Federation of Australian Historical Societies

FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

e-BULLETIN No. 126 – 28 June 2014

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

1) 25 things you might not know about World War I

2) City of South Perth Digital Collection

3) Milton - Ulladulla Historical Society

4) Theodore Historical Society and Dawson Folk Museum

5) Flinders Shire Council Historical Photographic Project

6) Protection of Iraqi cultural heritage sites

1) 25 things you might not know about World War I

ABC Producer Andrew Davies has drawn this article to our attention:

www.abc.net.au/radionational/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-world-war-one/5546018

RN will be commemorating the Great War with 10 hours of special ‘on air’ coverage in its programs this weekend. On June 28 and 29, RN presents The Great War: memory, perceptions and 10 contested questions to commemorate the centenary of World War One and Australia's place in it.

(Source: Email from ABC Online – 25 June 2014)

2) City of South Perth Digital Collection

The City of South Perth recently launched a digital collection of historic images online; this project only went live a few short weeks ago and has been titled Picture South Perth. The website link to visit is: http://picture.southperth.wa.gov.au

Picture South Perth is an online collection of historic images dating back to the 1870s that showcases the people, places and events that have shaped the City of South Perth.

It contains photographs from the City of South Perth’s Local History Collection and artwork from the May and Herbert Gibbs Collection which has been scanned and catalogued by dedicated library staff.

Through Picture South Perth you can search, tag and comment on images. Key words such as people’s names, places and subjects can be clicked on to view more images that have been tagged with the same terms.

Share your images through Picture South Perth to preserve our cultural heritage.

Contact the City of South Perth Libraries on 9474-0800 or localhistory@southperth.wa.gov.au to arrange for your images to be scanned and returned to you.

(Sources: RWAHS – Email 24 May 2014 - History Council of WA’s Email Roundup, 23 May 2014)

3) Milton - Ulladulla Historical Society

The Mollymook Surf Club is collecting names of Milton – Ulladulla Gallipoli veterans for painting on the surfboat they are taking to the 2015 commemorations in Turkey with two crews. Contact: jetjackson1@live.com.au

(Source: Milton – Ulladulla Historical Society Meeting Minutes 13 May 2014)

4) Theodore Historical Society and Dawson Folk Museum

Theodore - situated on the Dawson River, has a unique history in that it was deliberately established to service the first irrigated crop scheme in Queensland. The Theodore Historical Society and Dawson Folk Museum support visitors with family research and host visits by school groups in the area. The museum also acts as the local archives, collecting whatever it can to help record the history of the district. The volunteers try to do a little networking and workshopping in Central Queensland but time and distance can be the ever present bugbear. The single biggest achievement this year has been the successful launch of the group’s newest publication Anyone who drinks the Dawson water... Stories of resilience in Theodore at the Theodore agricultural show on 12 May. As small as the group is, documenting the local history is important!

Monica Atfield, Theodore Historical Society Inc/Dawson Folk Museum

(Source: State Library of Queensland Memory – May 2014)

5) Flinders Shire Council Historical Photographic Project

The Flinders Shire Council Historical Photographic Project, operating out of Flinders Shire Public Library, was launched on Australia Day 2013. The oldest photo in the collection is a reproduced wedding portrait of John T. McClaren and Mary McDougall McClaren. The collection now has more than 1,200 pictures, bringing the region’s history to life.

Flinders Shire Council made these images available to the public on their ehive website as the library receives many requests for these historical records. The shire chose ehive because it was an easy and affordable way for people to access the collection as it's free to everyone. These photos will soon be added to the shire’s virtual timeline on the council’s webpage by the end of the year.

Tracey Edwards, Flinders Shire Council Library

(Source: State Library of Queensland Memory – May 2014)

6) Protection of Iraqi cultural heritage sites

Iraq is home to some of the world’s oldest and most significant archaeological and cultural sites. Iraq has three UNESCO World Heritage sites and twelve tentative World Heritage sites. Iraq’s museums, particularly the national museum in Baghdad and the regional museum in Mosul, are repositories for countless irreplaceable artefacts that record this unique history.

Blue Shield has issued a press release on 17 June emphasizing the obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols; the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage; the additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions; and customary international law to avoid targeting cultural heritage sites and repositories and to minimize collateral damage to cultural heritage wherever possible.

Iraq ratified the 1954 Hague Convention and its First Protocol in 1967, thereby acknowledging and committing to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in the case of armed conflict. Blue Shield urges the international community to help Iraq fulfil its obligations to this Convention and also urges all parties to the conflict to abide by Iraq’s Antiquities Law, Law Number 55 of 2002.

Archaeological and cultural objects may be removed from museums, libraries, archives, and archaeological sites and placed on the illegal international art market. The actions of all governments in preserving this heritage should be consistent with the terms and spirit of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, of which there are 127 States Parties. Blue Shield implores auction houses and other art outlets to ensure that no illegally exported material is sold.

Blue Shield
Blue Shield is the protective emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, the basic international treaty formulating rules to protect cultural heritage during armed conflict. The Blue Shield network consists of organizations dealing with museums, archives, libraries, monuments and sites.
The Blue Shield’s mission is to work to protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict, natural and human-made disasters. For this reason, it places the expertise and network of its member organisations at the disposal of colleagues working in Iraq to support their actions in protecting the country’s heritage, and if necessary, in assessing subsequent recovery, restoration, and repair measures.
Website: www.blueshield-international.org

Email/Contact: Peter Stone, peter.stone@ncl.ac.uk +44 191 208 7095

(Source: Press Release by Blue Shield - 17 June 2014)