eNewsletter
Newsletter 19 June 2025
News
President’s Message
With the end of the 2025 History Festival, I’d like to congratulate the History Trust of SA for another fantastic programme. While many of our members were involved in festival events, one of the highlights from the point of view of the History Council was the awards ceremony held at the closing celebration, recognising some of the state’s best historians. In this issue you’ll find news of the HCSA award winners.
One of the next things that will be occupying the History Council over the next few months is our membership drive. As I’m sure you’re aware, the work of the History Council is funded solely through its membership. We’d be delighted if you could find the $30 to join / rejoin the History Council by clicking here or perhaps you might even make a charitable donation here.
That way you can ensure that our advocacy, our fellowships and not least our prizes and awards can continue.
Stay warm and stay tuned for more History Council events to come!
Matt Fitzpatrick
HCSA Historian Awards Winners announced
The annual Historian Awards were announced at the History Festival closing celebration on 31 May.
Historian of the Year: Dr. Heidi Ing
In recent years, Dr Ing has launched History at the Historian, a successful networking series that brings experts and enthusiasts together in the iconic city pub. She’s the co-creator of The House of History, a major seminar stream for this year’s History Festival. She has also supported academic research across Adelaide’s three major universities, as well as a landmark survey into South Australia’s history research landscape. She’s active in almost a dozen history organisations spanning genealogy, archives, pioneering history, medical heritage and community training.
Emerging Historian: Kelly Bonato
For transforming historic South Australian photographs through digital colourisation and building a thriving online history community via her platform A Colourful History.
Life Long Historian: Emeritus Professor Margaret Allen
A pioneering historian who has dedicated 60 years (and counting) to the advancement and celebration of women’s rights and education in South Australia.
Digital Technologies Award: Martindale Stories Website Team
For their innovative ‘slow digitisation’ project using immersive 3D models and community-led storytelling, including strong partnerships with Ngadjuri Elders.
Check out their website here.
Contribution to Regional or Community History: Kimba & Gawler Ranges Historical Society
For over 40 years of dedicated volunteer service preserving regional heritage through museum collections, school partnerships and local history projects.
Oral History Excellence: Madeleine Regan
For her long-standing commitment to documenting migrant histories through oral testimony, particularly her acclaimed project on Veneto market gardeners in Adelaide.
Check out her website, Veneto Market Gardeners 1927.
Wakefield Press Essay Prize: Dr André Brett
For his essay “So Unusual, So Horrible, and So Rapid in the Fatal Result”: The Death of James Garden Ramsay and Summertime Railway Travel in Colonial Australia.
This compelling essay uses the story of a tragic accident to illuminate the broader experiences and environmental challenges of summertime railway travel in colonial South Australia, offering unique insights into evolving safety standards, climate responses and the realities of travel during the late nineteenth century.
Around the country
Save the Queen: The Priscilla Project
A project is underway to restore the Priscilla bus from the film 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'. She was discovered on a property in rural New South Wales, having survived fire, floods, and exposure to the elements. The History Trust of South Australia is seeking donations to restore the bus and display her at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood.
Further information through the HTSA
Our Story: Aboriginal-Chinese people in Australia
An exhibition at the National Museum of Australia which sheds light on the little-known history of Aboriginal and Chinese relations in colonial Australia.
Until 27 January 2026.
Further information through the museum website
Lectures, exhibitions, and events
Getting started with your family history (online)
Would you like to start researching your family history, but don't know where to begin?
$50 Genealogy SA members / $99 non-members
27 July 2025, 10am - 3pm.
Further information and registration through Trybooking
Twilight Talk: But there were no convicts in SA!
This month for Twilight Talks, Helen Livingston will be challenging the idea that there were no convicts in South Australia.
While South Australia was not a penal colony, there are still many stories to tell about South Australia's history with convicts – ex-convicts, escaped convicts, and much more besides. Join us for this fascinating – and maybe confronting! – talk exploring the 'convict history' of South Australia.
Free for Genealogy SA members / $20 online / $30 in person
1 July 2025, 7pm - 8pm, at Genealogy SA, 201 Unley Road, Unley SA.
Further information and registration through Trybooking
A fairer future: the educational legacy of Bob Hawke
An exhibition that celebrates the importance of education through the achievements of the Hawke Government and Hawke's own participation and promotion of education outside of his political career.
2 April - 25 July, Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Hawke Building level 3, UniSA City West Campus.
Further information through UniSA
People in the Landscape
A talk on Bangarla country with Maritime Museum curator Paul Mazourek about the amazing story of people and landscape development in the Northern Spencer Gulf.
Every Thursday in July, from 2pm - 3pm at Point Lowly Lighthouse.
Further information through the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse website
Professional Historians Association (SA) History at the Historian program 2025
An opportunity to engage with experts in the field, ask questions, and enjoy a stimulating discussion in a relaxed pub setting.
All are held at 5.45pm, at the Historian Hotel, 18 Coromandel Place, Adelaide.
