Artwork: Studio: FrenchBaker. Designers: Kate Fitzgerald / Betsy Baker
History Week 2019 has now finished.
We wish to give a big Thank You to all of our members for staging such fantastic events and encourage you
to fill out the survey/feedback forms via the buttons on the right.
Our dates for 2020 are 5-13 September.
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History Week 2019: Memory & Landscapes
31 August – 8 September 2019 | #HistoryWeek19
Registrations are now closed for 2019.
History Week is the annual, state-wide celebration of history organised by the History Council of New South Wales in partnership with our members.
Initiated by the HCNSW in 1997, History Week is a fantastic opportunity for member organisations, large and small, throughout NSW to engage and educate the community about the vitality, diversity and meaning of history and its practice.
What happens in History Week?
Members apply through the HCNSW to host history events relating to the annual theme. Previous events have included talks and lectures, ‘behind the scene tours’ and heritage trails, exhibitions and radio features, film festivals, open historic houses and gardens, book sales and launches. We encourage our members to think creatively about the form their event will take.
In 2019, History Week will commence on 30 August with the NSW Premier’s History Awards held at the State Library of New South Wales. This is followed by 9 days of events (Saturday 31 August – Sunday 8 September) that are staged by our members for a general audience, all around NSW. These events are publicised by the History Council of NSW through our various platforms and channels, including an interactive program that allows attendees to sort events by content, genre and region.
Key events and programs during History Week are:
- the Annual History Lecture and Awards on the night of 3 September (for Bookings, click here).
- Speaker Connect program (see below for further details) or click here.
Overall, there will be close to 100 events being staged throughout NSW in History Week.
How are members involved in History Week 2019?
Members promote their organisation by hosting an event or by hosting a history speaker through our Speaker Connect program, attending the NSW Premier’s History Awards at the State Library of NSW and the History Council’s Annual History Lecture and Awards. Events form part of the HCNSW’s media campaign and be promoted in the History Week 2019 Program Calendar on our website. (Please see the 2019 Program Calendar button on the right of this page).
What is the theme of History Week 2019?
The theme of History Week 2019 is ‘Memory & Landscapes’, which will explore our relationship to landscapes.
This rich palette could include:
- Remembering where we come from
- Spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection to place
- Stories of travel
- Migration
- Creative or analytic depiction, interpretation or analysis
- Landscape as canvas, gallery and film set
- Landscape as a threat or a treat
- Agriculture
- Environment
- Land care
- Conflict, death, dispossession, murder, genocide
- Landscape then and now – changes over years, centuries and millennia
- Memory in landscapes – memorials and monuments
- Memorialisation
Annual History Lecture
Counter Currents –
Aboriginal men and Women at the Heart of Empire
The Annual History Lecture will take place at the Mint, Macquarie Street, Sydney, on the night of 3 September 2019. This year, Professor John Maynard will deliver the lecture, entitled: Counter Currents – Aboriginal men and Women at the Heart of Empire.
For more information about the Lecture, click here to visit the page.
Join us for a night of history, networking and nibbles.
Awards & Prizes presented at Annual History Lecture
In addition, the History Council of NSW will present the following prestigious history awards:
- Aboriginal History Prize
- Macquarie University’s Centre for Applied History Award
- Max Kelly Medal
- The Addison Road Community Centre Organisation Award for Multicultural History
- Annual History Citation
Applications for these awards are now open. Please check our Awards and Prizes page for further details, including information about how to apply.
Closing date: 31 May 2019 (applications have now closed).
Join us for a night of history, networking and nibbles.
Professor John Maynard. Image supplied.
Prizewinners at Annual History Lecture 2018: Prof Lyndall Ryan, Meg Foster, Jessica Urwin, Dr Peter Prince. Image: TWH Photography.
Speaker Connect during History Week & year-round
(Note – Speaker Connect for History Week is no longer accepting applications, Please apply for the year-found program.)
Speaker Connect is a program that aims to connect emerging and established history professionals with community and local government organisations across New South Wales.
Each year, we offer host member organisations across Sydney and regional NSW the chance to receive visiting member speakers during History Week, as well as other times of the year.
Find out more about how to apply for our year-round Speaker Connect program.
Further questions about History Week 2019?
More information is available through our frequently asked questions to the right, or contact us at programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au.
Past History Weeks
Further information about past History Weeks as well as our overall aims can be found here.
Do I have to be a History Council member to participate?
History Week events are open to the public. However, all organisations or individuals wishing to host a History Week event or take part in the History Week Speaker Connect program must be current members of the History Council of NSW. The History Council relies on the financial support of its members to deliver its annual programs. Apply to become a member here.
What makes a successful History Week event?
Successful History Week events:
- relate to or incorporate the History Week theme
- select a running time most appropriate for the target audience (for example, many students, full-time workers and young people are unable to attend events scheduled during the day. We advise hosts to consider running an event outside of regular office hours to attract wider audiences)
- select a format most appropriate for the target audience (for example a lecture, exhibition, interactive experience etc)
- are well and consistently promoted at least one month in advance and across a variety of channels, in addition to the History Council of NSW’s online channels
- have a clear, concise and engaging event description, along with an eye-catching and relevant feature image, which entices audiences to attend
- include clear instructions on how attendees can book or register for the event, whether this be through an online booking system, or via a contact email or phone number.
What is the History Week event registration process?
- All History Week event registrations must be made through our online registration form. (Applications for 2019 are now closed)
- Registrations will be processed as they are received. You will be sent a confirmation email with your registration details. The contact person listed on the registration form will be the primary liaison with our staff
- Changes to any of these details must be sent immediately to our staff at programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au
- After registrations close at 5pm on Monday, 1 July 2019, our staff will begin to post events on the HCNSW History Week website, starting with Speaker Connect events. A downloadable PDF program will be made available in August, as will a further digital interactive program.
- Events will be circulated and advertised throughout the month of August. Event hosts are strongly encouraged to advertise their selected event through a variety of their own channels in addition to our channels
- After History Week, event hosts will be approached to provide feedback on their experience of the event and its organisation and promotion. Detailed and specific feedback is greatly appreciated
- We will release a History Week report for download on our website.
Do you have a media pack and guide?
We have made a media pack available for our host organisations to assist in publicity. Download our logo, publicity guide and media release template below. HCNSW logo (jpeg 62kb) Publicity guide (pdf 155kb) and Media Release Template (pdf 178kb) See buttons on this page for other visual resources. Please contact us at programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au for assistance.
History Week is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW
History Week partners
We are grateful for the support of Create NSW and all of our cultural partners, listed below.
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