Welcome to the Federation of Australian Historical Societies 
eBulletin


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. 181, 27th August 2018
Contents:
Images for the new FAHS Website
Featured Historical Society - Port Fairy Historical Society, Victoria
This Place, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Names
Queen Victoria Market - National Heritage Listing
New Historical Society Formed - Kuranda Historical Society, QLD
Digitisation of Pilbara Region History
Exhibition from the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, WA
Millthorpe and District Historical Society receives $45,000 grant
Canberra Railway Museum Update
The John Forrest Collection donated to the RWAHS
Australian Lebanese Historical Society in North Queensland
Mapping Van Diemen’s Land and the Great Beyond, Tasmania
Australasian Mining History Association Conference
The Biennial RHSV Conference, Melbourne
Annual History Lecture, History Council of NSW
Jill Roe Professional Development Bursary, History Council of NSW
Images for the new FAHS Website
The FAHS is developing a new look website to promote the significant work historical societies make to historical research, collections and exhibition across Australia.

The contributions you make to the community through talks, outings, and school's programs are often overlooked and we are keen to promote these aspects on the website.
We are looking for photographs showing the ways that you do history - through research, events, managing collections, and exhibition - and to illustrate how you engage with the local community and visitors from further afield. 

We are seeking:

Three or four feature 'hero images' to use in the website banner and twenty to thirty images for content pages. Images including people will best represent your contribution to the community. As a starting point, the areas we're focusing on are below:

* Collections activity - groups & individuals working with the collection; conservation; textiles; volunteer training etc 

* Research/publication - e.g oral histories recorded in the field; researcher at work with the community or in-house; publication launch event

* Exhibition - e.g public/curator engagement with the exhibition; special programs; installation processes etc

* Governance - groups/dynamic meetings; engaged and inspired people

* Events - public programs; talks; cultural activities etc

There are a few technology requirements to show the best images. If you have some compelling images of people engaging with your society and are unsure about the format - send them in and we can evaluate the technical side of things. Not every image will be suited to the content, so we can't promise that every society's image will be published.

Pixel dimensions:
Banner images - 2560 pixels horizontal
Rectangular or square images at least 800 horizontal

Format:
TIF, PNG or Jpeg 
With your permission we will crop or scale images if required by the web design.

Image files to: Bernadette Flynn
FAHS National History and Community Heritage Officer and Curator
fahsbflynn@gmail.com
Featured Historical Society - Port Fairy Historical Society, Victoria
The Port Fairy Historical Society was formed in 1963 as a centre for local research into the early history of the town and its pioneer families.

Today the society operates a museum and archive in the 1860 heritage listed Port Fairy Courthouse. 
The Society developed from an interest in preserving the local history of Port Fairy - from the time of the first visits of whalers to current times. The group struggled for a number of years for a local centre, while storing a growing collection in members’ homes until the purchase of an old dentist’s surgery. In 1992 the society was able to negotiate the lease of the historic Courthouse building from the Shire Council for a nominal rent. Since then an annex has been added which houses a large collection of documents, archival photographs and objects.

Marten Syme, member of Port Fairy Historical Society, outlines how the community recognises the Society as the custodian of historical material about the town. Much of the collection has been acquired through family donations and as people pass on more material is donated. A collection policy is in place ensuring that, where appropriate, items can be de-accessioned and gaps in the collection addressed. Digitisation of the catalogued collection is progressing in-house. Significant items from the collection are hosted on-line with Victorian Collections

Since the early 1980's, Port Fairy has been an area of increasing interest on the tourism map. Marten notes that most visitors to the museum are people from outside, with locals attending special events and exhibition openings. The museum is an accredited museum through the Museums Australia, Victoria (accredited since 1998) and its completely volunteer staff seek to operate at a professional standard. A range of exhibits are on display throughout the Courthouse - both permanent and temporary.  

A theatrical presentation of an active sitting is installed in the main Courtroom with the original court furniture and costumed figures (when constructed in 1859 this was the only courthouse in the Western District of Victoria holding sittings of the Supreme Court and County Courts as well as General Sessions). Five other rooms throughout the Courthouse contain exhibitions on themes such as the early pioneers of the district, the whaling era in Port Fairy, local shipping and wrecks along the coast. A forthcoming exhibition opening on 22nd September is currently being prepared - through photographs and objects Icons of Port Fairy tells the story of people from Port Fairy who have made an impact in the wider world in their chosen fields. 

