HTAA CONFERENCE - ABSTRACTS DAY 2

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ABSTRACTS AND BIOGRAPHIES - DAY 2

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DAY 2 KEYNOTE

Is History Always for the Good? (Virtual Keynote)
Professor Priya Satia (Stanford University)

Synopsis:

In this talk, Prof. Satia will grapple with questions about the history of History, the nature of historical practise, the aims of the discipline and more. She will narrate the history of history's role as a branch of moral philosophy, drawing on her recent book Time's Monster, from its Enlightenment-era invention as an ethical guide that served liberalism's vision of progress through the discipline's twentieth-century reinvention as a site for redeeming what had been lost in pursuit of that vision. It will end by reflecting on the light this past sheds on current debates about the place of moral judgment in open-ended, empirically grounded historical enquiry.

Bio:

Priya Satia is the Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History and Professor of History at Stanford University, focusing on the history of modern Britain and its empire. She is the award-winning author of Spies in Arabia: The Great War and the Cultural Foundations of Britain’s Covert Empire in the Middle East (2008), Empire of Guns: The Violent Making of the Industrial Revolution (Penguin/Duckworth, 2018), and Time’s Monster: History, Conscience and Britain’s Empire (Belknap HUP/Penguin Allen Lane, 2020). Her academic writing has also appeared in many edited collections as well as scholarly journals like the American Historical Review, Technology & Culture, Past & Present, History Workshop Journal, Annales, and others. Prof. Satia also frequently writes for popular media such as the Financial Times, Slate, The Nation, Foreign Policy, the London Review of Books, Aeon, among others. She is working on a new book project, The Lake of Liberation, on British colonialism in Punjab and its legacies.

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DAY 2 SUBKEYNOTE - 2.2A

Local Greek Myths and Local Greek Histories
Associate Professor Greta Hawes (Macquarie University)

Synopsis:

So often we think of “myth” and “history” as diametrically opposed to one another: whereas historical events are at least potentially knowable and have real ramifications in the present, mythic ones are full of fantasy, exaggerations, impossibilities and vagaries. This dichotomy goes back to antiquity: we can point to numerous places where words like mythos or fabula are flung around with contempt and used to label material that is antithetical to what serious historians should be concerned with. In this talk, I want to go beyond such rhetorical poses to consider how the Greeks thought about the role of myths in their understanding of the past. The Greek mythic tradition is distinctive in that it conceives of the storyworld inhabited by heroes and gods as being largely co-terminous with the lands that they themselves inhabited, but at some time in the distant past. This means that they could trace the impact of mythic events in the landscapes of their own times: these heroes had left behind relics, place names, and other traditions that were part and parcel of the everyday lives of historical Greek communities. I will consider how our understanding of Greek myth shifts when we look at these highly-local aspects of the tradition, and consider it not as a set of stories about the mythic past, but as a storytelling tradition that is part of the historical present.

Bio:

Greta Hawes FAHA is Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow at Macquarie University. Her research focusses on how and why the Greeks told stories, and the ways that local storytelling practices shaped the huge corpus of Greek myths that we have inherited. Her current project explores how communal storytelling changed and adapted in times of crisis. She is author of Rationalizing myth in antiquity (OUP, 2014) and Pausanias in the world of Greek myth (OUP, 2021), and editor of Myths on the map (OUP, 2017). She co-directs MANTO, a digital model that shows how myths impacted the historical landscape of the Mediterranean, and Canopos, a repository for open access translations of ancient mythographic texts.

