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