eNewsletter
Newsletter 26 October 2021
Outgoing President's Letter
23 October 2021
Dear members and friends,
Our AGM was held last Wednesday (20 October) at the Historian Hotel. The meeting was well attended, and we voted in our new President, Gillian Dooley, and Vice-President, David Sweet. I warmly congratulate Gillian and David on their appointments, and wish them all the very best for their upcoming terms. I would also like to welcome new General Committee members Lyn O’Grady (Historical Society of South Australia) and Sarita Burnett (Australian Museums and Galleries Association, SA Division).
I tabled my annual report at the AGM, which can be found here. My report outlines the advocacy undertaken by the HCSA over the past 12 months, namely: protesting against the lack of public consultation and the introduction of the new Development and Design Code; objecting to the destruction/relocation of the Waite Gatehouse Lodge and significant trees; providing detailed input to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) review of the Australian History Curriculum; expressing concerns regarding the National Archives of Australia’s relocation of South Australian records and urging their itemisation, preferably before leaving the state.
The HCSA working group that formed last year to gather information and advocate for the teaching of South Australian history in our primary and secondary schools met several times throughout the year. We examined how the History Trust works with the Education Department, met with two Managers of Development from the Department of Education, and planned our response to the ACARA National Curriculum Review.
At the HCSA’s representative, I participated in a reference group that met to determine the parameters, evaluation and selection criteria for an exciting new award sponsored by the Parliament of South Australia and administrated by the Education Department. The Muriel Matters Award will be bestowed on one student/per secondary school, with each school nominating ‘A student exhibiting self-initiative in taking action to promote democratic discussion and activity to advance a cause’.
This year the HCSA partnered with the State Library and History Trust of South Australia to hold the 2021 Historians Awards on 30 May at the Mortlock Library. We introduced a new award – the Digital Technology Award – and extended the parameters of the Regional Historian Award to ‘Regional and/or Community Group Historian(s). The 2021 Award recipients are: Anne Black (Emerging Historian); Kristy Kokegei and the History Trust of South Australia (Digital Technology Award); Geoff Nobel (Regional and/or Community Group Historian(s)); Will Sargent (Historian of the Year); Don Loffler (Lifelong Historian). The recipient of the 2021 Wakefield Essay Prize is Connor Deegan for his essay ‘‘Settling the pioneer legend in stone: The memorialisation of Captain Charles Sturt in the early twentieth century’.
The inaugural HCSA Fellow, Rebecca Jones, was announced at the Historians’ Awards. Rachel’s project is titled ‘Drought, flood, heat and dust: living with extreme weather in arid Australia’ and Rebecca intends to utilise records of the Royal Flying Doctor Service held by the State Library. Rebecca lives interstate and, to date, COVID regulations have prevented her undertaking her research in 2021. Applications are open for the 2022 HCSA Fellow, and we encourage those who were unsuccessful last year to reapply this year as of the 2020 applications were of a very high standard.
Professor Philip Payton is to give the HCSA’s 2021 Regional Lecture at Murray Bridge on 1 December. Philip is discussing the findings of his latest book, Vice Regal, which examines the lives of South Australia’s governors – and their wives! Philip is a very engaging speaker, and I encourage members to attend.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as President over the past 24 months, and regret that work commitments (which include conducting oral history interviews in remote areas at unforeseen dates) prevent me continuing in the position. I would like to sincerely thank all members of the General Committee for their attendance at meetings, their informative reports and their advocacy and support for all things ‘history related’ in SA. I would particularly like to thank the members of the Executive Committee for their collegiality and input. In addition, I’d like to acknowledge our Secretary, Yianni Cartledge, who has readily and efficiently mastered all that has been thrown at him, and has been a pleasure to work with. Our Treasurer, Greg Slattery competently looks after the HCSAs finances, Jess Fairey continues to do a wonderful job editing the HCSA newsletter, and Brenton Griffin admirably manages the HCSA Facebook page. All are volunteers and I thank them for their time and effort. And finally, Kristy Kokegei has been a wonderful Vice-President and deserves special thanks for all she has done for the HCSA while on the Executive Committee.
I look forward to working with the Executive Committee over the next twelve months and supporting our new President, Gillian, to ensure a smooth transition and a productive 2022.
