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Events
Discovering Aboriginal Melbourne - Victoria
Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre. Image courtesy of the Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre.
7 July 2008 (in conjunction with Locating History conference)
This tour explores the impact of European colonisation on the culture and natural landscape of the place that we call Melbourne today. Meeting your Aboriginal interpreter at Enterprise Park, take a journey back in time as you re-live the history of the Birrarung and the cultural connections of the Koorie people who have walked alongside the Birrarung for over 60,000 years. Fees apply. Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre.
Locating History - Australian Historical Association Biennial Conference - Melbourne
7-10 July 2008
The 2008 conference committee invites participants to reflect on locating history - to make sense of place in history; to look for historical meaning and insight in unusual places; to situate the parameters of historical thought and practice; to critique the establishment and location of historical orthodoxies; to reflect on the context and purpose of the discipline; and to think geographically about the past. Hosted by the University of Melbourne, with assistance from Australian Catholic University, Deakin University, La Trobe University and Monash University. All conference venues will be Parkville or central city based.
The Flame in the North - Centenary Celebrations of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Northern and Central Australia 1908 - 2008
28 May - 20 July 2008
The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart celebrate the centenary of their arrival in northern Australia. This exhibition explores and celebrates their dedication to the spiritual, physical, educational and social well-being of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of northern Australia through their tireless work in some of the most inhospitable Australian landscapes as well as their vital contribution to the development of our modern northern centres. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Our new home Meie uus kodu: Estonian - Australian stories - Sydney
30 November 2007 - 20 July 2008
This exhibition explores the stories of invasion, dispossession and flight from Europe, and reveals what settlement in Australia has meant to generations of Estonian Australians. Powerhouse Museum.
Convict hulks: Life on the prison ships - Sydney
Convict hulks: Life on the prison ships. Image courtesy of the Hyde Park Barracks Museum.
Until 26 July 2009
Convict hulks is the first comprehensive exhibition recalling the harsh but fascinating history of convict hulks in Britain and its colonies, including New South Wales. It features more than 600 rare artefacts recovered from beneath the mooring site of the Dromedary hulk in Bermuda, brought to Australia just for this exhibition. Discover what life was like on a prison ship and hear stories of convicts' lives. Step inside a re-created punishment box. Try on some ankle irons. Hyde Park Barracks Museum.
The Song Company: Waltzing Matilda - Various locations in New South Wales
Image courtesy of The Song Company.
26 June - 28 July 2008
The Song Company's boisterous costumed entertainment of many of Australia's most famous and best loved songs includes no less than four versions of Waltzing Matilda. Framed by this most iconic song, the program looks at a defining moment in our colonial history with more than a passing cheeky reference to our British ancestry. Various locations.
Recovering Lives - Canberra
7-8 August 2008
Convened by Cassandra Pybus and Caroline Turner, this conference, Recovering Lives, is convened by the ANU Research School of Humanities explores the ways of 'recovering' forgotten or hidden lives through unusual archival sources (including digital resources and the internet) and also through creative practice. It relates to two areas of Humanities research platforms Biography and Society and Creativity and Human Rights. Visions Theatre, National Museum of Australia.
Dockside: Sydney's working harbour 1840-1875 - Sydney
5 May - 10 August 2008
Tall ships, working wharves and dock labourers from Sydney's past come alive in a captivating display of rarely seen artwork and photography in the new exhibition. Picture Gallery, State Library of New South Wales.
Race, Nation, History: A Conference in Honour of Henry Reynolds- Canberra
29-30 August 2008
Convened by Professor Bain Attwood and Professor Tom Griffiths, Race, Nation, History seeks to honour the work of Henry Reynolds, one of Australia's finest historians and one of its leading public intellectuals, on the occasion of his seventieth year. A prodigious author, a renowned commentator and a controversial advocate, Reynolds' work has profoundly influenced two or more generations of scholarship in history and other fields, and has had a considerable impact in legal and political spheres. Sponsored by the Research School of the Humanities and the Research School of the Social Sciences at The Australian National University, the National Library of Australia and the University of Tasmania. National Library of Australia.
Flying boats, Sydney's golden age of aviation - Sydney
VH-BRF coming in to alight on the lagoon, Lord Howe Island, (detail) Dick Morris, 1974. Colourisation by Historic Houses Trust. Photograph courtesy Margaret Holle. (c) Dick Morris. Image courtesy of the Historic Houses Trust.
10 May - 14 September 2008
1938 saw the dawn of a golden age of aviation when Rose Bay became home to Sydney's first international airport, servicing the mighty flying boats - large, luxurious, four-engine aircraft that alighted on water. Flying boats played a vital role in the Second World War, and continued as transport to popular holiday destinations. As a result Sydney operated the last major flying boat base in the world until 1974. Museum of Sydney .
