Wilson History Oration 2022

Out of the Blue: collaborative and
community-based history in Australia

The inaugural Wilson History Oration was held on Thursday 2 June 2022. The oration is an annual online lecture for an eminent speaker to reflect and share their experiences of historical research, writing and audience engagement.

We were delighted to have Associate Professor Tanya Evans present the inaugural lecture. She took a deep dive into a multi-faceted approach to public history, focussing on one of her current projects – a historic site in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Tanya discussed her collaboration with local and family historians, environmental specialists, heritage practitioners and archaeologists.

The event was recorded and can be viewed below.

Associate Professor Tanya Evans is Director of the Centre for Applied History at Macquarie University in Sydney, where she teaches public history and modern history. Tanya leads the Australia and Aotearoa NZ Public History Network and was recently elected president of the International Federation for Public History. She is a member of PHA (NSW & ACT).

Tanya’s books include the prize-winning Fractured Families: Life On The Margins in Colonial New South Wales, as well as Sinners, Scroungers, Saints: Unmarried Motherhood in Modern England and ‘Unfortunate Objects’: Lone Mothers in Eighteenth-Century London. Tanya has published many scholarly articles and book chapters on family history. Her latest publication is Family History, Historical Consciousness and Citizenship: A New Social History (Bloomsbury 2022). Tanya curates exhibitions and works as a consultant for television production companies making historical documentaries. She is currently undertaking collaborative work with family and local historians on a social history and archaeological project in NSW.

The Wilson History Oration has been established in memory of Dr Bill Wilson OAM (1942-2021).

Bill’s contribution to our profession was inspiring. After retiring from an illustrious career in law enforcement, Bill established a second career as a historian. He was a founder of PHA (NT), president of Professional Historians Australia (2004-2007) and - after moving to Victoria in 2008 - vice president of PHA (Vic & Tas). His commitment to our organisation, as well as to the field of public history in Australia, was immense. Throughout his career in history Bill was a diplomatic and personable leader, and an innovative administrator. Above all, he was a friend and colleague to many, with a great love and respect for the discipline of history.