Federation of Australian Historical Societies

FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

e-BULLETIN No. 100 – 4 June 2012

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

1) Capital Infrastructure Grants - Cultural Precincts - Victoria

2) 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention 1972-2012 - seminar in France

3) Auction in Hobart of Beechworth Court of General Sessions ledger

4) American Association for State and Local History - embezzlement

5) National Cultural Policy for Australia

6) Australian Prospectors & Miners Hall of Fame, Kalgoorlie>

7) Placenames Australia Award 2012

1) Capital Infrastructure Grants - Cultural Precincts - Victoria

The Small and Major Capital Infrastructure Grants of the Cultural Precincts and Community Infrastructure Fund (CPCIF) are part of a Victorian Government investment of $12 million over four years (2010-14).

The objectives of the CPCIF are to:

enable Victoria’s cultural precincts to remain sustainable and attractive for investment, and cultural and tourism activities
promote greater use and access to community-owned facilities by Victoria’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities, to enable increased participation in activities and access to services

The program will provide funding for:

the enhancement of streetscapes and public places to preserve and showcase the cultural identity of cultural precincts
the restoration or construction of community-owned facilities that increase access to, and use of, these facilities by culturally and linguistically diverse groups

This initiative is administered by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship of the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), in partnership with Victoria’s local councils and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Applications may be submitted for Small Grants or Expression of Interest for Major Grants between 5 May to 8 June 2012 via the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship website or by mail to Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Level 3, 3 Treasury Place, Melbourne, VIC 3001.

For further information about the grants program: http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1921101/2034492721/name/cpcif%20funding%20guidelines%202012.pdf.

(Source: Australia ICOMOS Email News No. 536 – 25 May 2012)

2) 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention 1972-2012 - seminar in France

The invention of the “Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)”
Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
14-16 November 2012

Deadline for Abstracts postponed until 10 June 2012

The University of Burgundy’s CIMEOS Laboratory, Georges Chevrier Centre and Maison des Sciences de l’Homme are organizing a two-day conference in November 2012 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO.

The organizers state that Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List has become very fashionable nowadays with States wanting to identify, preserve and emphasize the value of cultural and or natural sites, and public demand for inclusion is on the increase. Recent developments have raised questions about the emergence of the concept of “Outstanding Universal Value”. When did this concept appear, what is its history, its possible difficulties and pitfalls?

Applying a critical and multidisciplinary perspective, the conference will use a range of approaches in order to understand the notion of universal heritage.

For information on submitting contributions and registering, visit the seminar website.

Submissions will be selected by an International Scientific Committee (peer review).

Contact: Alain CHENEVEZ (email), Université de Bourgogne, 36 rue Chabot Charny, 21000 DIJON – France - ph: +33 (0)3-80-58-98-68

(Source: Australia ICOMOS Email News No. 536 – 25 May 2012)

3) Auction in Hobart of Beechworth Court of General Sessions ledger

The first appearance of a young Ned Kelly in court documents has gone under the hammer.

The ledger of the Beechworth Court of General Sessions was sold for $25,000 at an estate sale in Hobart.

Dated August 1, 1871, Kelly was sentenced to three years hard labour for horse stealing and receiving.

Auctioneer Russell Thomson says the infamous bushranger was 15 when he first faced the Beechworth court.

"Just one entry there, but it also goes through other bushrangers and everyone else," he said.

"There's a few different entries there of the Kelly gang and so forth."

The book was bought by local art dealer Nevin Hurst.

Mr Thomson says there is an interesting story about how the book was initially found.

"He picked up this one book, he didn't know what was inside it, it just had a leather binding on the back," Mr Thomson said.

"And he said 'ah that'd be great, there's pages in it for the kids to scribble on', and he said 'do you mind if I take that one' - so that's how it was saved from the incinerator."

Kelly was captured after a shootout with police at Glenrowan in Victoria in June 1880, and hanged for murder that year and buried at Melbourne's Pentridge Prison.

(Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-29/ned-kelly-court-documents-to-be-auctioned/3978494 - 29 April 201; and ABC TV News 29 April 2012 7pm )

4) American Association for State and Local History - embezzlement

The April issue of Dispatch, the Newsletter of the American Association for State and Local History, with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, contains a lead article by the Chair of the Association which states, in part: "Last week, I reported to you by email that AASLH’s long-time former financial manager and her husband had been charged in a staggering five-year embezzlement against AASLH. In an elaborate scheme deploying theft, credit card fraud, identity theft, and forgery, someone we all trusted looted operating, restricted, and endowed funds of three-quarters of a million dollars, systematically, in many, many transactions, over a long period of time."

The lead article is followed by another, by a former Chair of the Association, also about the the same matter, which is in turn followed by a reprint of an article "Embezzlement: Is It Our Dirty Little Secret?" originally published on EngagingPlaces.net on February 19, 2012, as a guide to societies on how to avoid becoming a victim of embezzlement. This article contains, contains, in part:

"At non-profit organizations or small businesses, it’s often a serious challenge to defend against embezzlement and you can feel as vulnerable as a henhouse with a fox inside. We rely heavily on trust among a small staff and rarely understand finances. Even if we follow the standard tactics, such as segregation of duties, requiring receipts, and two signatures on checks, we may be still become victims. Banks rarely have the time to verify signatures on checks, online banking allows for the transfer of funds with little oversight, and the embezzlers are wise to the usual tactics. But we shouldn’t give up hope, we just need to recognize that we have to update our thinking."

The reprinted article includes five suggestions on how to protect your institution.

The following are links for the two articles:

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411284507/

http://engagingplaces.net/2012/02/19/embezzlement-is-it-our-dirty-little-secret/

(Source: Dispatch, AASLH Newsletter, Volume 27, Number 4, April 2012)

5) National Cultural Policy for Australia

The Australian newspaper of 25 May 2012 published a feature article on the Australian government Minister, Simon Crean’s proposed National Cultural Policy. The Minister stated that the proposed policy will reinforce Australia’s ‘creative, innovative spirit’. The policy is predominantly related to The Arts and inclusion of the study and publication of history is difficult. Minister Crean sought a review of the 450 formal responses to the discussion paper by Harold Mitchell. The Australian reports that one of Mitchell’s boldest recommendations is a testamentary giving scheme whereby persons make a bequest and receive tax benefits during their lifetime.

Minister Crean has stated that he is seeking to set the national arts agenda for the next decade and achieve both social and economic benefits.

(Source: Australian 25 May 2012 page 11 )

6) Australian Prospectors & Miners Hall of Fame, Kalgoorlie

Hon Peter Jones AM (Chair of the Australian Prospectors & Miners Hall of Fame Inc {APMHOF} Board) has informed the community that

The Western Australian Department of Training and Workforce Development has leased the main building as a centre for education and training in mining related courses, with effect from 1 July 2012;
The first offering will be a joint course between Western Australian School of Mines and Vocational Training and Educational Centre;
The Hannan’s North operation and associated museum aspects will continue under the patronage of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, operator of the Fimiston Superpit, jointly owned by Barrick and Newmont Limited;
Certain areas of the main building will remain open to the public, particularly the entrance/foyer areas, minerals gallery and the Mark Creasy area;
The Hall of Fame plaques will be moved from their current location on the mezzanine walkway into the entrance/foyer area, as will the interactive displays that provide background to the plaques. This is a very positive move as the “Hall of Fame” itself would become one of the first, if not the first, display visitors will see when they enter the building; and
A new Board for APMHOF Inc will be put in place in July-August 2012 to carry the new business arrangements forward.

(Source: Hon Peter Jones, Chair of AP&MHOF, via Chair Selection Committee for Inductees to the Hall of Fame – April 2012)

7) Placenames Australia Award 2012

The PA Award in 2012 will take the form of a $1000 grant to support placename research by a History Society or other community organisation.

Placenames Australia will award $1000 to the group submitting the best proposal for original research into the placenames of their area of interest. Applications should state the nature and location of the project and outline the method for completing data collection and processing. It is intended that projects should be completed and written up within 12 months of the granting of the award.

Are you a member of such a group? Encourage your society or association to apply—the closing date for submissions is 1 July 2012. Grant proposals should be sent to the Director of ANPS at Macquarie University, and authorised by the Secretary or other delegated officer of your association.

For more information and advice on the form of the submission, contact the President, Dr Dale Lehner, dalelehner<at>bigpond.com

(Source: http://www.anps.org.au/documents/March_2012.pdf)