The Water's Edge, History Week 2008 - New South Wales
6-14 September 2008
The History Council of New South Wales invites contributors to History Week 2008 to reflect on the proposed theme and contribute a related event. The water's edge has been the site of work and play from time immemorial. From the Aboriginal fish traps at Brewarrina, to old Adaminaby, the Star amphitheatre site at Balmoral Beach and the Tank Stream; wherever waters rise or fall, there's a story.
The Wishing Well Exhibition: Cultural Change in Post-war Australia - Brisbane
3-20 September 2008
The transformation of our society through post-war immigration from Europe is a defining twentieth-century story in the development of the Australia we know today. This exhibition captures the mood of the times immersing the viewer in archival images and sound. Creative Industries Precinct.
A Modern Vision exhibition - Canberra
11 July - 26 October 2008
Early Australian photographs by pioneering photographer Charles Bayliss will be on display. The extraordinary work and career of Bayliss, one of Australia’s greatest 19th century photographers, will be examined in detail in A Modern Vision, an exhibition curated by Senior Lecturer at the ANU School of Art, Helen Ennis. A Modern Vision features the full range of Bayliss’ output – architectural photography, panoramas, landscapes and scenes of life at the time. National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra.
Caroline Chisholm and Sydney's Female Immigration Depot - Sydney
Ends 31 October 2008
The Female Immigration Depot, operating from 1848 to 1886, was the primary reception and hiring depot in Sydney for 'unprotected' females. A new display and online exhibition explores the immigrant women's voyages to the colony, Irish orphans who stayed at the depot, Caroline Chisholm's contribution to female immigration, and the archaeology associated with these women recovered from beneath the barracks' floors. Hyde Park Barracks.
Blue Jeans and Jungle Greens: Revisiting the Sixties and Seventies - Adelaide
Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, November 1966: 6RAR soldiers follow an armoured personnel carrier (APC) during Operation Ingham. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial: P01404.028.
19 February 2008 - 21 August 2009
Blue Jeans and Jungle Greens: revisiting the 60s and 70s explores the political and social complexity of the Sixties and Seventies. The exhibition examines both the conflict in Vietnam, including the part played by South Australians in the war, and the anti-war campaign on the home front. The History Trust of South Australia.
Featured projects
Aboriginal Culture Cruise
Shane Phillips, CEO and Chairman of the Tribal Warrior Association Inc.
June 2008
Set sail on a journey to discover the stories of the Eora, Cadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Gammeraigal and Wallumedegal people. Come ashore on an island in Sydney Harbour to a traditional welcoming ceremony. Learn the Aboriginal names and meanings of significant Sydney landmarks. Explore Sydney's waters on this unique cultural harbour cruise.
Light Railways Research Association of Australia
May 2008
These railways have been associated with a wide range of industries, including sugar production, timber milling, tourism, construction, manufacturing, quarrying and mining. The Society is a leading publisher of books on sawmilling history.
Defiance- Sydney
Defiance. Immersion theatre at Q Station. Image courtesy of the Quarantine Station.
May 2008
Defiance tells some extraordinary real stories of people that either worked at the Sydney's North Head Quarantine Station or were interned there, battling against one of mankind's greatest enemies, disease. The experience that is created to tell these stories is called immersion theatre. The audience sits inside the same authentic buildings where the stories actually happened, and the actors are close enough to touch. Sydney's Quarantine Station operated from 1828 to 1984. Directed by Carlton Lamb. North Head Scenic Drive, Manly.
Memory of a Nation - Canberra
April 2008
Memory of a Nation is a must-see for all Australians. Highlights include Edmund Barton's draft of the Constitution- complete with corrections in red pen, a letter from Don Bradman to Robert Menzies in 1963 - agreeing to play in the PM's XI cricket match, but not without qualms, Douglas Mawson's proclamation - which led to the Antarctic Treaty, Charles Kingsford Smith's application for a pilot's licence and Harold Holt's briefcase. This exhibition showcases stories of ordinary and extraordinary Australians like Freda Beryl Wilson, Australia's first female trade commissioner, and the inspiring feats of 80-year-old Ernie Old who cycled around Australia on his trusty Malvern Star. National Archives of Australia.
Australia in Maps
6 March 2008
Some of Australia's most fascinating maps are reproduced in the book Australia in Maps, which reproduces 52 great maps from the National Library's collection of more than 1 million rare maps, charts and aerial photographs. Maps include Eddie Mabo's map of the landholdings on the eastern shoreline of Murray Island in the Torres Strait, a key document in the successful legal fight for native title rights recognised by the High Court. Others include James Cook's 1770 chart of the east coast of Australia and the path of Charles Kingsford Smith's flight across the Pacific in 1928. The book was compiled by the previous curator of maps, Maura O'Connor.
