The Queensland electricity history museum artefacts are being moved to Toowoomba, as announced by Energy Minister, Mark Bailey MP. The new Queensland Energy Exhibition Centre has more than 1000 items on display. A high voltage electrostatic generator from the 1880s through to modern rooftop solar photovoltaic cells have a new home at Highfields Pioneer Village, which is a private museum to Toowoomba’s north. An early 1980s electric car used by the old South East Queensland Electricity Board is also on display. The Minister stated that,

“This will be a valuable addition to the tourist offerings in the Toowoomba region and I encourage visitors to the Darling Downs to include the centre on their itinerary for an educational and enjoyable experience.” Powerlink, Energex and Ergon sponsored and gave financial help for the new display shed housing the Queensland Energy Exhibition Centre.

(Source: Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply, The Honourable Mark Bailey MP, Media Statement – 28 May 2015)

The State Library of New South Wales is now accepting applications for the

David Scott Mitchell Memorial Fellowship

For the research and writing of Australian history using the Mitchell Library

At The Royal Historical Society of Queensland’s Queensland Day Dinner in the Commissariat Store on 6 June 2015 the John Douglas Kerr Medal for Distinction in Research and Writing Australian History, awarded by the Society and the Professional Historians Association (Queensland), was awarded to Professor Clive Moore at the University of Queensland. Professor Moore holds the McCaughey Chair of History at the University and has also worked at University of Papua New Guinea and James Cook University of North Queensland. He has worked for 40 years on South Sea Islander history in Queensland and has received the Cross of the Solomon Islands for his research on Malaita Island. His major publications have been on Australia’s Pacific Island immigrants, the Pacific labour reserve, Australian federation, masculinity, gay Queensland, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.  The inaugural President of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies (2006-2010), Professor Moore has also researched and written a history of the University of Queensland. He has published over 70 refereed articles, chapters, biographical entries and published more than 12 books.

(Source: Citation for Award of John Douglas Kerr Medal of Distinction in Research and Writing Australian History awarded by The Royal Historical Society of Queensland and the Professional Historians Association (Queensland) – 6 June 2015)

Comments are invited on the City of Sydney’s proposed heritage listing of industrial and warehouse buildings. Sixty-four listings are proposed for more than a hundred industrial sites across two-thirds of our local area, as shown in the attached map. These listings will be on exhibition from 2 June 2015 and open for comment until 30 June 2015. These listings were recommended in a recently completed heritage study,  believed to be the first large-scale council study of industrial heritage in New South Wales. This study and the recommended listings seek to better acknowledge the value of this under-recognised form of heritage.

For more information check the following websites:

Online Producer Andrew Davies with ABC Radio National has contacted the Federation advising of the program on merchant seamen as likely to be of interest.

The Victorian Community History Awards for 2015 are now open. They are presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and the Public Record Office of Victoria.

The Awards recognise excellence in historical storytelling. The range of award categories reflects the variety of formats that can be used to reach and enrich the lives of Victorians through history.

Minister Greg Hunt has announced that the Murray Islands (North Queensland) and the Queen Victoria Market (Melbourne) will be assessed by the Australian Heritage Council for inclusion in the National Heritage List.

The Society’s year began with a talk by Dr Tom Dunning who, with a number of co-editors, is engaged in producing a new history of Launceston, Australia’s third oldest city. The book is to be a collaborative work, taking a thematic approach to  weave together various aspects of Launceston’s history.  A number of Society members are researching and writing contributions.

In March the  Society hosted the 27th Examiner-John West Memorial Lecture. This lecture honours one of Launceston’s most influential citizens, the Rev John West.  Co-founder of the Launceston Examiner newspaper, he is best remembered for his leadership of the movement that resulted in the abolition of convict transportation to Tasmania.  Following in this tradition, the lecture is delivered by a person of social conscience and high standing in his or her field.