Port Fairy has a growing population with new people arriving from outside and bringing in extra skills to the Society. There are about 20-25 active volunteers, with many of them very enthusiastic about local history. Some volunteers have specific roles and have built up expertise in areas such as exhibitions and museum management through undertaking Museums Australia courses and attending other professional development seminars over the last 10-15 years. The Society is also active in the Western Victoria Association of Historical Societies, a regional body managed through Royal Historical Society of Victoria, which meets four times a year.

The Society has developed educational resources to attract school groups to the museum. Glen Foster, a school teacher has designed a series of historical games Fun with History using role-play and cards. The games explore key aspects of the life and times of European settlement in Melbourne, Portland, Port Fairy and Warrnambool through hypothetical scenarios that incorporate factual events and real characters from the times. The series is designed for the Victorian and Australian Curricula for History and has content useful in other subject areas such as Drama, English, Geography and Mathematics. To encourage school students to engage with local history the Society also offers a History Prize.


L to R: Installation in the main Courtroom; Recent publication The Lighthouse Keeper and the One-Armed Cricketer, Society event at the Courthouse.

The Society takes part in many of Port Fairy’s annual events such as the Moyneyana Festival and Winter Weekends and has a strong community engagement ethos. Marten outlines how the society has made a significant difference to the community awareness of history. An active Facebook page of over 1,200 followers functions as a vibrant interactive space with input from locals on the history of buildings, people and places. The Society produces a bi-monthly newsletter with curated articles and has a small publishing unit. Books published include: Port Fairy Buildings - 1843 to 1889The Lighthouse Keeper and the One-Armed Cricketer; Some Shipwrecks of Port Fairy Bay.              

The main challenge is managing a dispersed collection of a large collection of documents, archival photographs and objects which are scattered throughout the Courthouse, due to the small side rooms in such buildings.  In order to provide better access to artefacts and materials the Society is seeking to build a purpose built archive and is pursuing funding from Council and donations from local businesses.  

Society meetings run once a month and usually include an invited guest speaker. New members and interested visitors are always welcome to attend general meetings.

Location: The History Centre, 30 Gipps Street, Port Fairy, Victoria 
Open: Saturdays,  Wednesdays, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm, Sundays, 10.30am - 12.30pm.
Entry: Adult $5.00, unaccompanied teenagers with adults $1, accompanied younger children free.

emailpfhsmuseumandarchives@gmail.com
Websitehttp://www.historicalsociety.port-fairy.com
Tel: +61 0355682263

Sources:  Port Fairy Historical Society Website, interview with members of Port Fairy Historical Society, Angela and Marten Syme. 
This Place, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Names

Across Australia, places are known for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander names. But what do they mean? What's the story behind them?

Place names are a starting point for sharing Australia's ancient history and cultures.

This Place (ABC Indigenous) invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to create a short video about a place name, and the story behind it. 
Queen Victoria Market - National Heritage Listing
Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market has been added to the national heritage list, following a nomination from the City of Melbourne in 2015.

Federal environment minister Josh Frydenberg officially inscribed the market on the heritage list on 23 July. 'For almost 150 years, it has sustained Melbourne, first as a meat market and then as a food and produce market,' he said.

'The colour, noise and traditions of market trading continue to this day within the Victorian-era structures, layout and fittings that make it such a grand old part of the Australian story.'

The Queen Victoria Market was formally opened in 1878, having previously operated as a meat market, on the site of Melbourne’s first cemetery, the Old Melbourne Cemetery. The national heritage listing statement of significance describes it as 'an outstanding example of an Australian metropolitan food market established in the 19th century,' noting the vital role 19th century markets played in establishing colonies around Australia.

National Heritage Listing: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/queen-victoria-market
Source: https://architectureau.com/articles/queen-victoria-market-gains-national-heritage-listing/
New Historical Society Formed - Kuranda Historical Society, QLD


Kuranda Historical Society has been formed and has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kurandahistory

The objective of the Kuranda Historical Society is: ‘To receive and preserve historical items from or relevant to Kuranda region and display them appropriately to as wide an audience as possible.’

