A large crowd gathered on the 20 February at
the Royal Historical Society of Victoria to honour the life
and work of two past RHSV stalwarts, Professor Weston Bate
AO and Associate Professor Don Gibb. Initiatives to honour their
legacy were announced on the night in the presence of members of
the Bate and Gibb families, including Janice Bate and Ann Gibb.
The Weston Bate RHSV Oration - To honour the
inspiring leadership of our former many-time president, a named
annual lecture has been sanctioned by Council to be delivered at
the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
The Don Gibb RHSV Prize in Australian History - To
recognise the contribution of Don Gibb to student learning in
History in this state, a prize of $300, plus a three-year
membership of the RHSV, will be awarded annually to the best
student in Australian history at La Trobe University. The Gibb
family has donated $10,000 to the RHSV to ensure this is a
perpetual prize in Don Gibb’s honour.
The Weston Bate Make History Live Fund - A fund has
been established from the giving which began at Weston
Bate’s memorial service. It is now approaching $10,000. The object
of this fund is to use the annual interest from this fund to
energise the RHSV through special projects focussed on attracting
younger people into the Society.
On the same night the RHSV celebrated the award of two fellowships
by the Federation of Australian Historical Societies. Associate
Professor Don Garden President of the FAHS and the RHSV presented
fellowship certificates to Emeritus Professor Graeme Davison and
Professor Emerita Marian Quartly for their national leadership in
various fields of Australian historiography.
Image: Don Garden presenting awards to Professor Emerita Marian Quartly and Emeritus Professor Graeme Davison.
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The FAHS Newsletter on Diversity, Call for Papers
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Call for Papers for the June 2018 issue of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies’ Newsletter
Theme: Diversity
Submission Date: Monday 30th April 2018
Issue No. 45 of the FAHS newsletter recognises and celebrates diversity
within the community history sector. Historical Societies make a
specific contribution to this expression by working with, and as part
of, local community. At the same time there is a blossoming of cultural
expression among indigenous groups, LBTQI and a range of ethnic groups
representing diverse community and history. This has yet to extend to
being an integral part of local histories and community heritage.
The FAHS is seeking papers on new and traditional approaches to
collection practices, exhibition, research, public programs and events
that reflect diverse community and history. Papers are invited on
methods and representations of the local culture and areas of special
interest, whether these are geographically, cultural, or ethnically
based. These may include:
- Ways that organisations recognise and celebrate diversity and multiplicity
- Inclusive and focused historical interpretations/ interpretative activities
- Collection and interpretation of collections
- New practices involving a range of community expressions
- Variety of representations in studying Australian history and genealogy
Articles are invited of up to 800 words, The FAHS newsletter is
distributed via our contact list, on the FAHS website and on ISSUU. The
last newsletter No. 44 on the theme of Collaboration and Participation
can be viewed here. Articles that relate more generally to matters of local history and community heritage are also welcome.
For further information and submission details please contact the editor Dr Bernadette Flynn at fahsbflynn@gmail.com
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Update on the campaign to save the FAHS
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Thank you again for your support in writing letters, emails and signing the campaign petition.
A submission is currently being prepared to apply for funding through a Commonwealth grants program.
Updates will be posted on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/FederationAHS
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Featured Historical Society - Coober Pedy Historical Society
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The Coober Pedy Historical Society (CPHS)
preserves, promotes and educates people about Coober Pedy’s history in
remote South Australia.
The Society was inaugurated in 1989 and has been actively collecting the local history for over 30 years.
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The initial impulse for the Coober Pedy
Historical Society came from two Adelaide historians Ian and Kath Crilly
who came to Coober Pedy in 1989 to work on historical displays. Local
businesses seeing the potential for cultural tourism established
museums: Umoona Opal Mine and Museum; Old Timers Mine and Museum and
Desert Cave. Story telling always an important feature of social life in
Coober Pedy underscored this focus on history for tourism. Since
its inauguration, the Society has built up a collection over 4,000
documents and photos about the lives and work of miners and other
residents of Coober Pedy from the first documented discovery of opal in
1915 to the present day. Overall the CPHS collection provides a
comprehensive understanding of the evolution of opal mining, Coober
Pedy’s context as a remote Australian town and the ongoing development
of the community. The collection has been recognised by the
National Library of Australia as being of national significance
(significance assessment, 2013).