Best wishes,
Skye Krichauff
Out-going President
Members News
2021 State History Conference: A State of Change
In the past 18 months there has been drastic change in all areas of society, and life in COVID times is challenging. Many of us are still grappling to make sense of the changes affecting the entire world. This year's State History Festival will give us time to look at what has gone before and give us wisdom as well as assurance that change is normal. 19 and 20 November 2021, 10am to 5pm, University of Adelaide and State Library of South Australia. All catering is included, with drinks and canapés at the end of the first day. Both in-person and online registration options are available.
Further information and registration here.
HCSA Regional Lecture
The History Council's Regional Lecture will be given by Professor Philip Payton in Murray Bridge during the evening of 1 December 2021. Philip will refer to his latest book, Vice Regal, and provide a lively presentation on the lives of South Australia's Governors. Further details will be provided in the next newsletter.
Community Consultation: Rezoning of Parklands
The South Australian Government is conducting a community consultation regarding its proposal to change current zoning of north/west sections of the city parklands. This is with the vision to extend existing health, education, entertainment, and innovation facilities in central Adelaide.
President Gillian Dooley has sent a letter on behalf of the HCSA which you can read here. You can also view our media release here.
Consultation ends 5pm 27 October 2021.
View the consultation paper here.
Lodge a submission form here under 'Riverbank Precinct Code Amendment' or get straight to the public feedback form here.


Wakefield Press Essay Prize
Applications for the 2022 Wakefield Press Essay Prize Award open in December 2021. The prize is for the best essay on a topic relating to South Australian history.
Further information here.
HCSA Fellowship 2022
Applications for the HCSA Fellowship are now open. The due date is 30 November.
Further information here.
Nomination form here.
Movie Night
Community Alliance SA is hosting a fundraiser movie night at Capri Cinema, Goodwood. Saturday 13 November, 6.30pm. Tickets are $25 at the door or online. The movie featured will be James Bond: No Time to Die.
Book through eventbrite here.
SA Medical Heritage Society General Meeting
Featuring Speaker Professor Philip Payton on Repatriation during and after WW1. 28 October 2021, 5.30pm. Royal Society Rooms, Morgan Thomas Lane, Adelaide.
Further information here.
HCSA Membership Renewal
You can renew your HCSA membership for the 2021-22 financial year here at our website.
We offer payment by invoice, online, EFT and cheque. Please make contact if you have any issues with this process.
Situations of theory symposium
Where has theory gone lately? Where is it going? This symposium traces the powers of universalisation and the relevance of localisations as theory is deployed in a range of humanities disciplines today. Held online and in Victoria Square, Adelaide, 29-30 October. Registration is free.
Further information and registration here.
Event flier here.
Historical Society of South Australia
The next meeting of the HSSA will be taking place 5 November, 7.30pm at Burnside City Uniting Church. Lyn O'Grady will be speaking on "Willyama, the silver king and countess".
Labour History Society of South Australia
The latest newsletter from the Labour History Society is now available.
Read it here.
Pioneers Association of South Australia
Pioneers SA has released its calendar of events for the remainder of 2021. Booking is required for all events. Guests welcome.
View the calendar here.
SA Digihistory
Dr. Susan Marsden has made available an outline for the South Australian Digihistory Project here.
Do you have a favourite South Australian History book that is difficult to find? Would you like to see such books made available in digital format to buy or borrow from your library? Join us by nominating SA histories that were published only in 'hard copy' so they can be included in the South Australian Digihistory Project.
You can email your nominations to Susan Marsden at [email protected]. Please include author, title, date and place of publication as well as any comments about the book. Nominations are due 31 December 2021.
A list of some books that have been nominated is available here.
Flinders History Research Seminars
The next seminar is being held on October 29: 'Translating History into Fiction: History and Memory in Selected Malaysian (Singaporean?) Post-independence Anglophone Novels' Professor Mohammed A Quayum, Flinders University.
Seminars are held Fridays, 11.15am - 12.30pm. Seminars will be held in a mixed format, both in-person with social distancing observed as well as online.
Email [email protected] for links to the seminars online.
View the full seminar schedule here.