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DAY 2 SUB-KEYNOTE - 2.2B

Nazism: Transnational Fascism or a German Catastrophe?
Professor Matthew Fitzpatrick (Flinders University)

Synopsis:

This keynote provides insights into recent debates about Nazism that have emerged through comparative studies. It takes stock of recent heated debates contesting the origins, ideology and nature of Nazi rule and examines Nazism’s links to the earlier and contemporary histories of other states. By scrutinising current debates in Germany (and beyond) regarding the ostensible ‘relativisation’ of Nazism, it ponders the usefulness of comparative approaches to Nazism, the tension between long and short-term understandings of the rise of the Nazis and other central questions in contemporary historiography of this field. The keynote also assesses recent assertions that Nazism should be viewed primarily as a unique German exemplar of a broader transnational fascist movement. Through this survey of new approaches, this keynote shows how new scholarly directions and dynamics are affecting an older set of questions about key aspects of Nazism which are foregrounded in the HSC Modern History Core topic. In the process, the session will also explore some key sources for studying Nazism and how they might be used to generate insights into the regime.

Bio:

Matthew Fitzpatrick is Professor of International History at Flinders University and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. He is the President of the History Council of South Australia, Secretary of the Australasian Association for European History and author of three books covering different aspects of German history. He has twice been an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Westphalian Wilhelms-University in Münster, Germany and is a past recipient of the Chester Penn Higby Prize. He is currently completing a fourth book on German imperialism in the Pacific region.

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FRI SESSION 2.3A

Can we really know Agrippina?
David Nally (Catholic Schools Parramatta) and Carlo Tuttocuore (AISNSW)

Synopsis:

This workshop centres on the HSC Ancient History Personality Study and strategies on how to teach it for optimal results in examinations. It will focus on Agrippina the Younger as a core study and generalise to allow teachers to share professional practice about how to integrate evaluative thinking and produce quality assessment for this unit of work.

Bio:

David Nally is a Teaching Educator with Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, and has regularly contributed to the HTANSW journal Teaching History. He is currently in the process of completing a PhD on Post-Truth and what History educators might do to counter its impact.

Carlo Tuttocuore is an Education Consultant at the Association of Independent Schools NSW and a passionate Ancient Historian – with current responsibility for designing high quality professional learning (7-12). He works at a strategic level with a wide variety of independent schools to build teacher capacity by improving practice to impact positively on outcomes for students. He holds a Masters of Educational Leadership and has been a Head of History, Head of HSIE and Religious Education Coordinator and Assistant Head of Mission in several Catholic and Independent Schools over his teaching career.

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FRI SESSION 2.3B

Second Wave Feminism in Australia
Louise Brown (St Margaret’s Anglican)

Synopsis:

This workshop will share the story of Second Wave feminism in Australia. From its beginnings in the 1960s, to the flourishing of the 1970s, the exhilaration of the Whitlam victory and challenges of the Fraser years, this is a story of both reform and revolution. The workshop will examine the personalities who inspired and drove the movement forward, the solidarity and divisions of women’s liberation, its allies and opponents. The narrative will be used to examine just how much was achieved by second wave feminism by the early 1980s and how the goals of the movement continue to resonate today. There will be suggestions for approaches to teaching and learning, a unit plan structure, and a variety of ideas for assessment.

Bio:

Louise Brown is Head of Faculty, Sociocultural Studies, at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School in Brisbane. Louise is Vice President of the Queensland History Teachers Association, the host of QHTA’s termly TeachMeets, and the author of a chapter on Second Wave Feminism for the new Cambridge Senior History for Queensland textbook.

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FRI SESSION 2.3C

Expanding Holocaust Education: The Armenian Genocide & Australia
Michael Kolokossian (Armenian National Committee Australia)

Synopsis:

The NSW Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the inclusion of the Armenian Genocides in the NSW Curriculum in December 2023. Does it have relevance? The answer is yes. The Joint Justice Initiative, made up of Armenian, Assyrian and Greek bodies, have been pushing for this to be included as an optional depth study in the Curriculum under ‘Australia at War’. There is a unique connection between Australia and the Armenian Genocide. Australia’s first major humanitarian relief effort was to aid victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Over a century ago, the news didn’t travel via smartphones or television, however, it was the ANZAC POWs fighting in Mesopotamia and those captured as POWs by the Ottoman Forces who witnessed the massacres and wrote about them in memoirs and letters that were sent home. At the time, over 10,000 media articles covering the plight of Christian Armenians were written in Australian papers, and this news led to the mobilisation of the home front, with women and religious institutions playing an active role in leading the movement. This presentation will set out the opportunities available for teachers to discuss the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocide under certain subsections of Australians at war, specifically ‘prisoners of war’ and ‘The role of Women’ and provide resources that can be utilised in the classroom. 