Australian History Mysteries
British nuclear tests in Australia - Atomic test site at Maralinga - Kittens and Tim Operation - 43 Mile Camp - Trials area - July 1955 - Photo 697. Image courtesy of the National Archives of Australia.
February 2008
The Australian History Mysteries program has been developed by Ryebuck Media and the National Museum of Australia who have just completed their series of Youth Challenges on 'The Mysteries of Maralinga', arguably Australia's major Cold War activity. It comprises two award-winning educational resource kits, a variety of exciting interactive modules and an innovative Youth Challenge program designed to encourage students to investigate some of the history mysteries that exist in their own communities.
Australian and New Zealand Environmental History Network
February 2008
The Environmental History Network is an affiliation between people from all departments of the Australian National University, surrounding institutions and private individuals living in the Australian Capital Territory (or nearby) interested in environmental history. Environmental history is the study of the interactions between people and nature in the past, and how they have changed with time.
Call for entries
Local History Awards - National
City of Subiaco, Chester Street House. Image courtesy of the City of Subiaco.
Entries by 3 September 2008
The City of Subiaco holds the annual Local History Awards, encouraging recent historical research that makes a significant contribution to the appreciation of heritage and local history in the City of Subiaco. Individuals or groups may submit entries, and entrants need not be residents of the City of Subiaco. Possible subject matter is wide-ranging but must relate to the City of Subiaco. The Local History Awards include a major prize of $1,000. All entries are eligible for this award. Entry forms are available from the Subiaco Museum, Library and City Administration Centre from mid-April.
John Ferry Award for Local and Community Histories within New South Wales
Entries by 30 June 2008
The John Ferry Award is a new prize that will be awarded annually to recognise outstanding local and community histories. The Award has been established through donations from the history community to honour the memory of John Ferry (1949-2004). An exemplary teacher and community historian, he played a major role in practising and encouraging quality local studies during his career as a school-teacher, and then as lecturer and senior lecturer at the Armidale College of Advanced Education and University of New England. Nominations are for work undertaken in 2007-08.
Queensland Family History Society, Annual Family History Awards - National
R. Malden, Palm Sunday celebrations on Yew Street, Barcaldine, Queensland, 1928. Courtesy of Barcaldine Shire Library and State Library of Queensland.
Entries by 30 November 2008
Submissions are invited for the Annual Family History Awards. These Awards acknowledge family history publications with significant Queensland content. Selection and presentation will be made the following year at the Annual General Meeting.
Announcements
Stories please! South Australia's State Heritage Areas
June 2008
The State Heritage Areas website is seeking a diversity of personal accounts to bring colour to their electronic storyboard. Stories can be of long ago or more recent times. They may be personal memories from childhood or family stories passed on by earlier generations. In particular, the website team is looking for stories in relation to Arckaringa Hills, Belair National Park, Beltana, Burra, Gawler, Hahndorf, Cooper Creek, Moonta Mines, Mount Gambier, Mount Schank, Mount Torrens, Penola and Port Adelaide.
Plan to protect Mawson's huts
18 June 2008
Mawson's huts built at Commonwealth Bay early in 1912 to house Australasian Antarctic expedition members and their scientific equipment, are to have a management plan to conserve and protect them. The Mawson's Huts Historic Site Management Plan 2007-2012 sets out the direction of management of the site regarded as Australia's most significant historic presence in Antarctica. This follows a range of critical conservation work carried out by the Australian Antarctic Division and the Mawson's Huts Foundation. The site was included on the National Heritage List in 2005, and had been registered on the Register of the National Estate since 1980.
Claim of Burke and Wills relics found
12 June 2008
A University of Melbourne academic, Frank Leahy, claims he has found some of the Burke and Wills exploring party equipment buried in a creek bed inland from Brisbane, at a site known as Plant Camp. Plant Camp was the last site before a party of four struggled onto Cooper Creek in South Australia, to find that their support party had left hours earlier. Items recovered from the site include a rifle, revolver, bullets, spirit level, buckles, sewing kit, hinges, and latches. The Royal Society of Victoria have now asked the Queensland Government to declare the site a heritage area, as Dig Tree and Camp 65 were declared. The Burke and Wills Society said they could not accept the find as authentic until surveying instruments were found at the site. (The Age, 12 June 2008)
Myall Creek massacre recognised 170 years on
11 June 2008
Heritage Minister Peter Garrett, today announced the inclusion of the Myall Creek massacre site, near Inverell, on the National Heritage List. Minister Garrett made the announcement while attending a memorial service for the 170th anniversary of the massacre. Myall Creek is the 79th place to be included in the National Heritage List, joining other Indigenous sites including the Hermansburg Historic Precinct, the Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps, the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape and the Mount William Stone Hatchet Quarry.