Details of each event will be shared on the PHA's Facebook page
Monday 16 June: Unique Resources for Social History: Genealogy SA & Pioneers Association SA
Presenters: Helen Livingston (SAGHS) & David Forsaith / Anthea Taylor (PASA)
Monday 18 August: Stories from the Buffalo: Oral History Australia
Presenter: Christine Schoepf
Monday 20 October: Unearthing Research Gems at State Records of SA
Presenter: State Records of South Australia
Rear Vision: The Holden Collection
Through the extensive archive of the State Library of South Australia, this exhibition explores the car maker's operations, workforce dynamics, technological innovations, and its profound impact on the national psyche.
At the State Library of South Australia (SLSA) until 22 June 2025.
Further information on the SLSA website
Historical Society of South Australia Speaker Program 2025
First Friday of the month, 7.30 pm, Burnside City Uniting Church, Fisher Street, Tusmore.
4 July - Cathy Conway: The history of gliding in South Australia
1 August - Rob George: “Von Loves Her Modernist”: a film about Max Harris
5 September - Jade Hastings: Single women and the law: crime and legislative change in colonial South Australia, 1836 1880
3 October - Margot Way: The History of the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre
7 November - Paul Flavel: John Martin’s. the story of South Australia’s beloved department store
Further details on each month’s History Talk are provided in the History SA newsletter and on the Society’s website.
Check out their website here
Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard is the richest find of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever made in the UK. Buried around AD 900 and only discovered in 2014 in southwest Scotland, the Hoard contains a stunning variety of rare and beautiful objects and illustrates the rich history of Viking trade that stretched from Scandinavia and the Atlantic across into the Middle East and Asia.
At the South Australian Museum until 27 July 2025.
Further information and tickets through the SA Museum website
Book releases
The Surgeon of Royaumont, by Dr. Susan Neuhaus
The Virtual War Memorial Australia is hosting a conversation with author, surgeon and decorated ex-army officer Dr Susan Neuhaus about her new book, The Surgeon of Royaumont. This historical novel is based on real characters and real events at the remarkable all women Scottish Women’s Hospital set up in Royaumont Abbey on the Western Front in WW1.
Free event at Torrens Parade Ground, Adelaide, on Thursday, 3 July at 4.30pm.
Details through Trybooking
Information about the book through the HarperCollins website.
Susan co-authored with Sharon Mascall-Dare Not for glory: a centenary of service by medical women to the Australian army and its allies, Boolarong Press, Brisbane, 2014.
Labor politics from Dunstan to Rann, by C.J. Sumner
A commentary in response to Peter Duncan's recent book on South Australian Politics, A view from the horizon: my life in politics and beyond (Wakefield Press, 2024)
This book is available as a pdf free of charge at the below link.
Download the pdf here (file size: 654 KB)
Rolling up their Sleeves: the women behind the Barossa cookery book, by Those Barossa Girls
A modern cookbook that re-presents classic recipes and honours a group of dedicated and open-hearted women.
Further information on the authors' website here
Calls for papers
Amphorae XIX conference call for papers
The Classics and Ancient History postgraduate cohort at the University of Adelaide, Australia invites submissions to the 19th Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Hellenic or Roman Antiquity and Egyptology (AMPHORAE) Conference for 2025.
25-29 August 2025, The University of Adelaide.
Further information and registration through their website
Opportunities
History Teacher's Association of South Australia Competitions
During the remainder of this year HTASA is actively supporting the National History Challenge, the Simpson Prize, the Premier’s Anzac Spirit Prize and the Governor’s Civics Awards.
National History Challenge. In 2025 the theme for the National History Challenge is: Conflict and Resolution. Further information and registration here.
Entries are submitted online and close on Friday, 22nd August.
The Simpson Prize. This year’s question involves using primary sources for evidence of contrasting perspectives on World War One or Two.
Further details and relevant sources are available from the website here.
The closing date for entries is Wednesday, November 5th.
The Premier’s ANZAC Spirit Prize and the Governor’s Civics Awards.
Details for 2025 for both competitions are accessible here.
The closing date for the Premier’s ANZAC Sprit Prize entries is Friday, September 5th, and for the Governor’s Civics Awards, Friday, September 12th.
SA History Fund
Applications are now open for the SA History Fund, an annual grant program offered by the History Trust of South Australia for projects, research, or publications that contribute to the knowledge, understanding, and sharing of SA history.
Applications close 11 July.
Further information through their website
State Library of NSW Fellowships 2026
Applications are now open for twelve different fellowships at the State Library of NSW. Applications close 11 July 2025 at 5pm.
Further information through the Library's website
Bernadette Bean South Australian Records Management Service Excellence Award
Awarded to celebrate those who have dedicated their careers to managing, preserving, and innovating within the fields of records and information management, knowledge management, history and cultural heritage, museum and library collections management. Nominations are now open until 8 July 2025.
Further information on the award website.
