eNewsletter
Newsletter 7 June 2022
News
Announcing the winners of the Wakefield Press Essay Prize and Historian Awards!
Wakefield Essay Prize:
Commendation: Angela Woollacott for ‘1968 and the Fight for Democracy in Australia: Don Dunstan, student activism and the end of the South Australian ‘Playmander’’.
Judges’ comment: Re-examining the events surrounding the Dunstan Government’s 1968 election loss, this essay is an important contribution to twentieth century South Australian history, placing this local constitutional struggle in its national and international context.
Winner: Stephen V Graham for ‘Open Doors: The Art of Charity in the Promised Land’.
Judges’ comments: Exploring the representation of charity in paintings and drawings from the late 1830s to the 1860s, this essay is an intriguing re-examination of well-known images that challenges our traditional understandings of them, and our State's past.
Historian Awards
Contribution to Regional or Community History: The Gumeracha & District History Centre
The Judges were immediately impressed by the wide-ranging and vibrant community support that this History Centre has generated in the Adelaide Hills region. Fourteen townships have participated in this special history and archival collection. Furthermore it has opened up history to younger generations through the schools, supported those undertaking family research, and is a collection of corporate records not available elsewhere. Research is on the centenary celebrations for the Gumeracha District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and there are changing displays in the foyer of the Civic Centre on the history of the region
Oral History Excellence Award: Helen Meyer
For this inaugural award the judges acknowledged the changing approach to and use of oral histories in the community. Helen, as Executive Producer and volunteer of Service Voices on Radio Adelaide has researched and broadcast hundreds of programs containing the oral histories and memories from the veteran, service, volunteer, defence and history communities. She has given a voice to sectors of our community not available elsewhere. Helen and Service Voices have been instrumental in ensuring recognition of the history of many who have served Australia, regardless of their rank or position; often these personal and inspiring narratives come from their families, presenting a broader picture than the purely official records.
Historian of the Year: Adam Dutkiewicz
Adam as the historian for the Royal SA Society of Arts has collated and documented the history of the RSASA since its beginning in 1856. The judges were unanimous in acknowledging Adam’s continuing research into artists in South Australia, culminating in the history exhibition the RSASA held in conjunction with the Pioneers Association in May 2021. This wonderful display of art and history showed a dedication and quality that will inspire others in investigating our history.
Life Long Historian Award: Paul Mazourek
Paul has achieved a remarkable depth across numerous projects that reflect aspects of the unique history of South Australia. The judges noted the integrated commitment of not only his research, but the wide ranging public connection to history through his presentations and community activities as a curator, historian and developing links with the indigenous communities. Paul's delivery, in an informative and interesting manner of public and practical aspects of marine history, activities, indigenous culture and history in the Whyalla and Spencer Gulf regions has been outstanding.
A recap and photos of the night will be coming soon.
SA Heritage Council Heritage News May 2022
The latest newsletter from the Heritage council is now available.
Read it here (pdf)
National Archives Platinum Jubilee Gallery
To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the National Archives UK has digitised a collection of documents reflecting on her life.
View the gallery here
Bernadette Bean SA Records Management Service Excellence Award
Established in honour of the late Bernadette Bean, the award recognises and celebrates service excellence by eligible SA nominees.
Nominations close 8 July.
Further information on the award website.
Flyer available here.
Revolutions, war and political change
In this Wakefield Press guest post, Robert T. Harris, author of Dancing Before Storms examines similarities between revolutions of the past and our current political climate.
Read the blog post here
Algie's Romance, a 'lost' film
The State Library of South Australia is calling for help from history buffs with knowledge of the Mitcham Hills area. Four photos in the Library's digital collection are believed to be 'stills' from the comedy film Algie's Romance, filmed in South Australia during 1917 and 1918. Unfortunately the photographs have no background information with them, so if you or your family have any knowledge of the area or the film, the library would love to hear from you.
Further information via SLSA website.
Lectures, exhibitions, and events
Our footy, our people, our stories: 145 years of the SANFL
Featuring highlights of the SANFL History Centre such as photographs, guernseys, trophies, and video. 3 June to 16 October 2022.
Further information via the State Library website
Going Platinum! Australian responses to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, 1952-2022'
20-22 June 2022, University of Sydney and via Zoom.
Further information via the University of Sydney
Registration via Eventbrite
Labour History Society SA June meeting: 'Talking about truth-telling - as called for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart'
Sunday 19 June, 2pm. Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute.
Further information and registration via Labour History Society SA on Facebook
Historical Society of South Australia June Meeting
SHAME, SHOCK AND AWFUL STRIFE IN THE HOLY VILLAGE: Two sojourners who grabbed headlines across the country and kept the good (and not-so-good) folk of Adelaide vastly entertained in the early 1900s. Presented by Isabel Story.
