HISTORY NEWS ISSUE.354 JUNE 2021 Festive flag & INSIDE THIS ISSUE eucalypt leaves What’s on The Kellys of Pyramid Hill President’s report Ngurai-illum Wurrung Message from the editor Welcome Helen Stitt History Victoria Support Group Dandenong Police Windows on history: Paddocks Reserve two cultures, one vision Returning our Ancestors John Adams prize Tarnagulla exhibition Around the societies Books received All events are held at the RHSV unless otherwise noted. Bookings are recommended for all events and can be made What’s on AT RHSV through the RHSV website: historyvictoria.org.au/rhsv-events/ RHSV NEWS RHSV TWENTIETH CENTURY Rob is currently a Melbourne University this dependable 1930 structure has SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY Laureate Professor and a Chief Investigator a backstory of political infighting, AND ENGINEERING in the ARC Centre of Excellence for pioneering technology and an unexpected Thursday 24 June Gravitational Wave Discovery. obstacle pre-dating the bridge by Refreshments from Rob’s research and industry engagement several millennia. We are delighted to 5:30pm – 6pm has ranged across many areas including partner again with Engineering Heritage Lecture 6pm – 7pm theory and applications in control systems, Victoria to present this talk by Fiona $5 industrial electronics, radar systems, signal Campbell, Local History librarian at East Twentieth Century Science, Technology processing and telecommunications. He Melbourne Library and bridge enthusiast. and Engineering presented by Laureate is a Fellow of the Australian Academy Professor R. J. Evans. Engineering of Science, a Fellow of the Australian Heritage Victoria and the RHSV are, Academy of Technological Sciences and once again, partnering to present some Engineering, a Life Fellow of the Institution fascinating events which are of interest to of Electrical and Electronic Engineers USA, anyone interested in history and the history and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of engineering in its broadest scope. This Australia. talk explores the development of key scientific and technological advances THE over the past 100 years. Building upon the VICTORIAN COMMUNITY HISTORY AWARDS – NOW OPEN MACROBERTSON great achievements of the Victorian era INTERNATIONAL which saw huge advances in fundamental Closing date: 5pm, AIR RACES sciences coupled with breathtaking Wednesday 7 July, 2021 EXHIBITION engineering achievements. Digital entry available on the RHSV website. The 2021 awards cover projects Mondays – Rob Evans was born in Melbourne, which will come to fruition between 1 July Australia. After completing a BE degree Fridays 2020 and 30 June 2021 (inclusive). in Electrical Engineering at the University 9am–5pm until of Melbourne in 1969, he worked as a The awards are not just for publications late September radar systems engineering officer with the but cover collaborative community FREE Royal Australian Air force. He completed a projects, oral history, multimedia, MacRobertson’s International Air Races PhD in 1975 at the University of Newcastle podcasts, apps, maps, walking tours, of 1934 produced feats of great courage followed by postdoctoral studies at the virtual tours, exhibitions, musical and derring-do. There was tragedy Laboratory for Information and Decision interpretation, journal articles, videos, and triumph. A tragedy was averted in Systems, MIT, USA and the Control and projects which cover cultural diversity the middle of a stormy night when the Management Department, Cambridge and activities which enhance awareness inventive locals of Albury used their University, UK. In 1977 he took up an of local community records including towns lights to flash A L B U R Y in morse, academic position at the University of digitising, indexing, and original research. then turned their race-track into a make- Newcastle, where he served as Head of shift airstrip using their car headlights the Department of Electrical and Computer HISTORY OF THE SPENCER STREET to allow the lost Dutch entry, the Uiver, Engineering from 1986 until 1991 and Chief BRIDGE to land. The next morning the same Investigator and Co-Director of the ARC Thursday 8 July locals hauled the bogged plane out of Centre of Excellence on Industrial Control Refreshments from 5:30pm – 6pm a quagmire so that it could continue to Systems between 1988 – 1991. Lecture 6pm – 7pm Melbourne to claim 2nd place. Every In 1992 he moved to the University of $5 entry in that race had an amazing story to Melbourne, where he has served in many Have you ever noticed the Spencer tell. Visit the exhibition and be immersed roles. Street Bridge? Arguably nondescript, in the romance and drama of early flight. PLAN FOR HISTORY MONTH NOW October is History Month. We encourage History News all historical societies to hold an event