News
Agora: Colonial histories
(Guy Nolch, History Teachers Association of Victoria)
The latest issue of Agora explores the theme ‘Colonial Histories’. It covers colonial ambitions that criss-crossed Europe, Asia and America, with Australia’s colonial history enmeshed at its core. Articles examine:
- The role of piracy in the rise of the British Empire
- Why the French did not establish a colony in Australia
- The indigenous man who was integral to circumnavigating Australia
- How British slave-owners redirected their Atlantic assets and practices to Australia’s burgeoning settler colonies
- How European company men used marriage with elite local women to extend their influence in India and the Dutch East Indies
- What coronial investigations into maternal deaths can tell us about life in colonial Victoria
- How the location of public facilities in Melbourne’s ‘Hoddle Grid’ imposes representations of colonial power from the Ancient Roman empire
- Why the naming of the Yarra River can be considered an act of colonialism
- How to teach difficult histories.
This digital download of the latest issue can be purchased here.


2021 Multicultural Festival
With over seventy community groups showcasing more than fifty cultures, there will be plenty of food, performances, and activities for you to enjoy at this free event. Sunday 14 November in Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga, 11am to 5pm.
Further information here.
Greek Museum of Adelaide: now permanently open
At 18 Fulton St. Glenelg North. Flambouro Hall.
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am-3pm
Around the country
Apron-sorrow, Sovereign-tea
An installation and public program evoking a reckoning with Aboriginal women's domestic labour and servitude and explores the complexity of women's experiences and survival strategies. October 15-31, Thursday-Friday 2-7pm and Saturday-Sunday 11am-4pm. Waterside, 11 Nile st, Port Adelaide, Kaurna Yerta.
Further information here.
History Matters: Digital and Multimedia Histories
Discussing the creative applications of history and oral testimonies in digital and multimedia projects. 3 November 2021, 5.30pm - 6.30pm via Zoom.
Further information and registration here.
Banned: The Secret History of Australian Censorship
This online exhibition by the National Archives of Australia explores the history of literary censorship in Australia.
View the exhibition here.
Emotion and Anxiety in Environmental history
A diverse panel of historians discuss the emotional and psychological impact of environmental change and writing about environmental history. 28 October 2021, 11.30am-12.30pm ACDT.
Further information and registration here.
Book releases
Port Adelaide: The History of a 'commodious harbour'
The highly anticipated new edition of the definitive history of Port Adelaide features a wealth of new material and images. Covering everything from the original Kaurna inhabitants to its role as a centre of shipping and industry, this book is a treasure trove of information.
Further information here.
Roaming Freely Throughout the Universe: Nicholas Baudin's voyage to Australia and the Pursuit of Science, ed. Jean Fornasiero and John West-Sooby
Draws on a range of archival sources to offer fresh prspectives on Baudin's scientific voyagers, their work, and its legacy. Release date: November 21.
Further information here.
Opportunities
Australian Death Studies Society Student Paper Prize due 1 December 2021.
Further information here.
Australian Historical Society Prizes The AHA has a number of awards and prizes for offer in 2021-2022, including awards for postgraduates, and a first book award.
View the prizes at a glance
Further information on the AHA website here.
Trove trial
Thanks to Commonwealth government funding, Trove is offering a free trial to Australian galleries, archives, museums, and historical societies that would like to reach a vast audience and see their collection in a national context. The trial period ends 30 June 2022.
Further information here.
Donna Coates Book Prize for a monograph published by an Early Career Researcher and/or someone who has published their first book in 2021, that examines at least two countries out of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Applications due 31 December 2021.
Further information here.
Calls for papers
Imperial Genealogies of crime
An online conference series that will explore histories of crime and imperialism through the lens of genealogy. Abstracts due 1 December 2021.
Further information here.
Nineteenth-century studies Interdisciplinary Symposium 2021 Online Friday December 3 2021. Abstracts due November 5.
Further information here.
Oral History Australia
Migrant Voices: Community collaboration and telling migration histories
Oral History Australia is seeking contributions from Australia and overseas for Studies in Oral History, No. 44, 2022. This special issue proposes to explore the doing, collecting, and promoting of oral histories with migrant, refugee or diaspora subjects and communities. Papers are due November 2021.
Further information here.
Cartoon Conflicts: Contemporary Controversies and Historical Precedents. Submissions due December 31 2021
Further information here.