The office bearers are: President: Dugg Stratford, Hon Secretary Annie Clarke, and Hon Treasurer Gayle Hannah. Mareeba Shire Council is providing the Society with premises in Centenary Park in Kuranda.

The Society has obtained two small grants from GLAM Peak (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) Digital Access to Collections Project supported by the Commonwealth government through the Catalyst Arts and Culture Fund.

The Society offers special events and guest speakers, assistance with historical research, a monthly Newsletter to members, a vote at the AGM, and opportunity to participate in and help grown this new community group.

email: kurandahistory@gmail.com or c/- PO Box 66 Kuranda Qld 4881. 
Digitisation of Pilbara Region History
Port Hedland Historical Society’s Arnold Carter with a picture of the Esplanade Hotel in the 1960s. Picture: Harrison Quenault

The unique history of the Hedland region is set to be preserved for all to enjoy thanks to the collection of various items of historical significance.

The Pilbara Regional Council and the Town of Port Hedland headed up an initiative which had residents donating family photographs, letters, diary pages, newspaper clippings, wills, deeds, essays and artefacts.

Author, historian and broadcaster Richard Offen was the special guest facilitator and helped to assess the historical significance of the items.

Some of the main items included photos of the Lumper’s Mess Christmas Day celebration; Pretty Pool in 1948; the first electronic ship navigation system 'decca', which was located at Turner River; old Port Hedland buildings; and port dredges.

The collection is available for the community to view in person at Dalgety House for a limited time.

The donations are set to be digitised over the coming year, with the items then returned to their owners and the collection eventually available for the public to view online.

Source: https://www.kimberleyecho.com.au/?news/north-west-telegraph/personal-treasures-bringing-hedlands-history-to-life-ng-b88906026z
Exhibition from the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, WA
Community, not colour, lies at the heart of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology’s photographic exhibition Stockyards and Saddles: A story of Gibb River Station. It is the story of a remote cattle station in the East Kimberley region but also the story of one family, and many families, claiming kinship through a shared enterprise.


L: Reggie on an Apache horse; R: Branding at Gibb yards: Reggie with a lasso made of green hide rope. Photographs: Colin Russ.
 
'The images centre on the Russ family and a close-knit community of Aboriginal stockmen and women from the early 1900s until the 1980s,' writes curator Dr Vanessa Russ, associate director of the Berndt Museum, in the exhibition’s catalogue.

The exhibition features photographs from public and private collections, including those of Colin Russ, Sylvia Russ, Andreas Lommel, the Western Australian Museum and the State Library of Western Australia.

Vanessa Russ has elegantly grouped them under the headings History, Homestead, Food and Shelter, Stockyards and Saddles, Labour, People, Animals, Environment and Communication.

'We start with my grandfather’s photographs,' Russ says. 'He had a box brownie from about 1911.'

They’re not professional photographs; neither are any of the others in the show. All resonate with the raw truth of amateur photography. 

'I thought about cleaning them up, then I thought no, it adds something to them. You can still see all the scratches on the surface.'

For Russ, however, the exhibition was an opportunity to do more than just scratch the surface. She wanted to present a different narrative to those often told about life on remote cattle stations last century.

'This is not an art show,' she reiterates.

'This is a people show. It’s about relationships, and about 50 years of history and transition in the Kimberley. We have tried to present this exhibition as a positive story, which is the most common experience shared by those who were there.'

Russ talks about the animals which were 'food, friends and transportation' and therefore part of that shared experience.

'There’s often this idea that people living on the stations don’t love their animals. They do, and they care about their welfare,' she says.

Not that Russ, who grew up on the station, is trying to romanticise what was a life filled with dust and hardship. 'You talk to some Aboriginal people about the times depicted in some of these photographs and they have this romantic feeling towards them,' she says. 'It wasn’t like that.'

She motions towards one photograph showing a group of stockmen. 'They look so tired. And you can see they used to tie the legs of their trousers around their ankles to prevent scorpions crawling up them.'

But everyone, black and white, was in it together. 'Everyone was connected, everyone felt valued,' she says. 'They were never rich; the bulk of the money went on supplies. But they’d all get their fair share of damper, tea, some beef. It was quite socialist, in a way.'

The exhibition is showing at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA until December 8th (not open on Mondays). 

