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The Federation of Australian Historical Societies is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s Community Heritage and Icons Grants program via the ACT Government

No. 159, 27th January 2017
Contents:
Death of Professor Emerita Jill Roe
FAHS Fellow receives prestigious award at Buckingham Palace
The FAHS History Clinic Open 
Heritage Destroyed in WestConnex Transport Construction
Featured Historical Society - Thredbo Historical Society Inc. 
Australian Alpine and Snowsports History Association, Conference 2017
Mobile App tells Stories of Broome
Audio Visual Experience of Tasmania's Convict History
Remembering the 'Burbs Exhibition at RHSV, Melbourne
Police History Exhibition at Echuca Historical Society Museum
Talk - How to get a job in History, Sydney
History Council of NSW, Awards and Prizes
Local History Grants program, Victoria
Death of Professor Emerita Jill Roe

The FAHS pays tribute to the passing of Professor Emerita Jill Roe AO whose funeral was held at Pearl Beach on 20th January. 

Professor Roe's work in the social and cultural history of Australia since the late 19th century has been widely recognised through the award of a Centenary of Federation Medal 2003 and her appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2007. In 2013, Macquarie University granted her the Higher Degree of Doctor of Letters.

 

Professor Roe is best known for her work on Australian writer and feminist Miles Franklin. Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography (2008) won the Magarey Medal for Biography, the SA Premier's Non-Fiction Prize, and the award for Best Historical Book in the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. In addition she has published scholarly editions of Franklin's topical writings and letters. Her latest work was on aspects of the history of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, where she was born.

In 2009, The Federation of Australian Historical Societies awarded Professor Roe a Fellowship of the FAHS in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Australian historiography, her longstanding contribution to heritage bodies and her advocacy for the teaching of History.
FAHS Fellow receives prestigious award at Buckingham Palace

FAHS Fellow Professor Pearn received the Royal Life Saving Society's most prestigious award from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

FAHS Fellow Professor John Pearn AO RFD MD M.Phil (Hist) FFAHS was awarded the Royal Life Saving Society's King Edward VII Cup (AAP) in recognition of his medical research. Professor Pearn became a member of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia in 1976. He is a highly regarded paediatrician and has made a lifelong contribution to researching the science of drowning prevention. Professor Pearn was appointed as RLSSA National Medical Advisor in 2002, and still holds this role today. He has been the RLSSA representative to the Australian Resuscitation Council since 2003, and also serves as the RLSSA representative to the ILS Medical Committee.

The 76-year-old said it was an 'enormous privilege' to receive the cup, which is awarded every two years to Commonwealth members of the society who have made an outstanding contribution to lifesaving. 'It's been so very special to have the work of not just me but so many people who work to keep children's lives safe recognised in this way,' Professor Pearn told reporters after the awards ceremony. Professor John Pearn, a world leader in preventing child drownings, was presented with the King Edward VII Cup at a palace reception on Tuesday evening to mark the society's 125th anniversary. The Queen, who is the life saving society's patron, presented the award in Buckingham Palace's picture gallery and posed with Professor Pearn in front of the very large cup, which will stay in the UK.

Professor Pearn was awarded an FAHS Fellowship in 2002 for his very extensive contribution to the history community in Australia and internationally. He has published hundreds of historical articles on Australian history including maritime, medical and public administration history. At The Royal Historical Society of Queensland’s 2016 Annual General Meeting Professor John Pearn presented a detailed paper on ‘HM’s Colonial Brig Amity – her pivotal role in Australian colonization’ (Tasmania, Northern Territory {the South Australia}, Western Australia and Queensland). He has been a member of The Royal Historical Society of Queensland since 1980 and has been a member of its Council since the late 1990s. This award is made to individuals who have been nominated by one of the constituents of the Federation as making an exceptional contribution to the understanding, preservation and promotion of Australian history through the historical society movement. 

Sources: The University of Queensland Medical Society (UQMS), The Royal Historical Society of Queensland and http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/11/23/australian-gets-lifesaving-cup-queen)


The FAHS History Clinic Open - Tuesday afternoons by appointment 
FAHS Outreach Office History Clinic is Open
The Dr is in the house Tuesdays 1pm-4pm by appointment
Want help setting up email campaigns?

Need advice on scanning, image resolution, data management ?

Confused about how to develop an interpretation plan ?

Trying to sort out the web; Facebook; Flickr; Instagram ?
Dr Bernadette Flynn the FAHS Outreach Office is available at History Clinic to assist with practical questions about running your historical society. Dr Flynn has professional expertise in image management, video, multimedia and has a particular interest in activating collections and historical interpretation. 

Lodge a request via email and book in for a session fahsbflynn@gmail.com
Sessions will be conducted online.