M C ‘Thistle’ Anderson was the daughter of the Deputy Master of the Melbourne Mint. She emigrated from Scotland as a child, spent her formative years in Melbourne and left her convent school behind to join the chorus of JC Williamson’s theatre. She became a writer, enjoyed several high-profile relationships and then married Adelaide stockbroker, Herbert Fisher in London. Eventually they came to live in our fair city. Here she penned a little book, and then another, which made her notorious, or fabulous, depending on your perspective. Adelaide society took great offense at her shameless no-holds-barred opinions and history but they didn’t know the half of it.
At around the same time as Thistle was observing and enduring our ‘holy village’, another Scot visited South Australia, this time to save souls and enlarge his coffers. The Reverend John Alexander Dowie was a former South Australian preacher who had migrated to America and made a fortune as a faith healer and founder of Zion City in Illinois. As Elijah the Restorer, his fire and brimstone evangelism brought strife wherever he went. In 1904 he caused a riot at the Adelaide Town Hall. Windows were broken and Dowie had to flee for his life as police tried to hold back the screaming crowd. His visit here thus proved a little shorter than expected.
Friday June 3 at 7.30pm at Burnside City Uniting Church, 384 Portrush Road Tusmore (Visitors $5)
Overland Telegraph Sesquicentennial Symposium and lecture
The symposium will feature a round of speakers presenting newly researched information about the Overland Telegraph Line. 21 July 9.30am - 1pm. Allan Scott Auditorium, University of South Australia, City West Campus.
Further information and registration via Eventbrite
At the Royal Geographic Society of South Australia, Suzie Herzberg OAM will be speaking on 'The Overland Telegraph after 150 years: a 21st century perspective of the OTL'. 16 June 2022, 5-7pm; Hetzel Lecture Theatre, State Library of South Australia.
Further information and registration via Eventbrite
The OT-150 website is publishing a host of information in original short articles called "telegrams" to longer papers called "monographs". There are also resources for researchers such as reproductions of documents and lists of diaries and workers. These are all available on their website's library.
Visit the OT-150 website
Flinders History Research Seminars: Semester 1
This semester's Flinders History Research Seminars will be held on Fridays from 11:15am - 12:30pm in room 149, Social Sciences South (Bedford Park) and via Microsoft Teams.
The final talk for this semester is on 10 June: Dr. Claire Walker and Grace Howe (University of Adelaide) on 'Like Christ on a Cross: Seventeenth-Century Catholic Narratives of Suffering'
Further information on the presentation here.
ANU Centre for Environmental History: Environmental Exchanges
A new seminar series dedicated to showcasing and discussing the new research that engages with key themes in environmental history. Seminars will be held approximately once a month on Thursdays, with all in 2022 being held via Zoom as well as in-person at the ANU's Acton campus.
Further information on the ANU School of history website here.
The first series is on the topic of Oceans, with the next seminar on 16 June 2022: Dr Alessandro Antonello (Flinders University), 'Antarctic Krill and the Temporalities of Oceanic Abundance'.
Registration and further information here.
Book releases
South Australia 1919-1939: Essays from the PHA (SA)
This collection of essays from the Professional Historians Association (PHA) is available for sale. Contact Peter Donovan to obtain copies. Cost $45, ordinary postage $9.55.
Email Peter at [email protected]
Dancing Before Storms: Five Revolutions that Made Today's World by Robert T. Harris
America 1776. France 1789. Europe 1848. Russia 1917. These five revolutions shaped the power structures of our modern world. Dancing Before Storms is about times of anger and upheaval, the connections between them, and the personal stories of men and women who had power and influence but were overtaken by events.
Further information on the Wakefield Press website
Murder in the Colony, by Paul Tucker
An anthology of all 391 reported murders in South Australia from 1836 to 1886, from stabbings to shootings, to shipwreck massacres and the case of Elizabeth Woolcock - the only woman executed for murder in South Australia.
Further information and ordering through Wakefield Press
Calls for papers
'Narratives of Wellbeing' Symposium
1-2 September, La Trobe University and online.
An interdisciplinary symposium and edited volume to bring together researchers who approach wellbeing from a range of perspectives.
Abstracts due 30 June 2022
Opportunities
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor, Military Studies, ANU
Applications due 1 July, 2022.
Further information via Times Higher Education Unijobs
Casual History Convenors, School of Humanities and Languages, UNSW
Casual teaching opportunities available in term 3, 2022. Two courses (ARTSS2271 Inventing Modern Australia, 1900 to Now, and ARTS2272 The European World, 1500-1800) have casual convenor vacancies. Applications due 12 August 2022.
Please contact the UNSW History convenor Dr. Zora Simic for more information: [email protected].
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.
Calls for papers
Australasian Mining History Conference 2022 held in Burra, South Australia September 18 - 25.
Further information and abstract template on the AMHA website.
Information circular no.1 available here.
