Monash University has made the decision to discontinue the Master in Applied History degree.

This is sad news for the Professional Historians Association (PHA) and the history community generally. Indeed, it was out of the very first public history graduates from Monash that the PHA was born!

The PHA Committee of Management are very concerned.

Since there will no doubt be many questions and concerns from our history community and the wider community generally, PHA Victoria will be holding a discussion forum in the near future to discuss what this might mean for the profession. Details of this forum will be publicised.

(Source: Professional Historians Association, Victoria, and Royal Historical Society of Victoria – 8 May 2013)

At the launch of Information Awareness Month the Director-General of National Archives of Australia (NAA), David Fricker, stated that senior federal public servants have greatly improved their agencies’ information and records management over the past two years. He also stated that engagement with industry, professional associations and the education sector are a top priority for the NAA. The NAA Consultative Forums in each state and territory with historical and genealogical groups have demonstrated that and the Director-General attends several of these meetings. The NAA is also commencing showcases to highlight the NAA’s new information products to assist with digital transition in the Commonwealth government. All Commonwealth departments and agencies are moving to digital information management by 2015. Records created after that date will be transferred to NAA only in digital forms. There will be an expected flow on to the management of other government records (of non-archival value).

(Source: Australian Financial Review 9 May 2013 p.18)

Heritage legislation at state and local level protects houses of heritage significance and many of those built before the 1950s. Architects and homeowners are embracing Council requirements and designing new structures to add living spaces at the rear of the heritage houses. Architects in suburbs such as Balmain are able to showcase a contrast of design and style in a rear addition to the original houses. Consequently the modern architect’s work is often hidden.

(Source: The Weekend Australian 4-5 May 2013 p.3 including three photographs)

17-20 September 2013

The upcoming 2013 Humanities Research Centre conference Shaping Canberra: The Lived Experience of Place, Home and Capital is now open for registration. There are a number of events with this conference.

The Newstead House Board of Trustees is holding a two day ‘Point Of Difference’ conference on 20th and 24th May from 11am to 4pm and 2pm to 4pm respectively – on the topics of ‘Who are we?, What are our stories? and ‘What is our Point of Difference?  It is to be facilitated by Professor Jane James.  The Royal Historical Society of Queensland had its headquarters at Newstead House from 1935 to 1981 and a significant quantity of its museum collection is still at Newstead House.