Further Information fahsbflynn@gmail.com or phone 02 4377-1682
Heritage Destroyed in WestConnex Transport Construction
L to R: Houses in Haberfield demolished by WestConnex; far left, house in Wattle Street (Photo: Paul Vonwiller); Trees on Euston Rd alongside Sydney Park marked for removal (a total of 827 trees) (Photo: Lorrie Graham); Forced eviction of resident at 84 Campbell St, St Peters (photo: Ann Picot)

The WestConnex project is the most expensive motorway project in Australia's history.  West Connex is a series of projects designed to upgrade and link two existing motorways in Sydney’s south west (the M5) and west (the M4). The combined cost of the project was estimated in 2014 to be $16.8 billion with no current estimate available.

A WestConnex Transport Modelling survey commissioned by The City of Sydney indicate that Sydney’s traffic congestion will worsen with or without WestConnex, with the project making only minor differences to Sydney’s traffic. In addition the modelling confirms the WestConnex proposal will not improve access to the Sydney CBD. 
 

All affected local councils and environmental and planning peak bodies have opposed WestConnex and provided strong arguments against building this tollway right through the heart of Sydney.  WestConnex is negatively impacting on some of Sydney’s most important heritage sites, which are zoned as Heritage Conservation Areas by the NSW Government and are significant not only to local communities but to all Australians. Some 427 residential and commercial properties are being acquired by the NSW government to build WestConnex  with 78 homes in Haberfield knocked down to make way for the road, including 53 in the suburb's Heritage Conservation Area. Many other homes and heritage items have been demolished in Ashfield as part of WestConnex Stage 1 and Stage 2 is also impacting the heritage suburbs of Newtown, St. Peters and Enmore with demolition of 19th and early 20th century houses in St Peters now underway. 

Concerns raised by National Trust of Australia (NSW)

In its submission to the M4 East WestConnex concept design, the National Trust raised serious objections to the large-scale destruction of heritage areas and buildings, the disastrous heritage impacts of the M4 East on Haberfield. The EIS described the effect on the Haberfield Heritage Conservation Area as 'significant and unable to be effectively mitigated'. 

In the Trust’s view the heritage impacts of the WestConnex Motorway are severe. The Trust questions whether the financial commitment for the total project of $16.8 billion wouldn’t be much better allocated to public transport.

The National Trust acknowledges that inner city motorway development will be inextricably linked to residential/commercial redevelopment of higher densities in the zones adjoining the motorway and consequently would oppose such development or elements of that redevelopment when it:

  • impacts upon, or degrades the values of adjoining, Heritage Conservation Area
  •  involves the demolition of Listed Heritage Items
  • involves the demolition of places which have been removed from Heritage Lists on non heritage-based grounds
  •  involves the demolition of places which, in the Trust’s view are of indisputable heritage significance, but which have been denied statutory heritage recognition.
Big road projects are always controversial – Victoria's $8 billion East West Link motorway was scrapped in 2015 due to community opposition. The Westconnex Action Group is campaigning to stop WestConnex in Sydney. An open letter can be signed here

Sources:
National Trust of NSW: https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/initiatives/westconnex-m4-east/ 
Financial Review: http://www.afr.com/business/infrastructure/roads/westconnex-what-could-go-wrong-20160919-grjtlo
WestConnex Action Group: http://www.westconnexactiongroup.org.au/objection_to_the_destruction_of_sydneys_heritage

Featured Historical Society - Thredbo Historical Society 
The Thredbo Historical Society was founded in 1995 and is a social/cultural/heritage organisation dedicated to promoting awareness of snow sports and the preservation of the evolving history of Thredbo Village for public display.
The Thredbo Historical Society manages and operates the Thredbo Ski Museum in the centre of Thredbo Alpine Village, NSW and collects, preserves and maintains a collection of snow sports memorabilia from 1890 to the current day. Amongst its collection items are skis, boots, ski clothing, bindings, books, ski magazines, trophies, images and videos, oral histories, letters, newspaper clippings and editorial, an original Ramshead chairlift seat, and a seat from the Charlotte Pass to Alpine Way chairlift.

The museum has over 6,000 visitors a year and along with the permanent display has changing exhibitions depicting the rich history of the development and progress of Australian alpine history, Thredbo village and the Snowy Mountains region. For researchers there is an extensive library including a comprehensive set of Ski Year Books.



On display is a collection of winter sports memorabilia and the history of skiing and snowboarding in Australia. This comprises roughly one third of the 6,000 or so of the ephemera and documents in the collection. Another third is housed in a storage unit in Jindabyne and the rest is temporarily stored in a shipping container on a neighbouring property.

