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On Friday evening, 2 September 2016, the History Council of NSW proudly launched History Week 2016 at the NSW Premier’s History Awards at State Library of NSW’s historic Mitchell building. The winners of the 2016 NSW Premier’s History Awards, offering $75,000 in prize money, were announced. NSW Premier Mike Baird said:

These awards celebrate the careful research and critical analysis of our historians which give us a lens to look at past legacies and develop an awareness of what this means for today. I congratulate the winners and shortlisted writers, creators and producers who have shared their insights and engaged diverse audiences across various media.

The History Council of NSW would like to congratulate the winners and all those shortlisted, including our President, Dr Tanya Evans, whose book, Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial New South Wales (NewSouth Publishing, 2015) won the NSW Community and Regional History Prize!

Dr Evans told ABC News:

For me it really is a testament to the value of family history and community history….What I wanted to do with the project was to bring together academic historians and family historians and show the value of working together and that’s partly in response to some of the disdain that is shown towards family history as an amateurish pursuit.

New South Wales Premier’s History Awards recognise record of colonial poverty‘ by Deborah Rice, ABC News, 2 September 2016

For a full list of the winners see the State Library of NSW’s website or download the press release here (pdf).

The History Council of NSW would like to acknowledge the support of the NSW Government through Arts NSW, as well as its cultural partner, the State Library of NSW, for their efforts in bringing the evening together.

Featured image: Winners of the 2016 NSW Premier’s History Awards gather for a photograph with Bruce Pascoe, by Joy Lai, State Library of NSW. Images below also by Joy Lai, State Library of NSW.