Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation starts historical program
(Susan Marsden, Founder. 6 May)

As History Council members will know, the Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation Ltd was co-founded by Susan Marsden and Michael Szwarcbord to address a significant cultural and funding gap in Australia by establishing the first philanthropic organisation to directly fund the production of historical literature. The Foundation with its specific focus on supporting works of ‘historic merit’, was entered on Australia’s Register of Cultural Organisations in November 2019. Donations to the foundation are now tax-deductible.

Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation grant programs aim to support history writers of all ages in producing works a variety of forms and media. We’re pleased to announce that the Foundation has now employed Sandra Kearney in the first funded program, as an ‘intern’ historian. Sandra is familiar to you as Secretary of the History Council, a member of the Professional Historians Association, and a PhD student. Under Susan’s mentorship, Sandra is carrying out research and writing that will include co-presenting ‘Make history at home’ sessions online to advise audiences confined to home during the coronavirus pandemic.

For queries about the Foundation or to ask about making a donation, please contact Dr Susan Marsden, email: [email protected]

Wakefield Press: Jill Roe’s resurrected classic on theosophy
Wakefield Press has recently published a revised version of Jill Roe's second book, Searching for the Spirit: Theosophy in Australia 1879-1939.

Published in small numbers in 1986, the book is now recognised as a landmark work of religious history. It has been resurrected with the aid of historians and supporters across Australia, via the History Trust of South Australia Wakefield Press History Initiative, which facilitates tax-deductible donations towards publication of worthy history works. The book originally grew out of an entry for the Australian Dictionary of Biography on George Arundale, the third president of the world Theosophical Society.

Theosophy ‘might easily be seen as an early version of do-it-yourself religion’, and drew on the mystical and the occult. It peaked in popularity during the 1920s and 30s in Australia, declining considerably after World War II. Since the 1890s, the aims of the movement have been to establish a core of universal brotherhood on the basis of truths said to be common to all religions.
View the full press release here.

Roadmap for Easing COVID-19 Restrictions: arts and culture sector
The South Australian government has recently released a roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions. For many in the arts and culture sector, restrictions will begin to ease from 8 June under Step 2, with cinemas, theatres, galleries, and museums opening with a max of twenty people. Further information on easing of restrictions under Step 2 will be available at sa.gov.au in the coming weeks. Social distancing requirements and limits on audience numbers will be challenging to the sector, but it is a step in the right direction. Larger gatherings will be considered in future stages, as health experts and the National Cabinet work out the best route in easing restrictions.

State Library of South Australia: Remember my story - COVID-19
Capturing how we adapted to life during COVID-19 and how it changed society is important for future learning, and for future generations to understand how we adapted to such a significant event. The State Library wants your voice to be a part of their archive. How are you adapting? How are you keeping in touch with friends, family, and colleagues? What are you feeling and seeing as important during this unusual time?

The State Library of South Australia has just launched this initiative to allow the South Australian public to submit their stories through two online platforms:
The Remember my story - COVID-19 Facebook page, a social platform where you can share some of the changes to your life during the crisis.
The Digital Collections Platform where you can upload examples of changes to your home, workplace and leisure, through video, audio, photos, or written documents to be considered as part of a COVID-19 collection in the future.