Alan Fredericks, President of the Thredbo Historical Society outlined how the society has around 170 members. These Thredbo devotees live all over Australia and overseas and come together for the annual mid winter dinner, 2 other social functions and the AGM. The society has affiliation with other alpine ski clubs and associations including the Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club who are acknowledged for the first downhill ski race in the world in 1861 and the Australian Alpine History Association (AASHA). Among the society's proudest acquisitions are a brake ski carved from Mountain Ash at Kiandra and a black, yellow and white striped ski jacket with matching bib and brace style pants. The ski suit was designed by Pru Acton for the Australian Ski Federation Team Suit in 1976 and is listed on the Australian Dress Register.

The society has participated in a significance assessment report and a Museums and Galleries of NSW museum standards review (http://mgnsw.org.au/articles/industry-standards-nsw-museums/). Alan considers that the museum standards program undertaken in 2011 has helped the society with an understanding of how to preserve the collection and present it through the effective use of interpretative signage and rotation of displays. An accessions policy helps guide the society in what to take into the collection and not accepting everything offered. 

Continuing from 2016 the first feature exhibition in 2017 is on snowboarding to be followed by an exhibition on the 60th anniversary of Thredbo.  In conjunction with the exhibition, the society is  launching a quality coffee table book commemorating Thredbo's beginnings as a ski resort in 1957. The publication of the book has been supported by an RAHS Cultural Grant and will feature the stories of the Pioneers and Legends of the snow fields plus segments on the resorts and key stakeholders Kosciuszko Thedbo Pty Ltd, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Snowy Hydro Scheme.   

The museum is open from 1pm – 5pm for a gold coin donation.
Summer: Boxing day to 26 January – Daily  (closed Mondays)
February, March, April and October Weekends and Public Holidays only
July August and September Open daily  (closed Mondays)

Location: Thredbo Village Square
Emailaab5@bigpond.com
Website: http://www.thredboskimuseum.com/
Telephone: 02 6457 7410 (opening days only) or the President 02 9449 7610


Sources: Thredbo Historical Society and interview with THS President Alan Fredericks 
Australian Alpine and Snowsports History Association, Conference 2017



The Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Australian Alpine Snowsports
History Association (AASHA) will be held at Mount Hotham, Victoria.

All interested historical societies, groups and individuals are invited to attend.
• Open Museums: Omeo, Harrietville & Bright
• Guest Speakers: authors Ian Stapleton & Malcolm Macpherson
• Field Trip: Historic Sites & Landscapes of Mount Hotham & Dinner Plain
• Panel Discussions/Workshops/Papers (Contact for expressions of interest)


Contact: info@mthotham.com.au for Attendee Registration Form
Registration by Friday 31st March, 2017


Mobile App tells Stories of Broome
The Jetty to Jetty Trail is Yawuru’s self guided heritage walk along the foreshore of Roebuck Bay.
The app is an audio companion to the trail, including over 90 minutes of stories and music.

Discover the beauty, culture and history of Broome's Roebuck Bay foreshore, by walking Yawuru's Jetty to Jetty Trail, from the historic Streeter’s Jetty in Chinatown to the site of Broome’s Old Jetty at Town Beach.

As you walk, you can use the app to hear the stories and music of those who lived and worked along the foreshore of beautiful Roebuck Bay, and connect with Broome’s pearling history and the cultural landscape of the Yawuru people.

Download the free smartphone app and listen to the stories along the trail.

Source: http://www.yawuru.com/our-culture/our-community/jetty-2-jetty/

Audio Visual Experience of Tasmania's Convict History


Pandemonium is an intriguing and innovative new visitor experience at Hobart’s historic Penitentiary Chapel (or ‘Tench’, as it has been know historically).

It is helping to reveal fascinating insights into the lives of some of the 75,000 men, women and children who were transported to Tasmania from the other side of the world as convicts.

Pandemonium was launched by Matthew Groom MP, Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage, Dr Marion Myhill (National Trust) and Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stewart (University of Tasmania) in November 2016.

The experience begins as visitors first enter the Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site in Campbell Street, and continues as they tour the complex, culminating in an absorbing audio-visual presentation. It is an experience that helps to give a voice to the stories of Tasmania’s convicts, and is an important addition to the visitor experience available in Tasmania.

Pandemonium has been developed with funding from the Tasmanian Community Fund, with the support of Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stewart, University of Tasmania, and Roar Film. 
For further details and to book your Pandemonium experience you can go to: https://nationaltrusttas.rezdy.com/131793/pandemonium

Source: Heritage Tasmania


'Remembering the Burbs' Exhibition at RHSV, Melbourne
Remembering the ‘Burbs : 1850-1960

Remembering the ‘Burbs showcases the images supplied by these historical societies.
The images of suburban housing, work, industry, commerce, community service and
recreation – collectively trace the development of Melbourne’s suburbs between 1850 and
1960 as its population expanded from the city’s confines.