Bio:

Michael Kolokossian, is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, representing over 40 community organisations and 50,000 Armenian-Australians. He is the organisation's former Political Affairs Director and has worked as an Advisor for a NSW State Parliamentarian. 

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FRI SESSION 2.3D

Democratic Discourse: Teachers as the Nexus of Curriculum & Citizenship
Dr Alison Bedford (University of Southern Queensland)

Synopsis:

This session will present a study undertaken with Queensland teachers which investigated the relationship between curriculum, teacher interpretation, and their perception of their role. This pilot study aims to extend nationally over the next 18 months. Initial findings highlight the ways teachers interpret curriculum into their professional practice and their shared commitment to developing critical historical thinking in their students as a skill for a more democratic future. 

Bio:

Dr Alison Bedford is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland and has been teaching secondary history in Queensland for 20 years. Her research explores history curriculum and pedagogy and the relationship between the work of history teachers and the development of democratic dispositions in students. 

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FRI SESSION 2.3E

Source-Centric Writing: Enhancing Literacy in History
Nikki Brown (St Ignatius Riverview)

Synopsis:

This presentation introduces innovative strategies to enhance literacy skills in History classrooms, focusing on effectively integrating source analysis into extended writing tasks. Prioritising cohesion over pro forma, these strategies place sources at the core of teaching programs, fostering flexible writing through engaging, confidence-building tasks.

Bio:

Nikki Brown, History Teacher at Saint Ignatius' College Riverview and Director at the History Teacher's Association of NSW since 2018, contributes regularly to Teaching History journal. With experience in English teaching and Museum Education, her passions include social history, historiography, cohesive writing support, and object-based learning.

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FRI SESSION 2.3F

BYOD in the History Classroom: Opportunities and Challenges
David Chilton & Dr Kim Wilson (Macquarie University)

Synopsis:

The introduction of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in many schools in recent years has created a range of new opportunities for teachers. For History teachers, BYODs are a powerful tool, but there is limited scholarship regarding the use of BYOD within History classrooms and the ways in which BYOD might enable or constrain the teaching and learning of historical thinking skills. This presentation will report the findings of our recent case study which examines the way that BYOD is being used in two Year 9 (13-15-year-olds) classes. Despite the participating teachers’ and students’ enthusiasm for using BYOD in History classes, participating students demonstrated limited historical thinking and discipline-specific literacy. This was shaped by several socio-cultural forces that were at play within the classroom, including the tool of the BYOD which seemed to push students to work more quickly, prioritising task-completion over deep understanding. The presentation will suggest a path forward for teachers, by canvassing research that shows the efficacy of various strategies to increase students’ historical literacy skills.

Bio:

David Chilton is a History teacher with over 15 years' experience teaching secondary students. He is currently a PhD candidate at Macquarie University. 

Dr Kim Wilson is Senior Lecturer in History Education and Director of Programs in the MQ Academy, Macquarie University. Her research interests include mid-career transition to teaching; teacher attrition and retention; equity and access to higher education; critical thinking in educational contexts; teacher professional learning and school-based research; and, the teaching and learning of historical literacy.

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FRI SESSION 2.3G

European Witch Hunt Historiography: Old and New Questions
David Van Tol (Kambala School)

Synopsis:

The historiography of the early modern European witch hunts is an area of enquiry rich in controversy and debate. Originally mistaken as a medieval phenomenon in the 19th century, the European witch hunts raise questions about the nature of modernity, and the extent to which historians are captives to their intellectual and political contexts. A phenomenon that spanned three centuries, the witch hunts may seem alien to modern sensibilities until we pause to reflect on the ongoing nature of genocide throughout the modern era. The field also highlights the uses and abuses of history for partisan religious and ideological purposes, as well as the contributions of other methodologies such as anthropology, gender studies, and psychology. The questioning of traditional sources, the search of new ones and how they are to be interpreted, have produced a complex web of explanations. As each age asks new questions of itself, fresh historical questions about the causes and nature of the European witch hunts have also emerged. In this presentation, David Van Tol will provide a survey of major historiographical trends and issues, including modern forms of remembrance and ways in which the symbology of the witch and witch hunts is still appropriated.