History News is the bi-monthly newsletter of the RHSV during history month – there is a great ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA INC. suggested list of events on our website which is a great place to start your EDITOR Sharon Betridge PRESIDENT Richard Broome brainstorming. We encourage you to Centreforce Pty Ltd 5975 8600 Rosemary Cameron DESIGN & ARTWORK EXECUTIVE OFFICER think about collaborations with local PRINTED BY First Class Mailing 9555 9997 ADMINISTRATION OFFICER Rebecca Toohey Items for publication should be sent to the Editor COLLECTIONS MANAGER & VOLUNTEER schools, libraries and other community EMAIL [email protected] COORDINATOR Jillian Hiscock organisations – spread the joy! History News copy closes 2nd of the month: July, MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR Jessica Scott History Month overlaps with the Seniors September, November, January, March, May unless in COLLECTIONS OFFICER Helen Stitt consultation with the editor. RHSV welcomes submission of BOOKKEEPER Liridon Shaqiri Festival and Children’s Week so why not articles for inclusion in History News. Publication and editing devise an event or two which can be will be at the discretion of the editor and the Publications History House featured in more than one program? Committee as directed by our Terms of Reference. 239 A’Beckett Street Melbourne 3000 Office & Library Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm COVER IMAGE: Festive flag and eucalypt leaves. historyvictoria.org.au/brainstorm-history- 9326 9288 www.historyvictoria.org.au Image courtesy of Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council. P: W: month-event-ideas/ Email: [email protected] PRINT POST APPROVED PP336663/00011 ISSN 1326-269 ABN 36 520 675 471 Registration No. A2529 2 RHSV NEWS JUNE 2021 RHSV NEWS RHSV Table of President’s contents report News and Articles The Kellys of Pyramid Hill ............5 Tarnagulla exhibition ................6 In 2022, a new Year 12 Study Design and then fought for civil and land rights, Dandenong Police for Australian History will begin. It has alongside struggles by women and Paddocks Reserve ...................7 been designed by a committee of other minorities excluded from power John Adams prize ...................9 teachers and academics appointed in colonial society. The last theme is by the state government’s Victorian war and upheaval in the twentieth Returning our Ancestors ............12 Curriculum Assessment Authority and century, and how all Australians, including Ngurai-illum Wurrung .............13-14 has undergone a rigorous consultation First Nations peoples, participated in Welcome Helen Stitt ................14 process with teachers, academics and overseas conflicts and the impacts these the Victorian Aboriginal Education involvements had on Australian society. Regular Features Association (VAEIA). The Study Design Cambridge University Press has rescued What’s on. 2 was to begin in classrooms in 2021 but Australian history from an imminent lack President’s report ...................3 was delayed due to the COVID outbreak. of a textbook, by publishing four volumes Message from the editor .............3 Victoria is the only state in the at breakneck speed by the end of 2021, History Victoria Support Commonwealth of Australia that teaches one for each theme. They have been Group (HVSG) .......................4 our history in the final year of school. written by prominent academics and However, only 6,000 of 80,000 Year teachers to match the Study Design, and Windows on history: 12 students do History; just over 10 reviewed and advised by Indigenous two cultures, one vision ............8-9 per cent of those do Australian history, readers. Five per cent of income from the Around the societies ..............10-11 meaning only about 600-700 students series, Analyzing Australian History, will Books received ..................15-16 do Australian history at this senior level, be donated to the Indigenous Reading predominantly in country and private Project. I am proud to be a co-general schools. This is of course of great concern editor of the series along with Ashley for understanding our society and its Keith Pratt. I am also an author. history. It is to be hoped these numbers Richard Broome AM will increase over the life of the new Study Design, which is five possibly ten years. Of even more concern is that our own history is not studied at a sophisticated level by any other students in Australia in their final year of schooling. The study of Australian history at senior level has been through many iterations over the last fifty years and until recently Indigenous Australians featured largely in frontier history only. But their place in VCE history has been slowly expanding. In the 2022 Study Design, Indigenous history is given a significant