association and the
Australian Historical Association.
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The Biennial RHSV Conference, Melbourne
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The Royal Historical Society Victoria Biennial Conference : War, Peace, Protest: Fifty Year Reflections on 1968
Location: Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
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The Biennial RHSV conference has events over two days - Friday 14th and Sunday 16th September.
On the evening of Friday 14th Sep the RHSV launches an exhibition on
70's Melbourne followed by the RHSV Augustus Wolskel lecture delivered
by Peter Edwards. Then on Sunday 16th Sep (9:30am – 3:45pm) the keynote
will be delivered by Seamus O’Hanlon. A full program of speakers
includes Richard Broome, Charles Sowerine and Rebecca & Jean McLean
reflecting on their documentary, Save Our Sons following its screening. Lunch and morning tea is included.
* Friday 14 September 5:00 pm
Exhibition opening: Putting it out there: Melbourne in the 1970s
Free event - please book for catering purposes
* Friday 14 September 6:30 pm
Augustus Wolskel Lecture: Now we know: a half-century perspective on Australia’s Vietnam War
Free for conference delegates and RHSV member. $10 for non-RHSV members.
Sunday 16 September 9:30am - 3.45pm
Full Day Conference
Cost: RHSV Members $60 / Non Members $80.00 / Full-Time Student $40 (limited to first 20).
Bookings for conference and Friday evening sessions
* The two events on Friday are stand-alone events and can be booked individually.
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Annual History Lecture, History Council of NSW
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Warnings from the grave: Death, glory and memory in Australian cemeteries with Dr Lisa Murray
In this Annual History Lecture, Dr Lisa Murray, City Historian at the
City of Sydney will survey the history of Australian cemeteries,
highlighting the central role memory has played in their fates. She will
reflect upon the beauty, value and threats to our national heritage.
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Description: Cemeteries are storehouses
of history and rightly form part of our national heritage. The human
remains, gravestones, furniture and setting all embody the rituals of
death. The material culture of death recorded in our cemeteries are
valuable sources for historians, but should never be considered in
isolation. To truly understand the Australian way of death we must
appreciate cemeteries as cultural landscapes, analyse the social and
economic history of funerary practices and consider the fickle nature of
memory and commemoration.
History Council of NSW
Date: Tue. 4 September 2018, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: The Mint, 10, Macquarie Street, Sydney
Cost: $45 – $50
Tickets
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Jill Roe Professional Development Bursary, History Council of NSW
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The History Council of NSW is
proud to announce a new opportunity for history professionals and
students in regional New South Wales - the Jill Roe Bursary.
Thanks to a generous bequest from the late highly respected historian
and History Council Life Member, Jill Roe, AO, two $500 bursaries a year
will be offered to individuals working and/or studying in regional
NSW in the field of history for professional development purposes.
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Applications are accepted at any time (until
all allocated annual funds for the program are expended each calendar
year).
Applications must be emailed to admin@historycouncilnsw.org.au and
received by the History Council of NSW at least four weeks
before the date of the professional development event/activity to
allow staff time to assess the application.
In exchange for our support through the Jill Roe
Bursary program, recipients will be expected to share their
experiences through our blog and social media channels.
Further information: https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/jill-roe-bursary-for-professional-development-regional-bursary/
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The FAHS e-Bulletin, No. 181,
27th August 2018
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