Bio:

David Van Tol is Head of History at Kambala School, Rose Bay NSW. He is the author and co-author of eight History textbooks ranging from Years 7-12. 

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FRI SESSION 2.4A

Augustus’ ‘First’ Settlement
Emeritus Associate Professor Bruce Marshall (UNE)

Synopsis:

It is rare that a significant new piece of evidence turns up which allows for ‘unending dialogue’, a re-interpretation of an event in ancient Roman history. Such a piece of evidence did turn up just over thirty years ago: a gold coin (aureus) issued in 28 BC by Caesar (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). The images and legends on this single coin allow us to take a fresh look at one of the pivotal events in Roman history: the transfer from the Roman republican form of government to the one-man power of the Roman empire. The main source for our knowledge of the political transformation, Cassius Dio, describes two senate meetings on 13 and 16 January 27 BC at which Caesar resigned his triumviral powers, and was given a number of significant honours in return. But this aureus shows that the negotiations between Caesar and the Senate extended over parts of the two years 28 and 27, which is in accord with Augustus’ own statement in RGI 34.1 that “in his sixth and seventh consulships he handed over his power to the Senate and People of Rome”.

Bio:

Bruce Marshall retired as an Associate Professor from the University of New England in 1995 after nearly 30 years there. He was an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Macquarie University from 1996-2006. His particular area of research was – and still is – the late Roman republic, on which he has published extensively. Since retirement his interest has focused on late Roman republican and early imperial coinage. For many years he was Honorary Secretary of the Australasian Society for Classical Studies, and for his work on behalf of the Society, and for his general promotion of the Humanities at the secondary and tertiary levels in Australia, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2011.

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FRI SESSION 2.4B

Australia’s Colonial History Told Through Many Voices: The Hyde Park Barracks
Peter White, Beth Hise and Dr R Kummerfeld (Museums of History NSW)

Synopsis:

In 2020, UNESCO World Heritage site and museum, the Hyde Park Barracks reopened with a new approach to historical storytelling. The new experience engages audiences with the many layers of the site by telling the stories of the diverse people who occupied the building: convict laborers, female immigrants, and asylum women. It also focuses on the impact of the building as an administrative center for the expanding colony and its effects on First Nations communities across New South Wales. By using a range of voices as the principal mode of communication, delivered via audio guide, the exhibition seeks to connect people today with the people of the past. Traditionally, the interpretation of Australian history has focused on the official record, and especially on colonial government documentation, correspondence and inquiries, rather than on the people impacted by government decisions. The use of storytelling based on historical research provided an opportunity to ‘scratch the surface’ and reveal the stories concealed within and beyond these documents. In this paper, Project Director Beth Hise and Head of First Nations Cultural Engagement Peter White will share the guiding principles that guided the development of the new museum, with a focus on the collaboration with Gunhigal Mayiny Wiradyuri Dyilang Enterprise, Wiradyuri people from Bathurst and the descendants of the Myall Creek Massacre to create two exhibition spaces that address the impact of the convict system on First Nations communities. Rebecca Kummerfeld will then share the pedagogical approaches used by the Learning Team to engage Stage 2,3 and 4 students in curriculum-linked experiences to engage with these multi-layered histories. 

Bio:

Beth Hise, Project Director of the Hyde Park Barracks new museum project. Beth is a cultural leader with over 20 years’ experience in large public museum organisations excelling in strategic visioning, planning and museum renewal. Beth is responsible for leading the delivery of the Parramatta Female Factory Project, an immersive museum experience for the 1821 Female Factory Precinct and related new cultural and educational facilities.