Venue: Royal Historical Society of Victoria,
239 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne

The establishment of Melbourne coincided with the romantic ideal of a suburban retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life in England. No sooner had Melbourne been settled in the 1830s then land was advertised in 1839 for sale in Newtown (Fitzroy) as:

A site for the ‘Cottage Ornee’ for the Aristocracy of Melbourne and Port Phillip….as a retirement for the fatigued merchant (no) place could surpass this.

Soon suburbs spread up around Melbourne, dictated by Melbourne’s topography, transport, roads, economics, and post- world wars building booms. Today Melbourne is the most suburban of Australia’s cities.

Remembering the ‘Burbs 1850 – 1960 captures the change in Melbourne’s suburban life – many of the buildings and spaces are now lost to us, either through demolition or redevelopment.

This exhibition is based on the book, Remembering Melbourne 1850 – 1960, available from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/exhibitions/temporary-exhibitions

Dates:   17 October 2016 – 28 April 2017, 10am–4pm Mon-Thu and 10am–3pm Fri.
Enquiries:  office@historyvictoria.org.au or 03 9326 9288

Source: RHSV 


Police History Exhibition at Echuca Historical Society Museum

Exhibition 'Uphold the Right' Opens on 20th January at 2pm at Echuca Historical Society Museum & Archive 1 Dickson Street Echuca

Echuca Historical Society will celebrate the sesquicentenary of the Old Police Station at 1 Dickson Street Echuca on 20th January 2017 with the opening of a new exhibition on 150 years of police history. Join the history team for Afternoon Tea to Celebrate the 150th birthday of The 'Old Police Station'

The buildings were closed as police station and lock up in 1969 and have since been used as a historical museum - See more at: http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/416#sthash.a1I3ZJQC.dpuf

The exhibition will run from January 20 to the end of March. EHS president Dot Hammond said the old station at 1 Dickson St still stood proudly alongside the current Echuca police headquarters. But that too will soon pass into history as the police plans to move into their new headquarters in the New Year.

Contact the Echuca Historical Society on 03 5480 1325 or eh.soc@bigpond.com


Talk - How to get a job in History, Sydney
History Council of NSW:
How to get a job in History

Tuesday 31 January 2017,
6:00-8:30pm

History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 
Join the History Council of NSW for an informal session featuring a diverse range of guest speakers working in the history sector. Hear ‘lightning talks’ from historians, museum curators, researchers and other history professionals as they share their experiences and tips on how to kick-start a career in the history world. After the lightning talks, there will be time for questions and an opportunity to network. Light refreshments will be provided.

Free  Register online 
Contact: admin@historycouncilnsw.org.au or 02 9252 8715
History Council of NSW, Awards and Prizes
The History Council of NSW’s program of prizes and awards foster excellence in Australian historical writing, showcase and reward best practice, and advance and promote public understanding and appreciation of history.
 

 The History Council of NSW have a number of yearly awards and prizes below, totalling $6,500 in prize money. Entries close 31 March, and the winners are announced at the Annual History Lecture in September.

Aboriginal History Prize - Encourages students and other beginning historians (up to post-doctoral career) in the writing of Australian Aboriginal history, including Torres Strait Islander history, from original sources. The winner will receive a $1,000 prize.

Deen De Bortoli Award for Applied History - Generously funded by the De Bortoli family, the purpose of the award is to encourage historians writing Australian political, social, cultural and environmental history to approach their subjects in ways that use the past to inform contemporary concerns and issues. The winner will receive a citation and a prize of $5,000.

Max Kelly Medal - The Max Kelly Medal plus a prize of $500, generously donated by Geoffrey Jones, is awarded annually to a ‘beginning’ historian for a work of excellence in any aspect of Australian history.

If you have any questions please contact us and subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive announcements regarding our awards and prizes. All nominations and submissions for the below prizes and awards must be made by 31 March 2017.

Nomination forms and further information can be found at: http://bit.ly/HCNSWawards 


Local History Grants Program, Victoria
Applications for the 2016-2017 round of the Local History Grants Program, coordinated by Public Record Office Victoria, are now open.

Applications close 5pm Tuesday 31 January 2017.

The Local History Grants Program encourages and fosters community activities that preserve, record and share the local, social and community history of Victoria and Victorians.

The Program supports the efforts of the many community groups and organisations that collect and preserve the materials and memories from Victoria’s past. It aims to encourage collaboration and partnerships between volunteer groups to undertake projects (eg. publications, digitising, and interpretation) as well as to develop skills and resources to support community collections.

Small grants of up to $15,000 are made for the preservation and sharing of Victorian history by a variety of local community based organisations interested in telling the stories from their own communities, preserving their collections and increasing opportunities for the public to engage with the past. The Program is administered by Public Record Office Victoria on behalf of the State Government of Victoria. 


Click HERE to access information about this important source of funding support.
Grants Information Line 1300 366 356

Source: History Council of Victoria enews


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The FAHS e-Bulletin, No. 159,
27th Jan 2017
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