Event celebrates the history of History

Humanities & Social Sciences

A one-day symposium covering more than a century of history teaching at the University of Adelaide will be held next month.

The event, on Friday 2 December, leads up to the 110th anniversary of the appointment of George Cockburn Henderson as Professor of History, and founder of the Honours School of History.

The symposium will feature a program canvassing the "history of History" on the North Terrace Campus.

2012 not only marks Henderson's 110th anniversary, but also the 10th anniversary of the transformation of the Department created by Henderson into the present Discipline of History in the School of History and Politics.

Symposium coordinator Wilfrid Prest said the program would offer some long-range perspectives on the University's History students, staff, research and teaching from early days to the present, together with personal recollections and memoirs.
Speakers include prominent History graduates and teachers, past and present, such as:

• Catherine Baker, an Asian art historian who currently writes education programs based around the collection at the Art Gallery of South Australia;
  
• Peggy Brock, currently Emeritus Professor at Edith Cowan University, Perth;
  
• Andrew Buxton, a former president of both state and national history teachers' associations, who now teaches at Concordia College;
  
• John Calvert, Reader in History 1950-60 and founding editor of the Australian Dictionary of Biography;
  
• Robert Dare, who taught History at the University of Adelaide from 1971 until his retirement in 2006;
  
• Roger Knight, who has taught History at the University of Adelaide since 1968;
  
• Margaret Hosking, who has worked in the Barr Smith Library since 1977, and became research librarian for History in 1984;
  
• Robin Prior, who lectured at the University of NSW (Australian Defence Force Academy) until 2008, and is now visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of Adelaide;
  
• Beth M Robertson, Manager of Preservation Services, State Library of South Australia.

All History alumni - graduates, former students and staff - are invited to attend this event, which will provide a foundation for a multi-authored book to be published in 2012 by the University of Adelaide Press.

The symposium will be held in the Ira Raymond Room of the Barr Smith Library from 9.00am-5.00pm on Friday 2 December.

Registration is free but essential, with registrations closing Wednesday 23 November. To register, email: history@adelaide.edu.au

Story by Candy Gibson