About

The Federation of Australian Historical Societies was established in 1977, has eight constituent members, one in each state and territory, and is the national peak body representing the interests of about 1,000 historical societies and about 100,000 members throughout Australia.

Their members provide hundreds of thousands of hours of work to collect documents and images, research and publish history, present public lectures and exhibitions, protect and preserve built and place heritage, collect material objects and exhibit them in museums, and make an invaluable contribution to heritage tourism.

As described in its Constitution, the Federation communicates with government and public officials to inform them about issues affecting historical societies and museums, and to advocate the interests of historical societies and museums. The Federation also provides access to a variety of guides and training materials to assist historical societies.

Past Presidents reports and a list of past presidents are available here.

Download the FAHS infosheet flyer.

Download the FAHS Strategic Plan 2022-2025.

FAHS President

Christine Yeats FRAHS was the President of the Royal Australian Historical Society from 2018-2021. She is the immediate Past President of the Independent Scholars Association of Australia (ISAA), Immediate Past Chair of ISAA NSW, Convenor of the  Assessment Sub-Committee of the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Committee and a member of the Jessie Street National Women’s Library Board. Christine is an archivist, researcher and professional historian, with a particular interest in women’s history.

FAHS Immediate Past President

Associate Professor Don Garden (RHSV) Associate Professor Don Garden, OAM FFAHS FRHSV, is Immediate Past President of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, a former member of the Australian Heritage Council, a committee member of the Sandringham & District Historical Society and a member of several other local historical societies. For many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne, where he is now an honorary Fellow.

FAHS Vice President

Nick Swain (CDHS) Nick is currently President of the Canberra & District Historical Society and facilitates the ACT Regional Studies Network. Nick’s interest in history stemmed from his father’s interest in Anglo Saxon and Roman remains found around the family farm in Devon, UK. Now living in Canberra, Nick’s interests are focused on the early days of Canberra as the Federal Capital. This interest now includes the interplay of heritage issues and local planning. He is working towards making the CDHS collection, containing some unique material, more accessible.

FAHS Vice President

Ms Amanda James (HTSA) Amanda has been working in community history for many years, both within community museums and for History SA. For History SA Amanda manages the museum standards program and grant programs, coordinates a range of collaborative history and historical collections management projects, and provides advice, project assistance and skills development to South Australia’s community history network. She has a keen interest in the sustainability of regional museums and collections and the value of these in preserving and presenting South Australian historical stories.

FAHS Hon. Treasurer

Nick Drew (RWAHS) Nick Drew is a RWAHS Councillor and Assistant Treasurer and member of the Executive, Convenor  Affiliated Societies Committee, Co-Convenor of the Book Sale Team, Convenor of the Mail Out Team and on the Tours & Events committee In addition to the above he is Treasurer of the Friends of Battye Library, Treasurer for the History Council of W.A. also Treasurer of the WA History Foundation.

FAHS Secretary

Dr Ruth Kerr OAM (RHSQ) FFAHS is an experienced professional historian who has done extensive research in mining, regional and organisational history and has written several commissioned histories on these subjects, and is an Adjunct Professor at The University of Queensland. Ruth had a long career in the state public service working in Queensland State Archives, Crown Law Office, Parliamentary Library and Departments of Mines and Energy and Primary Industries. Ruth is Hon Secretary of RHSQ and is a former President, and was President of FAHS from 2000 to 2004 and 2012 to 2014.

RHSV Delegate

Margaret Anderson (RHSV) Margaret Anderson joined the Council of RHSV in 2015 and is a member of the Heritage Committee. Margaret researches and writes on women’s history, the history and demography of the family and on aspects of public history and museums. She has held senior positions as a public historian in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria, and is currently General Manager of the Old Treasury Building, Melbourne. She is a Fellow of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and is a member of the Board of the History Council of Victoria and of the International Standing Committee on Museum Definitions and Futures, of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

CDHS Delegate

Esther Davies (CDHS) Esther Davies is a retired history teacher and former President of both the Canberra and District Historical Society and the ACT History Teachers’ Association. She currently works part-time as a school archivist.

RAHS Delegate

Judith Dunn OAM (RAHS) Judith is a Past President of Parramatta & District Historical Society and served on the Society Council for 23 years. She initiated the Parramatta Historic Graves Committee thirty years ago, remains its’ Convenor and is author of the Parramatta Cemetery Series, a series of five books recording the oldest remaining cemeteries in Australia. Two other books reveal her interest in convict women. After retiring Judith re trained in Tourism and has been Course Co-ordinator at TAFE in Certificate IV Tourism (Tour Guiding) besides conducting her own Heritage Tourism business. Judith is currently a Councillor at the Royal Australian Historical Society.

RHSV Delegate

Rosalie Triolo (RHSV) Dr Rosalie Triolo is Senior Lecturer in History Education, Monash University. She is a Fellow and Councillor of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, the Immediate Past-President and on the Board of the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria, has been active with HTAV for over 30 years, and is an elected or invited member of other Victorian and Australian historical and education bodies. Histories of World War One and Australia are her specialties. She has published scholarly works, professional learning and classroom resources for primary, secondary and tertiary audiences, and presents regularly at state and national events. Four of her publications have been distributed to every Australian school.

RWAHS Delegate

Michael Nind is a Councillor with the RWAHS, and a member of the Society since 1980. He chairs the Library Committee and is on the Readings and Publications Committee. He is Vice President of The History Council of Western Australia, a member of the WA State Records Advisory Committee and the Committee of The Friends of Battye Library. Michael is a member of the WA Working Party Australian Dictionary of Biography. His research interests include WA colonial history, frontier violence, transport, historiography and the history of archives and records.

RHSQ Delegate

Mr Stephen Sheaffe AM (RHSQ) is the Immediate Past President of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. Stephen is a barrister of 40 years standing, a two term president of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland, a former president of the National Trust of Australia (Queensland), former chair of the National Trust of Australia. Former Board member of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and former trustee of Newstead House. Has written books on family (10) and local history (4) and articles for the Queensland History Journal and delivered many history lectures to community organisations.

THRA Delegate

Caroline Homer (THRA) is the President of the Tasmanian Historical Research Association. Caroline works as an archivist and librarian for the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office.