Source: https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-west-australian/20180728/282252371327988
Millthorpe and District Historical Society receives $45,000 grant
The Golden Memories Museum run by the Millthorpe and District Historical Society houses over 14,000 items across ten buildings.

The Society has been awarded a $45,883 grant from the NSW government’s new Regional Cultural Fund to digitise its entire collection. Read More 
Canberra Railway Museum Update
A reborn Canberra Railway Museum will celebrate its official return to the Kingston yards with a visit to the national capital by its former prized possession, the Garratt-Beyer 6029 steam locomotive.

The Beyer-Garratt 6029, will be providing rides with a choice of two shuttles from Canberra to Queanbeyan or Bungendore for the Canberra Steam Weekend on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September 2018.
The Canberra Railway Museum was formally operated by the ACT division of the Australian Railway Historical Society. The Society preserved railway history, particularly that of Canberra and the southern districts of New South Wales, for the enjoyment and enlightenment of present and future generations. Members worked toward this goal by collecting and restoring locomotives, other rolling stock and items of railway memorabilia; preserving and recording railway history; and operating trains with restored rolling stock.

On 1 September, the liquidator of the former Australian Railway Historical Society ACT will hand over the site to the new body and registered charity that will run the Museum and operate heritage trains, Capital Region Heritage Rail.

Source: https://the-riotact.com/canberra-rail-museum-back-on-track-with-garratt-visit-to-mark-site-handover/259373
The John Forrest Collection donated to the RWAHS
The John Forrest collection of personal papers has been donated to the Royal Western Australian Historical Society by Nicholas Hasluck from the estate of his father, the late Sir Paul Hasluck. 

John Forrest was one of Western Australia’s most influential political leaders and the colony’s first Premier (1890-1901). The collection contains records from Sir John Forrest’s time as surveyor and explorer in the 1860s-1880s 

2018 is the centenary of his death 
 
The Society has been fortunate to attract two new volunteers to work on the collection. Carol Leigh, a retired archivist previously working for the City of Wanneroo, has started the huge task of cataloguing over 1,000 items. Ulli Broeze, former paper conservator at the WA Museum, is advising and helping with appropriate storage of the collection. The collection will be on the database in due course and available for research. 

John Forrest’s expedition scrapbook from the three expeditions he led in 1869, 1870 and 1874 is on view at Stirling House from Mon 3 Sept to Thu 6 Sept, 10am-4pm.

Contact RWAHS on 08 9386 3841 or admin@histwest.org.au 
Australian Lebanese Historical Society in North Queensland


Members of the North Queensland Branch of the Australian Lebanese Historical Society Ray Holyoak (Chairman), Max Tomlinson, Richard Anthony, Lorraine Tomlinson, Geraldine O’Brien and Lisha Kayrooz. Picture: Kelsie Iorio.

A group of North Queenslanders with Lebanese heritage has formed the local branch, and are on a mission to capture the stories of Lebanese history in North Queensland.

Lebanese immigrants were among the early pioneers to North and far north Queensland, and it’s understood some local politicians descended from Lebanese immigrants.

Because of labour restrictions on non-Europeans - part of the White Australia policy - most migrants from the Middle East earned a living from hawking or retailing.

North Queensland branch chairman Ray Holyoak said the group intended to collect and collate the history of early Lebanese migrants so their contribution to the nation’s history could be recognised and preserved.

'We are keen to interview living relatives of Lebanese immigrants here in the North and far north before that important history is lost,' he said.

Contact ALHS branch secretary Max Tomlinson at max@tomlinson.com.au or 0419 782 729 for more information.

Source: https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/nq-australian-lebanese-historical-society-delve-into-local-history/news-story/8565cf41b0b3bb7b4227f0942fbf5979
Mapping Van Diemen’s Land and the Great Beyond, Tasmania
The Royal Society of Tasmania is celebrating its 175th Anniversary Year

As part of the celebrations, two books are being published. The first, Mapping Van Diemen’s Land and the Great Beyond edited by Lynn Davies, Margaret Davies and Warren Boyles was published in mid July. The volume contains over 100 high resolution images of rare and beautiful maps from the Society’s collection with text from authoritative contributors contributing to their understanding.