Peter White is Head of First Nations Cultural Engagement for Museums of History NSW. With over 30 plus years of experience in the creative and cultural heritage sector, Peter is a proud Gamilaroi Murri who leads the First Nations Cultural Engagement at Museums of History NSW. His mission is to assist and champion the inherent cultural rights of First Peoples communities in both managing and practising their own culture and to assist and guide the mainstream cultural sector in effectively engaging with these communities for mutually respected benefits based on the principles of cultural authority.

Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld, Learning Manager for Museums of History NSW. Rebecca brings together a background in Secondary teaching with research in Australian history. She has 10 years experience managing learning in museums creating meaningful learning experiences that inspire curiosity, build empathy and encourage critical thinking. 

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FRI SESSION 2.4C

Nuclear Deterrence: The Debate with an End
Dr Daryl Le Cornu (ICAN)

Synopsis:

The theory of nuclear deterrence was used by the USA and USSR to justify building massive nuclear arsenals during the Cold War. Superpower confrontation brought the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation on several occasions. Only luck saved us. Today all nine nuclear armed states subscribe to nuclear deterrence theory. The Doomsday Clock is now set at ‘90 Seconds to Midnight.’ The world is now closer to nuclear catastrophe than at any time during the Cold War. In her new book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, Annie Jacobsen describes what will happen when nuclear deterrence fails. Luck may have saved us, so far. But ‘luck is not a strategy’, as Jacobsen argues. The aim of this session is to explore the notion of deterrence and other security concepts that have shaped the thinking of the nuclear war planners throughout the Nuclear Age. We will also examine the global humanitarian movement to eliminate these weapons of mass destruction. Practical ideas for teaching the Nuclear Age will be explored, such as engaging students with nuclear issues early in your 2-year Modern History course and using the creative spaces in Year 11 to support the Nuclear Age unit in Year 12.

Bio:

Daryl Le Cornu has many years experience teaching Modern History. He has a passion for teaching about world order, contemporary history, human rights, and nuclear disarmament. Daryl is a member of the Board of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in Australia (ICAN Australia).

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FRI SESSION 2.4D

A Discussion on Intergenerational Trauma: Where & How to Teach It.
Annabel Elliot (Curtin University)

Synopsis:

This session will address both the theoretical and the practical aspect of teaching the concept of intergenerational trauma. What is it, and how can we teach it? Current research surrounding the topic will be discussed, and areas of the syllabus in which it could be taught identified. This session will share practical teaching resources and ideas and is suitable for those teaching History across Years 7-12 & elective topics across the National and various State curriculums.

Bio:

Annabel Elliot has taught in Secondary and/or University classrooms in VIC, NSW, QLD & WA and has a passion for History education. A graduate of St Andrews University (Scotland) and Victoria University (Melbourne), Annabel is also embarking on a PhD in History Education. She is a member of the SCSA Senior Ancient History Curriculum Advisory Board and Academic and Professional Placement Supervisor for the School of Education at Curtin University and wrote the chapter on the Indian Independence Movement for the most recent edition of the Cambridge University Press Senior Modern History QLD textbook.

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FRI SESSION 2.4E

The Mutual Inclusivity of Explicit and Inquiry Pedagogies
Beatriz Cartlidge (Kincoppal Rose Bay)

Synopsis:

Explicit instruction and the inquiry method are not mutually exclusive but can happily co-exist on a continuum of learning hierarchies. The expectation that creative and critical thinking can happen without deep domain knowledge is fanciful. Hence, the initial step in the process of training our students to think about our subject matter is to ensure they acquire deep domain knowledge and a mastery of the skills needed to effectively communicate their informed opinion about pertinent questions that are posed. Once students have achieved deep domain knowledge, they are ready to undertake complex inquiries.

