“History and historians play a crucial role in Australian culture. They are foundational to other fields in the arts, with historical research often underpinning film, theatre, literature and even, on occasion, dance.
A government serious about implementing a cultural policy for the future must make space for history and historians in the formulation of that policy.”
Michelle Arrow and Frank Bongiorno, What good is a new national cultural policy without history? The Conversation. Published: August 18, 2022 11.26am AEST.
It is pleasing that the AHA and PHA are speaking up. There are no divisions among us on this issue, although a few of us get quite depressed. Still there is a clear unity on what is critical common sense. Who is objecting to the representation from a historian (or few) and the historical community, and, indeed, representation from the professional history community? What has to be called out, very publicly, is what is happening in the shadows of decision-making, as the type of behaviour now been revealed as ‘Scott Morrison PM’s ‘personal cabinet’.
Image: Torn piece of scroll uncovering history underneath. Photo 85300384 / History © Charlieaja | Dreamstime.com
Link: https://theconversation.com/what-good-is-a-new-national-cultural-policy-without-history-188741
Neville Buch