Lack of a permanent home for meetings and storage has been an
ongoing issue. Recently the Society accepted an offer of free use
of an underground room made by Umoona Mine & Museum. There
is room to store the archives in a secure, climate controlled,
pest free and dust free environment with enough space for one or two
people to work, the Society meets in the Community Library.
Due to financial constraints no monetary support is provided by
the Coober Pedy District Council, instead income is generated
from book sales and grants along with in-kind donations from local
businesses. One of these books The boy who found opal : the story of Will Hutchison written
by Sue Britt describes how 15-year-old
Will Hutchison found the first gemstones in the
area. A second book Images of Coober Pedy 1915 - 2015 by
Jenny Davison and Judy Underwood illustrates the history of opal mining
and the town's development through 100 years of photos. A self-drive
Heritage Trail of the Coober Pedy area has also been developed with
pamphlets available at the visitors centre and tourism outlets
around town.
Nic Kingma (Chairperson), Jenny Davison (Secretary) and Sue Britt
(Treasurer) consider the collection as belonging to the town and
see themselves as its custodians. Copies of images and documents are
made freely available to people in the town with a cost for those
outside the town. The Society has successfully applied for grants - for
preserving and managing the collection (Preservation Needs Assessment in
2014, a Conservation Activities and Collection Management in 2016) and
for developing an oral history archive (a grant from the Oral History
Association of Australia grant in 2013 and a Department for Communities
and Social Inclusion grant in 2015).
Images l to r: Coober Pedy's Underground Post Office, 1931; CPHS publication, The boy who found opal : the story of Will Hutchison; Outing to Shell Patch Field where miners talked about their experiences from the 1960's and 1970's.
The CPHS is run by volunteers and has 15 local
members. Sue Britt outlined some of the challenges facing this
small but vibrant historical society. Maintaining the collections
database and keeping up to date with developments in digital media
is difficult with no local IT specialist support. Digital catalogues
spread across various databases are currently being compiled into one
web based catalogue system. The FAHS History Clinic has also recently
assisted in setting up a pilot collection site in eHive showcasing a few
key items from the collection https://ehive.com/collections/7823/coober-pedy-historical-society.
The CPHS actively exhibits collection materials with a permanent
display at the Council Visitor Information Centre and temporary
exhibitions throughout the year. A display about Minnie Berrington
(a woman opal miner in Coober Pedy) was held at the Gem Trade Show
during Easter and other displays will be held at the Opal Festival in
June and the Coober Pedy races later in the year. The Society is once
again participating in the South Australian History Festival with a talk
on the 29th April about the built history of Desert Cave Hotel - the
only underground hotel of that type.
The Society further promotes the appreciation of history through history
outings presented free of charge to locals and visitors throughout the
year. Trips have included the underground churches, old dugouts, water
holes, pastoral stations, mining fields, the cemeteries and the solar
distillation plant with about 30 to 40 people attending theses outings.
email: cooberpedyhs@gmail.com
Collection on eHive: https://ehive.com/collections/7823/coober-pedy-historical-society
Phone: (08) 8672 3714
Sources:
The Coober Pedy Historical Society eHive site and interview with
Coober Pedy Historical Society Secretary, Jenny Davison and
Treasurer Sue Britt.
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SPUN: Stories from the Northern Territory
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SPUN: True Stories Told in the Territory is a live storytelling
event showcasing some of the extraordinary people and their stories
that make up the Northern Territory. Popping up at different venues
across Darwin, working with a range of partner organisations with a
different theme each time, SPUN brings to light stories from diverse
backgrounds.
All stories are recorded and replayed on ABC Local Radio and featured on SoundCloud. One of these stories is The night Tracy came to town by James Parfitt-Fejo. James
Parfitt-Fejo is a proud Larrakia man and Community Legal Educator
for the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) who has
just wrapped up 14 months working on the Royal Commission into the
Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory. But
step back to 1974, and James was an excited four year old with one
thing on his mind when he and his family went to bed on Christmas
Eve...