Bio:

Beatriz Cartlidge became the Head of HSIE at Kincoppal Rose Bay School at the start of 2024. Previously, she held the position of Head of Pedagogy and History at the St Catherine's School, Sydney, where she worked for seventeen years. Beatriz started teaching in 1989 in the public system and left in 2001 to work in the independent system, coincidentally at Kincoppal Rose Bay for a brief three-year period. She holds a Master of Education in Curriculum Leadership. Beatriz contributed to the first and second editions of the HTANSW Modern History Study Guide.

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FRI SESSION 2.4F
HGPE Programming in History
Chloe Williams (Karabar High School)

Synopsis:

With the new NSW High Potential and Gifted Education policy in effect, this session aims to outlines strategies for catering to the learning and socio-affective needs of HPG students in the History classroom. It will present a range of differentiation models, differentiated assessment tasks and programs that have been designed as examples of ways to challenge HPG students in their learning. 

Bio:

Chloe Williams is Head Teacher Wellbeing Karabar High School.

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FRI SESSION 2.4G - EXCURSION
Sub Base Platypus Site Visit
Nicole Leong (Sydney Harbour Federation Trust)

Synopsis:

Sub Base Platypus is the site of a 19th-early 20th century gas works, World War Two torpedo factory and Cold War era submarine base. After becoming part of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust's portfolio in 2005, this site has undergone extensive remediation works to ensure it is safe for visitors. More recent works have seen the addition of interpretation and a mural called "Around the Curve" by Dennis Golding that honours culture and Country. On this site visit, you will discover the histories of this site and how the stories of those who lived and worked here could be included into your existing programs as sources. You will also discover the processes behind the conservation and remediation works of the site itself. 

Please note that this session will require attendees to move off-site and takes up two sessions within the program.

Bio:

Nicole is the Education and Engagement Program Officer with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. Prior to joining the Harbour Trust, she was a secondary school history teacher and has a background in Egyptology, archaeology, research and museology. She is passionate about educational equity and student engagement. 

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FRI SESSION 2.5A

Visible Thinking Strategies to Develop Historical Thinking Skills
Tara Ellam (Turramurra High School)

Synopsis:

This session will focus on the concept of ‘visible thinking’ routines and strategies, and their practical application in the History classroom. A selection of these strategies will be explored in terms of how they can be utilised to support the explicit teaching of historical thinking skills, including source analysis.

Bio:

Tara Ellam has over 21 years experience in teaching History and Social Studies courses. She has a great interest in developing new resources, strategies and activities to engage and upskill her students. A range of her activities have been published in teaching journals, as well as presented at events for the HTANSW and HTAA

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FRI SESSION 2.5B

Opposition to Voluntary Enlistment in Australia in WW1
Heather Carr (Ravenswood - retired)

Synopsis:

While enlistment in Australia during the first twelve months of World War I has been a major focus of popular history and historiography, it hides a grim reality of deep and silent opposition to voluntary enlistment from the middle years of the war. As the government struggled to meet promised troop numbers, various measures were introduced from mid 1915 to encourage enlistment, measures which largely failed. By mid 1916 the Hughes government had decided to target the ‘eligibles’, identified in a war census, requiring over 600,000 men to respond to its ‘Call to Arms’. If they refused to volunteer, the men were required to explain in explicit detail why they would not enlist. My study examined a sample of surviving Victorian ‘Call to Arms’ responses held by the National Archives of Australia. The findings provide a more nuanced perspective of WWI enlistment. Although there were important demographic differences between the responses of urban and regional men, more than three quarters of all respondents declined the ‘invitation’ to enlist. The reasons men rejected enlistment varied across both cohorts but ill health, the impact of enlistment on families and businesses and discontent with the government’s handling of the war were common factors.

Bio:

A skilled and committed Modern History teacher at Ravenswood before retiring, Heather Carr's roles included supporting gifted students, developing new programmes and mentoring new teachers. She continues to enjoy research and writing, with a particular interest in World War I, focusing on the social impact on soldiers and their families.