The official launch took place on Thursday, 19 July 2018, in the foyer of the Stanley Burbury Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay campus. The Welcome to Country was conducted by Dr. Greg Lehmann, and then the book was officially launched by Dr. Tony Sprent AM from the University of Tasmania. 

https://rst.org.au/product/mapping-van-diemans-land-and-the-great-beyond
Australasian Mining History Association Conference
The 24th Australasian Mining History Association Conference will be held from the 7th to the 13th October 2018 at Cromwell, Otago Region of the South Island of New Zealand. The theme of the conference will be ‘Rivers of Gold‘.

http://www.mininghistory.asn.au/next-conference/
The Australasian Mining History Association is a not for profit organisation formed in 1995 to foster the exchange of information about our extensive and fascinating mining past. Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in mining history and its various related aspects.

The very successful 2017 conference was held in Traralgon, Victoria and other conferences have been held in most of Australia’s well known mining districts and in New Zealand.

The Association has also held joint meetings with other organisations, including the International Mining History Association and the Australian Historical Association. 
The Biennial RHSV Conference, Melbourne
The Royal Historical Society Victoria Biennial Conference : War, Peace, Protest: Fifty Year Reflections on 1968

Location: Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
 
The Biennial RHSV conference has events over two days - Friday 14th and Sunday 16th September.

On the evening of Friday 14th Sep the RHSV launches an exhibition on 70's Melbourne followed by the RHSV Augustus Wolskel lecture delivered by Peter Edwards. Then on Sunday 16th Sep (9:30am – 3:45pm) the keynote will be delivered by Seamus O’Hanlon. A full program of speakers includes Richard Broome, Charles Sowerine and Rebecca & Jean McLean reflecting on their documentary, Save Our Sons following its screening. Lunch and morning tea is included.

* Friday 14 September 5:00 pm
Exhibition opening: Putting it out there: Melbourne in the 1970s
Free event - please book for catering purposes

* Friday 14 September  6:30 pm
Augustus Wolskel Lecture: Now we know: a half-century perspective on Australia’s Vietnam War
Free for conference delegates and RHSV member. $10 for non-RHSV members.

Sunday 16 September 9:30am - 3.45pm
Full Day Conference
Cost: RHSV Members $60 / Non Members $80.00 / Full-Time Student $40 (limited to first 20).

Bookings for conference and Friday evening sessions 
* The two events on Friday are stand-alone events and can be booked individually. 
Annual History Lecture, History Council of NSW
Warnings from the grave: Death, glory and memory in Australian cemeteries with Dr Lisa Murray

In this Annual History Lecture, Dr Lisa Murray, City Historian at the City of Sydney will survey the history of Australian cemeteries, highlighting the central role memory has played in their fates. She will reflect upon the beauty, value and threats to our national heritage.
 
Description: Cemeteries are storehouses of history and rightly form part of our national heritage. The human remains, gravestones, furniture and setting all embody the rituals of death. The material culture of death recorded in our cemeteries are valuable sources for historians, but should never be considered in isolation. To truly understand the Australian way of death we must appreciate cemeteries as cultural landscapes, analyse the social and economic history of funerary practices and consider the fickle nature of memory and commemoration.

History Council of NSW

Date: Tue. 4 September 2018, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: The Mint, 10, Macquarie Street, Sydney
Cost: $45 – $50
Tickets
Jill Roe Professional Development Bursary, History Council of NSW
The History Council of NSW is proud to announce a new opportunity for history professionals and students in regional New South Wales - the Jill Roe Bursary.

Thanks to a generous bequest from the late highly respected historian and History Council Life Member, Jill Roe, AO, two $500 bursaries a year will be offered to individuals working and/or studying in regional NSW in the field of history for professional development purposes.
Applications are accepted at any time (until all allocated annual funds for the program are expended each calendar year).

Applications must be emailed to admin@historycouncilnsw.org.au and received by the History Council of NSW at least four weeks before the date of the professional development event/activity to allow staff time to assess the application.

In exchange for our support through the Jill Roe Bursary program, recipients will be expected to share their experiences through our blog and social media channels.

Further information: https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/jill-roe-bursary-for-professional-development-regional-bursary/
Share
Tweet
Forward
The FAHS e-Bulletin, No. 181,
27th August 2018
Copyright © 2018 Federation of Australian Historical Societies, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
outreachofficer@history.org.au

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp