eNewsletter
Newsletter March 2026
President's message
With the state election now in the rear vision mirror, our thought are beginning to move towards the History Festival. The History Council is particularly thrilled that we will once again be bestowing awards for historians across the state at the end of the festival. The categories up for grabs are listed immediately below and it would be great to see members and friends nominate potential winners at the web address provided.
In other news, during the Constellations / ‘Not the Writers’ Week’ event, the History Council was very pleased to host a very successful evening at the Ern Malley Bar, bringing historians and writers of historical fiction together to discuss their craft and their works. It certainly demonstrated an appetite for events like this bringing together local historians and others writing in and about South Australia. We hope to see this success reflected in Writers’ Week events in future years. Our thanks once again to the Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation for their generous support of this event!
All the best for the month, Matt.
News
Historian of the Year Awards
The 2026 Historian of the Year Awards are now open! These awards seek to recognise the outstanding achievements of an individual or group who have made a major contribution in the field of history in South Australia. These achievements can encompass, but are not limited to, history teaching, historical research and scholarship, raising community awareness of our history and heritage (for example through presentations, exhibitions, traditional and digital publications), and strengthening the profile of history.
The awards may be awarded in the following categories:
- Historian of the Year
- Emerging Historian
- Life Long Historian
- Digital Technologies Award (Individual or Group)
- Community History (Individual or Group)
- Regional History (Individual or Group)
- Oral History Excellence
The Nominations for the 2026 Historian Awards are open. Submissions close at 5pm, Friday 3 April 2026. Nominations can be entered here.
Wakefield Press Essay Prize
The prize is given for the best essay on a topic relating to the history of South Australia.
The prize is open to anyone who, during the previous year, has written or published an essay dealing substantially with some aspect of South Australian history. The word length should be between 2,000 and 10,000 words (including footnotes/endnotes). The prize consists of a $500 book voucher from Wakefield Press. Submissions will close on the 3rd of April 2026. The winner will be announced at the History Festival Closing Celebration, 31st of May 2026. Essay submissions must be emailed to [email protected] by 5 pm on Friday, 3rd April 2026
Election News
Immediately prior to the election, the HCSA released a press release entitled ‘Tarrkarri, Truth Telling and 2036 Planning Top History Sector Wish List for March State Poll’. The press release can be accessed here [PDF].
It became the basis for an interview with HCSA Matt Fitzpatrick with Indaily, which can be found here.
We would urge all of our members and friends to disseminate it among their circles.
History Teachers' Association of South Australia 2026 State Conference
HTASA’s state conference will be held on Friday, May 22nd at the EDC in Hindmarsh.
Associate Professor Catherine Kevin and Rachel Perkins and will be the guest speakers. Soon the program will be released and registrations open. For further details check the HTASA’s Facebook Page.
History Teachers' Association of South Australia 2026 Competitions
National History Challenge
A free research-based competition for Australian students. This year's theme is Voices
Further information on the challenge website here
Simpson Prize
The Simpson Prize is a civics-based, national research competition for Year 9 and 10 students which focuses on the service of Australians in World War One and World War Two. The question for this year’s national competition is: ‘How useful are artefacts and artwork as historical sources when researching the experience of Australians who served in either the First World War or Second World War?’
Discuss with reference to either WW1 or WW2.
Further information on the prize's website here
Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize
Students who are awarded the prize are invited to participate in a commemorative study tour. Open to South Australian students in year 9 and 10. Entries open 27 April 2026 and close 3 July 2026 at 5pm.
Further information on the department for education website here
Storage needed for John McDouall Stuart artefacts
The John McDouall Stuart Society is on the lookout for storage space for its collection. The society’s artefacts are held in ten boxes requiring about five square metres of secure storage space. The society’s display cabinets (currently dis-assembled) need an additional 10sqm of space. Ultimately, the goal is to have the collection located in a safe, secure space, open at times for general public viewing.
For further information or to assist, please contact society Co-President Tim Moore on [email protected].
New website for the Federation of Australian Historical Societies
The latest quarterly edition of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies newsletter is out now, celebrating the launch of the new FAHS website (www.history.org.au), new associate member benefits, preparations for the society’s upcoming 50th anniversary and Australia Day Honours history recipients from around the nation.
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.
Lectures, exhibitions, and events
Art exhibition: 'Hugo Shaw Retrospective: a celebration of his life and work'
The “Hugo Shaw Retrospective” exhibition is open to the public at Waverley Park Homestead in Willunga throughout the month of March.
Hugo Shaw (1937-2025) was a South Australian post-war and contemporary artist renowned for his oil and watercolour landscapes. His work was influenced by the “Port Willunga School” of artists that included Horace Trenerry, Kathleen Sauerbier, Ivor Hele, John Dowie and Anton Riebe who were known for capturing the light and landscapes of the area. Hugo had a long-standing attachment to painting in the Willunga District, particularly Port Willunga where he painted numerous works depicting the cliffs, beach and the ruins of the second jetty.
Waverley Park Homestead is open Fri, Sat and Sun from 1pm to 4pm at 23 St Peters Terrace, (on the grounds of the Willunga Golf Course).
Lutheran archives — 100 Years?
Speaker: Bethany Pietsch
Thursday 26 March at 7.30pm *** AGM 7pm ***
139 Archer St, North Adelaide SA 5006
Join archivist Bethany Pietsch as she unravels the origin and history of Australian Lutheran synodical archives. Find out why 1926 has been determined as the pivotal year, and exactly who has been responsible for the collections, where they have lived, and why they existed in the first place.
LIVESTREAM on FoLA YouTube channel
$5 Donation, supper & ALL welcome!
Sincere apologies for the poor live-streaming reception of the February meeting – something that was totally beyond our control.
Preserving Voices and Memories through Oral History
Have you thought about using the oral history method for family history research? Join us in the Genealogy SA Library or online via Zoom as we welcome Beth M Robertson, who will share learnings from her 45 years’ experience in the fields of oral history and audiovisual preservation.
Tuesday 7 April at 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Free for Genealogy SA members / $20 non-members
Further information and registration through Trybooking
History AI & Family History: Practical Applications
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how we research, analyse, and share family history, but what does that actually mean for genealogists? Learn all about the practical applications of AI in this online Education Evening!
Monday 20 April at 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
$49 Genealogy SA members / $99 non-members
Further information and registration through Trybooking
Getting Started with your Family History
Would you like to start researching your family history, but don't know where to begin? Join Genealogy SA’s in-person beginners course on how to plan, research, record and share your genealogical discoveries.
Sunday 26 April at 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
$49 Genealogy SA members / $99 non-members
Beyond Borders: Bob Hawke's International Legacy
This exhibition examines how Hawke and his government helped shape Australia's global identity and left a lasting legacy.
On now until 27 March 2026
Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Hawke Building level 3, Adelaide University City Campus West.
Historical Society of South Australia speaker program 2026
The society have recently released their speaker program for the year.
View the full schedule and further information through their website
The next talk is April 10 Ian Hopley – Headstone Project in South Australia
Burnside City Uniting Church, 384 Portrush Road, Tusmore.
Book releases
The sixth edition of the Oral History Handbook
Beth M Robertson has published the Sixth Edition of the Oral History Handbook: Preserving Voices and Memories for the Historical Record.
The First Edition of the Oral History Handbook was published in 1983 as an A5 booklet by the committee of South Australia’s Oral History Association, of which Beth was a member. She has authored the expansion and transformation of the title through five subsequent editions, during which it became recognised as the national standard for oral history practice in Australia.
The Oral History Handbook provides clear, concise and current information about the purpose, value, and reliability of oral history; the ethical and legal foundations of best practice; how to plan and manage an oral history project or whole-of-life interview; adaptable interview structures; the technology and practices required to achieve high-quality recordings; the skills needed to conduct effective interviews; and undertaking accurate transcription in an AI environment.
It summarises cutting edge scholarship about memory and remembering and, in a departure from previous editions, focuses on ways in which interviewers, project managers and researchers can support the ethical use of oral histories. This is presented through three lenses: ways of evaluating the reliability and validity of interviews, preparing archive-ready descriptive metadata and interview summaries, and editing oral histories. The new book also includes a comprehensive index.
The book is self-published under the auspices of Oral History Australia and is available via the sales website. RRP: $40.00 plus postage ($8.50 for single orders).
Nooks and Crannies, by the History Council of South Australia
South Australian historical groups and museums keen to boost their income are invited to order copies of the History Council of South Australia’s new publication Nooks and Crannies at wholesale price from publisher Wakefield Press.
Nooks and Crannies: Stories of South Australia is an eclectic collection of short essays on South Australian inventions, migration, industry, heritage, museums and associations, both new and old, Indigenous and settler. RRP: $39.95.
For more information or to order, contact Michael Bollen at Wakefield Press at [email protected]
Please note: wholesale is 40% off the RRP (or $23.97) with free delivery for orders over $100!
Opportunities
Historical Society of SA Grant Scheme
Purpose being to support projects related to SA's history, to promote the study, recording, writing and exhibition of SA stories.
Closes 31 March
Visit the Historical Society of South Australia website for more details.
Jack Cross Fellowship
The Annual Jack Cross Fellowships support small history projects and students researching South Australian history using SA archival collections. Two fellowships of $250 are available to assist with travel, copying, or digitising records, in honour of former President Jack Cross AM. The focus is on research grounded in South Australian archives.
Applications close: COB Tuesday 31 March 2025. The fellowship is offered by the Friends of South Australia’s Archives Inc., bringing together archivists, historians, and archive users since 1996.
Apply by letter or email: [email protected], or addressed to President, 14 Tudor Street, Dulwich SA 5065.