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FRI SESSION 2.5C

AI and History Assessment
Adrian Cotterell (Emmaus Christian College, Adelaide)

Synopsis:

This workshop will focus on practical examples of how Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, could be used in a history classroom (Year 7-12). We will discuss a school-wide structured assessment response to Generative AI that has been successfully implemented in a high school environment.  Participants will trial various classroom examples such as Socratic Dialogue with AI, Historical Simulations and much more. Designed to be hands-on, participants will directly engage with generative AI tools throughout each activity. Please note that a laptop or mobile phone is essential for participation.

Bio:

Adrian Cotterell currently serves as the Director of Studies at Emmaus Christian College (SA) and is also a passionate History and English teacher. With a background in postgraduate studies focused on quality assessment design, Adrian emphasises the importance of expert teachers guiding the integration of AI technologies in their classrooms. 

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FRI SESSION 2.5D

History Education Under Siege: An(other) Argument Against Genericism
Jonathon Dallimore (HTANSW)

Synopsis:

In 2016, the English History teacher Michael Fordham argued that educational ‘genercism’ (unspecified notions of critical thinking, literacy, collaboration, etc.) is ubiquitous, ‘superficially enticing’ and ultimately contributing to many problems in modern educational thought. This session takes Fordham’s ideas as a starting-point to examine some similar themes in Australia and particularly NSW asking whether genericism has also become too dominant in current curriculum thinking. This session will not provide any handouts for you to use on Monday morning with Year 9, rather the aim is to contribute to ongoing debates about how we frame discussions about education and specifically History education in the 2020s.

Bio:

Jonathon Dallimore currently works as the Executive Officer (Professional Services) at the History Teachers' Association of NSW. He also teaches History methods courses to pre-service History teachers at UNSW, Wollongong University and (occasionally) the University of Sydney.

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FRI SESSION 2.5E

History Connects: Enhancing Learning Through Interdisciplinary Integration
Lucy Jackson (St Clare’s Waverley)

Synopsis:

This paper explores approaches to integrating historical knowledge and skills through an interdisciplinary approach to learning across various subjects within the secondary curriculum. Interdisciplinary learning can support students to develop a deeper understanding of historical contexts and enhance their critical thinking, research, and analytical skills, and also prepares students for complex, interconnected futures. This paper will highlight some practical examples and experiences of integrating history with other disciplines in a secondary context.

Bio:

Lucy Jackson is a HSIE teacher and Cross-Curricular Learning Integrator at St Clare's College, Waverley.

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FRI SESSION 2.5F

Reviewing the dialogue of Dismissal narratives using the Palace Letters
Jenny Lee (Whitlam Institute, UWS)

Synopsis:

In 2024, Democracy is facing headwinds. As we confront a trend to authoritarian rather than representative government, the resurgence of strongmen claiming personal power, reserved from constitutional restraint, that political opponents are illegitimate, and that, being at the apex of a political system renders one above accountability, the lessons from the most disruptive event in our political history assume new resonance. Whitlam’s dismissal inspired two conflicting narratives and a consequent historiography that sought to explain events of 1872-1975 through their contesting prisms. A new light was cast once the High Court agreed with Professor Jenny Hocking (in defiance of the reigning monarch) that the contemporaneous Palace Letters to Kerr were NOT “Royal Privilege” but the rightful record of the Australian nation. The Palace Letters have dissolved one narrative, long touted as a historical certainty- that of Kerr as dutiful Governor General faced with a wicked crisis, acting alone. These documents have instead revealed the monarch’s collaboration with a cabal of senior figures refusing to accept the legitimacy of Whitlam’s government. Whitlam exhorted historians to “Go to the documents.”. This paper seeks to do just that to serve the skills and understanding of Stage 6 History and Extension students.

Bio:

Jenny Lee is a History teacher with four decades experience in Qld and NSW Government, Catholic and Independent Schools. Jenny has served on a number of curriculum committees both in NSW and in the Cape Province, South Africa. She has a Masters degree in Australian Studies reflecting her particular interest in Australian history.

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