Dear members and friends,

It is with pleasure that many of us will farewell 2020 and welcome in the new year. The 2019-2020 bushfires which raged across our country and devastated so many regions and communities, immediately followed by the rapid escalation of numbers of people affected by the corona virus and the multifaceted impacts on lifestyles and livelihoods, have made 2020 a grim year. In South Australia, our cultural institutions closed to the public, events were cancelled, and workplaces shut as those of us who were non-essential workers bunkered down in our homes. At the same time, I have never felt so fortunate to live in Australia, in South Australia, and in the Adelaide Hills, with our relatively low population, clean air, moderate climate and abundant open spaces.

The COVID pandemic has negatively impacted on the functioning of the History Council throughout much of 2020. General Committee meetings were cancelled, postponed or held via zoom, and annual events that normally bring our members together were postponed and (eventually) held in modified form. Nonetheless, the Executive Committee has continued to meet regularly throughout the year to advocate on behalf of our members, reorganise events, implement projects and continue developing suggestions and ideas.

The regularly publication of the HCSA’s bi-weekly e-newsletter commenced in March. It is a wonderful source of information about history related matters in SA, and I would like to thank Jess Fairley for the countless hours she has put into editing the newsletter throughout the year. I’d also like to encourage all our members and friends to continue submitting items of interest in the upcoming year.

With regards to advocacy, in January the HCSA wrote to the Barossa Council urging permission not be granted to demolish the Strait Gate Mission House at Light Pass. Throughout the year, Committee member Meredith Ide has kept the HCSA well informed regarding the State Government’s proposed Planning and Design Code, and the HCSA has supported the Protect Our Heritage Alliance in protesting against the introduction of this code. The HCSA has joined with the History Councils of Victoria, NSW and WA to oppose the Federal Government’s policy to double the cost of a university education for Humanities Arts and Social Science (HASS) students. In July, HCA sent a submission to the Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia, protesting the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge in WA.

The research topic for HCSA member Elspeth Grant’s Churchill Fellowship was ‘To revive learning about state and territory perspectives under our national History curriculum’. Elspeth commenced her Fellowship at the beginning of 2020 and travelled to Thailand, Spain, Scotland, Wales and Washington DC (her trip was cut short due to COVID). The History Council is fortunate to have Elspeth on our General Committee (representing the History Teachers Association). A HCSA working group formed in September to gather information from relevant parties and subsequently draw up a plan to advocate for increasing the quantity and quality of South Australian history taught in South Australian schools. A couple of planned meetings were unfortunately postponed due to COVID, however the working group met on 11 December and set dates and targets for 2021 meetings.

The HCSA has held two successful webinars throughout the year. The first, titled ‘South Australians living through pandemics and the value of their stories’ was held in May, with Susan Marsden and Tom Gara presenting. The second, conceived in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement, was titled ‘Pre- and early-colonial South Australia’s Slavery Connections’ and was held in November. Presenters were Beth Robertson, Philip Jones and Cameron Coventry, and Amanda Nettelbeck

facilitated. Both webinars were well attended, including people joining in from regional areas and interstate.

This year’s winner of the Wakefield Press Essay Prize was Susan Arthure for her essay ‘Kapunda’s Irish Connections’. Susan was awarded her prize at a small ceremony held at Wakefield Press on 30 June. The HCSA’s Awards Night was to have been held in conjunction with the State Library on 31 May (to align with the closing of the History Trust’s History Festival. Instead, a modified event was held on 21 August in the Hetzel Room of the State Library; numbers were capped at 40 and guests had to be seated while eating and drinking. Despite the restrictions, all present were grateful to celebrate the achievements of nominees. This year’s winners were: Barbara Lodge (Lifelong Historian); Paddy O’Toole (Historian of the Year); Eric Fuss (Regional Historian); Rachel Bleaze (Emerging Historian). Congratulations once again to each award recipient, each of whom has made an invaluable contribution to researching and publicising the history of our state. At out last Executive Committee meeting, it was proposed and agreed that the HCSA introduce a new award for innovation and excellence in the presentation of history on a digital platform (for example an online exhibition, an e-book or podcast). The HCSA looks forward to receiving nominations for this new category.

In September, applications opened for the inaugural History Council of South Australia Fellowship, with a deadline of 30 November. The judges were thrilled with the number and high quality of applications. The research projects proposed were diverse and exciting, demonstrating a commendable depth and breadth of South Australian history topics currently under investigation. The Fellow will be announced in early 2021, and I hope that those who were unsuccessful this year will apply again next year.

With regard to the HCSA’s finances and fundraising, unlike some of our interstate counterparts, the HCSA receives no government funding. On a positive note, this makes us totally independent and able to advocate freely on any issues of concern. However, it also means that the HCSA is totally dependent on membership fees to finance our activities. Our budget is very tight, and this is one reason why it would be excellent to increase our membership. While the number of HCSA Facebook followers continues to climb (largely through the efforts of outgoing secretary Sandra Kearny and incoming Social Media Manager Brenton Griffin), with non-members having access (through Facebook) to much of the information put out by the HCSA, there is less incentive for individuals to join the HCSA. As such, to try and tap into this pool of enthusiastic Facebook followers (and, of course, other potential members), this year the HCSA is offering a ‘Christmas deal’ of 18 months membership for the price of 12 months. We will provide ‘gift cards’ for those who might like to give HCSA membership as a Christmas present to friends or family members who are keen on history. So please, encourage others to take up the offer!

At our last General Committee meeting, we decided to hold our meetings at the places in which our committee members work and, where practicable, to include a tour of these workplaces in conjunction with our meetings. The first meeting will be held at the State Library and will follow a tour of the archives held in the basement. The next meeting will be held at State Records and will also incorporate a tour of the archives.

This has been my first year as President of the History Council and I sincerely thank members of both the Executive Committee and General Committee for their guidance and support. Past president Peter Monteath and outgoing Secretary Sandra Kearny have since stepped away from the HCSA, as have outgoing General Committee members Pauline Cockrill and Jenny Stock. I would like to thank each of them for all they have contributed to the HCSA over past years. I would like to warmly welcome new Executive Committee members Yianni Cartledge (Secretary), Andrew Peake and David Sweet, and new

General Committee members Caroline Adams (Professional Historians’ Association), Angela Bannon (or proxy, Friends of the State Library) and Julia Garnaut (Australian Museums and Galleries Association) and Brenton Griffin (Independent).

2021 will be here before we know it. We have some exciting events in the pipeline, including a film-night fundraiser at one of Adelaide’s historic cinemas, the announcement of the 2020 SAHC Fellow at the Holocaust Museum, our annual Historian Awards Night, at least one regional lecture, a webinar (part two of a series exploring SA’s slavery connections, considering Aboriginal people’s experiences). There is much to look forward to!

I would like to conclude by wishing all our members a very happy and relaxing Christmas break. Let’s hope that 2021 is a smooth, progressive and positive year, that we can meet face to face and celebrate the activities and achievements our members and friends.

Warm regards,

Skye