Find out more about upcoming events or to share your story www.spunstories.net
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Launch of Australian Heritage Festival 2018
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The Australian Heritage Festival
is Australia's biggest annual community-driven heritage
festival. The 2018 Australian Heritage Festival theme is My Culture, My Story celebrating
the diversity of cultures that have shaped our shared heritage. See how
historical Societies and community heritage groups have responded to
the theme - a few are shown below.
The Australian Heritage Festival will launch on 18 April,
International Day for Monuments and Sites, and runs from 18 April –
20 May.
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One Country, Two Cultures, First Contact, Parramatta Branch National Trust, NSW
Join
Governor Arthur Phillip as he retraces his footstep along the banks of
the Parramatta River on 24 April 1788. Hear journal accounts of first
contact with local Aborigines. Walk past some of the most significant
remaining buildings and heritage sites from colonial NSW.
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The Valley of Dispossession, The Oaks Historical Society, NSW
The Gundungorra Nation in the Burragorang Valley was dispossessed of
their land by explorers, pastoralists, the Church, early settlers,
miners and the Aboriginal Protection Board. Yet this community achieved
acceptance which was disrupted when their Valley was flooded to create
Warragamba Dam.
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On the Beach, in partnership with Williamstown Historical Society, Victoria.
Presented by local historian Brian Haynes, this talk uncovers the history and development of Williamstown beach.
scene and its activities from the 1850s to more recent times.
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Tales of Past and Present, the Chinese People of Rockhampton, The Rockhampton Chinese Association, Queensland
Tales of the Chinese settlers, past and present, accompanied by Tea and
games will entertain during the afternoon. Learn of the early trials and
experiences of the Chinese pioneers in the district.
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Tying the Knot, Murray Districts Historical Society, WA
Members and friends of the Murray Districts Historical Society can enjoy
an illustrated talk presented by Jo Pearson about courtship,
marriage and wedding dresses in the Swan River Colony.
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Guided Walk of 16 Mile World War II Heritage Site, National Trust of Australia (NT)
This guided walk will showcase the strategic importance of Darwin as a military base during World War II
With your knowledgeable guide Michael Wells, walk through the remnants
of this historically and strategically important World War II military
base at 16Mile.
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Western Land – a journey through our collection, The Royal WA Historical Society
This exhibition draws on the Society’s collection to tell stories that
reflect the rich mix of cultures that have shaped Western Australia’s
history, both before and after colonisation.
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Heritage House, Bangalow receives funding for family history hub
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Congratulations to the Bangalow Historical Society on securing a $320,000 grant
Image: Nationals Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW Ben Franklin
and Mayor Simon Richardson with the President of the Bangalow Historical
Society Vivienne Groec and members of the Society.
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Heritage House in Bangalow, NSW will
receive a grant of $320,154 under the NSW Government's $200 million
Stronger Country Communities Fund.
The $320,000 grant for Heritage House will enable Council to extend the
building, creating a new display and reading room which will become a
cultural hub for the exploration of family history and boost the use of
local history collections.
The refurbishment will assist in the creation of a public access centre
with digital capability so that locals can link to family history
records held by the NSW Government at the State Library of New South
Wales.
Sarah Ford, Manager, Community Development said Council had been working
closely with the Bangalow Historical Society on a vision for the future
of Heritage House and this new reading room would create a social zone
for genealogists and local researchers to support active ageing.
'Upgrades to Heritage House are needed to improve accessibility and also
the longevity of the heritage building so that we can continue our
Shire’s strong connection and pride in the achievements of the past,”
she said.
'We hope that the improvements will also generate new interest in
history from people of all ages, including the local schools and other
community groups,' Ms Ford said.
Source: https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-Releases/More-community-wins-for-Heritage-House-and-Sandhills-Early-Childhood
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HISTORY WEEK 2018 Advance notice
The 11th annual History Week, Victoria will be held this year from the 7 – 14 October.
With over 400 events across Victoria it really is a chance for
history lovers to immerse and indulge themselves. Historical
societies and groups, museums, galleries and libraries in Victoria are
encouraged to host a history event to showcase your activities and
research.
Collectively History Week demonstrates the vibrancy of local history
across the state. It highlights the enormous amount of work
undertaken by volunteers and paid staff to make Victoria’s history
accessible.
If you are planning a history-related event (exhibition, fair, guided
walk, open house, lecture, debate, re-enactment, tour, antique
equipment display, market, vintage train trip, self-guided heritage
trails etc) during 7 – 14 October 2018 and would like to be included in
the official History week calendar, please register your event
online at www.historyweek.org.au. It is free to register your event.
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Fire at Busselton Historical Society Museum, WA
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Historic artifacts were destroyed when a fire broke out at Busselton's
Old Butter Factory on the south-west tip of WA on March 27th. The
blaze caused approximately $400,000 damage to The Busselton Museum
and destroyed collection items on the building’s second floor.
Busselton Historical Society president Sandra Johnston told
the Mail the fire claimed the museum’s most valuable
historical collection.
'All the wedding dresses are gone as is the cape Stewart Bovell was
knighted in and the furniture in the main upstairs room,' she said.
'The other three rooms with the nursery, music room and kitchen are all
badly smoke damaged.'
Read More
The Museum is calling out to anyone who has photos taken of the first floor display rooms at the Museum recently contact secretary@busseltonhistoricalsociety.org.au
The museum is closed until further notice - updates posted on Busselton Museum's Facebook Page.
Source: https://www.busseltonmail.com.au/story/5313103/history-destroyed-in-blaze/?cs=5825
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A Walk Around Historic Guildford, WA
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Join Ron Bodycoat and fellow members to revisit historic places in Old Guildford Town.
Date: Monday 14th May at 10.30 am.
Location: Meet at the Swan Valley Visitors centre.
Cost: $20 members $25 non-members
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The walk will include the Court House (now
Visitors Centre), Old Gaol, Mechanics Institute, Wesley Chapel, Town
Hall, Garrick Theatre, St Matthews Church and Parkland, the old Bridge
site and river crossing, Barker & Gull’s Warehouse (c1854) and lunch
at the Rose and Crown Hotel. Walk for one to one and a half
hours.
Self drive to Guildford or train – plenty of parking near the Courthouse
and gaol. Pay for your own lunch following the walk.
RSVP: by Monday 7th May for walk and/or lunch
Phone: 08 9386 3841 Email: admin@histwest.org.au
Numbers are limited to around 20 so book early
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Paynesville Maritime Museum, Victoria
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Image: Lady Nelson Crew visit the Paynesville Maritime Museum Shed
The Paynesville Maritime Museum Shed was open for the Paynesville
Classic Boat Rally 2018. The Rally showcases the best of locally owned
and built classic boats. The highlight was the visit of Lady Nelson
a replica of Matthew Flinders ship that charted the coast
of Australia, along with the parade of 200 plus boats as they
travelled down the McMillan Strait.
Over the two days of the rally the shed had attendances of around 200 visitors each day.
Subsequent to the event the display staff had been busy upgrading
some of the displays to include knowledge gained since they were
set up. The prawning display now includes a dip net and light, the
'correct' technique at Paynesville where prawns are gathered from a
boat. A small section of Bream net shows how small fish are able
to swim through the net, giving less by‐catch and letting the
littlies grow up into pan size fish.
For more on the work of the museum http://www.history.org.au/Documents/Newsletters/FAHSNewsletter43-Jun2017.pdf
Source: Paynesville Maritime Museum e-Bulletin, March 2018.
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Tasmania Historical Research Association Podcasts on SoundCloud
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Monthly lectures from Tasmanian Historical
Research Association (THRA) are available online. As many members do not
live in Hobart and cannot make the monthly lectures, speakers are given
the option of having their lecture recorded so that all members get a
chance to listen to it. If you are interested in hearing past lectures,
you can do so via the following link on SoundCloud:https://soundcloud.com/thra1951/sets/lectures-2017
The 2017 Eldershaw lecture delivered by Lucy Frost: Indentured Children: Apprentices from the Queen's Asylum, 1860-1880 can be accessed here
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Australian Alpine and Snowsports History Association Conference
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The Perisher Historical Society is delighted to be hosting the AASHA
(Australian Alpine and Snowsports History Association) Conference
2018 at Perisher Valley, NSW.
A gathering of people from the historical societies of all the major Australian ski resorts.
Always a fun event, an opportunity to meet and mix with skiers who have a fascination with history,
Friday 4 - Sunday 6 May
Friday evening - Welcome Function at Corroboree Lodge at 6:00 with light food and hearty soup.
Saturday - Conference Day proper at the Perisher Skitube building
Saturday evening - Conference Dinner at Corroboree Ski Lodge.
Sunday is a Field Trip with presentations at Charlotte Pass, Guthega and the site of the Hotel Kosciusko.
For all who would like to know more about the development of skiing along the Kosciuszko Road here is a golden opportunity.
Read all about it
Registration by 16 April. For registration form, contact Perisher Historical Society by email phsadmin@iprimus.com.au
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Digital Access to Collections Workshop, Nuriootpa, SA
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You’re invited to the Nuriootpa Digital Access to Collections Workshop!
Dates: Thursday 17th to Friday 18th May 2018
Location: Barossa Council Chambers Room, 43-51 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa SA
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This two-day workshop gives attendees the
opportunity to participate in training focused on digitisation and the
provision of digital access of collections, Q&A’s with leading
technology providers and the chance to network with other GLAM
organisations.
Who should attend? Staff and volunteers from small- to
medium-sized non-metropolitan collecting organisations, including
galleries, libraries, archives, museums, indigenous keeping places,
sporting clubs, returned services clubs and historical societies.
The workshops will provide information, training and advice for
organisations on their way to providing digital access to their
collections.
Funding is available to organisations through grants that can support
participation at the workshop and/or assist with setting your
organisation up for digitising collections. More information about the
grants can be found at http://www.digitalcollections.org.au/workshops/grants
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RAHS Grants Programs Open
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The RAHS would like to announce that the funding is in place to run three grant programs in 2018
RAHS staff will be updating the website in upcoming weeks with the details on grant criteria and application process https://www.rahs.org.au/grants/grants-overview/
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The Cultural Grants Program,
which is a Create NSW devolved funding program administered by the
Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government.
Applications will open in April 2018.
Heritage Grants Program, funded by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Applications will open in April 2018.
Transport Heritage Grants Program, NSW Government
funded program, administered by the RAHS, and supported by Transport
Heritage NSW (THNSW). Opening date to be confirmed.
If you are thinking of applying for one of these grants then please email grants@rahs.org.au and
we can arrange a time to discuss your potential project. RAHS suggest
that potential applicants start seeking quotes that support their grant
funding request.
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Collections Manager/Volunteer Coordinator Position with RHSV
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The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has a vacancy for the part-time position.
The Collections Manager and Volunteer Coordinator (CMVC) position is approx. 26hrs/wk.
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The Society has a collection of books,
periodicals, manuscripts and images which have been acquired during the
life of the organisation and is still being added to. Last year we RHSV
adopted the eHive system for cataloguing and making the records widely
available through Trove.
Much of the work of caring for the collection is undertaken by a large
team of volunteers. An important part of this position involves
recruiting, training and supporting volunteers. The CMVC also assists
members of the public using the collection for research. THE CMVC
also has responsibility for the information technology needs of the
organisation.
This is a varied and interesting position and the RHSV are looking for
someone with appropriate qualifications and experience, a strong
interest in history and outstanding interpersonal skills.
Applications close at 5.00pm on Wednesday April 18.
Applications should be addressed to the Executive Officer, Rosemary Cameron at 239 A’Beckett St Melbourne VIC 3000 or executive.officer@historyvictoria.org.au
For further information contact the Vice-President, Elisabeth Jackson. emjackson@internode.on.net 0407050870
http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PD-Collections-Manager-Volunteer-Coordinator.pdf
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The FAHS e-Bulletin, No. 176,
9th April 2018
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