NSW State Library secures $10 million for online history
10 June 2008
The NSW Government recently committed $10 million to create a digitised catalogue for the library's extensive collection relating to Australia's heritage. Users will be able to go online to discover the library's riches, including the letters of John Macarthur, original writings by famous Australian authors and sketchbooks by the likes of Conrad Martens.
Rarely seen artwork of Caroline Chisholm
29 May 2008
A rarely seen portrait of Caroline Chisholm has gone on display in the Mitchell Wing Vestibule to celebrate her 200th birthday on Friday 30 May. Known as 'The Emigrant's Friend', Caroline first became famous in NSW for her work with female immigrants. Caroline was the first woman, other than the Monarch, to be featured on Australia 's currency notes. She was replaced in 1992 by the Queen. State Library of NSW.
Convict sites nominated for World Heritage
27 May 2008
11 outstanding convict sites across the country have been nominated to the World Heritage List. It is expected that the nomination will be evaluated in 2009 and that there is a good chance of the nominees to be formally included in the World Heritage List in 2010. (Minister Garrett Media release) Nominated sites are: New South Wales: Old Government House and Domain (Parramatta), Hyde Park Barracks (Sydney), Cockatoo Island Convict Site (Sydney) and Old Great North Road (near Wiseman’s Ferry). Norfolk Island: Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area. Tasmania: Port Arthur Historic Site (Tasman Peninsula), Cascades Female Factory (Hobart), Darlington Probation Station (Maria Island), Coal Mines Historic Site (via Premadeyna) and Brickendon–Woolmers Estates (near Longford). Western Australia: Fremantle Prison.
Mawson's journey relived 95 years later
7 May 2008
Nearly 100 years later, explorer and adventurer Tim Jarvis set out to repeat Sir Douglas Mawson's return journey from the South Pole in 1913-14 using equipment of that time - to see how it was possible for Mawson to have survived without resorting to cannibalism. Jarvis' book about the journey will be released next week, along with the film. ABC 7 May 2008.
Hordern House to sell private collection of Cook and Banks' objects
3 May 2008
A collection of Captain Cook memorabilia, described as the finest in private hands, is to be sold a fixed-price sale organised by Hordern House, the rare books specialist, at the end of May. The collection was put together over the past 15 years by an American investment consultant, Robert Parks. Included are a history-making map and a rare handwritten letter by the great navigator. The so-called 'Banks map' was engraved in 1772 on the orders of Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, the scientists on the Endeavour. The Banks map shows, for the first time, the whole of Australia. Sydney Morning Herald.
The Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award
April 2008
The Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award opened on 1 March 2008. The Award is open to all Australian authors who have published a book during the period 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007. Books should be a work of Northern Territory History published in the English language and for general sale during the 2007 period. Published books must be forwarded to the Northern Territory Library by 31 May 2008.
Awareness of MayDay (disaster-preparedness)
April 2008
During the month of May, archives, galleries, libraries, museums, cultural heritage sites and organisations across Australia are encouraged to participate in MayDay, a national campaign for the protection of cultural heritage from disaster. Originating in the United States in 2006, the MayDay concept is promoted in Australia by Blue Shield Australia. MayDay aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness and to encourage people to perform at least one disaster-preparedness task in May each year. There are many types of emergencies that we can be better prepared for, from the potential impact of faulty electrical wiring in the building next door, to bushfires, cyclones or even internal or external floods.
For more information see our Australian story on Online Exhibitions.
Resources
- Australian National Maritime Museum
- Australian War Memorial
- Documenting a Democracy: Australia's Story
- South Seas: Voyaging and cross-cultural encounters in the Pacific (1760-1800)
- Australian Heritage
- Australian History (Project Gutenberg of Australia)
- Australian Literary and Historical Texts Online
- Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
- Collections Australia Network
- Mitchell Library Online
- Picture Australia
- Picture Queensland
- South Land to New Holland
- Joie de vivre!
- eGold: Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia
- Digital Resource Finder - educational videos
- Australian Cultural History
- Australian Heritage Directory
- George Raper Collection
- Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me?
- Convict Creations
- Despatches from Gallipoli - Scenes from a Remote War
- Australian History
- History Council of NSW
- History Council of Victoria
- History Council of South Australia
- History Council of Western Australia
To contact us with your news and events, please email the News Editor, NewsEditor at culture dot gov dot au, including the URL of your website.
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