History Talks - HCNSW Podcasts

History Council of NSW Annual History Lecture 2025 delivered by Dr Margaret Cook. Includes a Q & A following the lecture with Dr Amanda Wells. Dr Margaret Cook is a Research Fellow at the Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, and holds an honorary research position at La Trobe University. She is an environmental historian who has published on water histories and climate-related dis...

Nations are often remade through close attention to detail. In this episode, historian Dr James Finlay reflects on how Australia’s convict past has been represented on screen, tracing shifts from early cinematic melodrama through to television drama and contemporary film, and considering how these visual narratives continue to shape national memory. Drawing on archival research, James introduces a...

Waramah/Cockatoo Island is one of Sydney Harbour’s most complex historical sites. Shaped by layers of incarceration, labour, industry, and governance, the island offers a rare opportunity to examine how power, punishment, and productivity were engineered into a single landscape—and how those histories are interpreted today. This episode brings together curators, historians, archaeologists, and dig...

In this History Now/Wood Memorial Lecture event, Dr. Sophie Loy-Wilson from the discipline of History at the University of Sydney sits down with three extraordinary scholars who have drawn on lived experiences and diverse methodologies to produce creative histories that have made an impact on how we think about and do history.  Shauna Bostock, André Dao, and Katerina Teaiwa discuss their past and...

In this conversation led by two leading history educators, we will examine the challenges and complexities of history teaching in the 21st century and explore the important role history teachers play in engaging, informing and shaping the future of history and history adjacent fields.  How can we help nurture the next generation of historians? Two leading history educators, Jonathon Dallimore (HTA...

This discussion will feature contemporary case studies of cultural heritage destruction from abroad and locally, including recent damage to the National Museum of Sudan. However, it is not just conflict scenarios, the conversation will cover case studies of damage due to earthquake and natural damage and wilful damage. We will also consider how sites of historical trauma become historical sites th...

In this episode of History Now 2025 , the rising genre of History Podcasts is explored in a discussion between Geraldine Fela and Leigh Boucher from Macquarie University, chaired by Craig Barker from the University of Sydney. In the ever-expanding podcast media universe, history is a significant player. Podcasts led by historians regularly feature in ‘top-ten’ download lists, and there is clearly...

This conversation is part of the HCNSW podcast series "First Nations Conversations" that looks at First Nations histories of resilience, survival, and resistance.  This episode of "First Nations Conversations" is the recording of the 2025 History Week panel “Living Histories: First Nations Creatives and Researchers in Conversation” which was presented at the Vere Gordon Childe...

Dr Aunty Rhonda Radley joins Jadzia Stronell to share her journey in language revitalisation, community work, education, and healing. She reflects on truth-telling around the Blackmans Point massacre, the responsibilities of academic engagement with Aboriginal histories, and speaks on her own stories of resilience. Known in the community as Dr Aunty Rhonda Radley (Anjilkurri), a proud Birrbay/Dhan...

Australian migration stories have tended to represent specific experiences of coming to Australia over our relatively short national history. But what does rethinking stories about mobility to, from, and within Australia offer historians and fellow story tellers? Leading historians Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson, Dr Yves Rees, and Dr Peter Hobbins will discuss overlooked narratives to challenge traditional...

Now, more than ever before, we seem more willing to acknowledge difficult histories in our family trees. At the same time, historians are increasingly writing about colonial violence and challenging long-held myths.  What impact is this having on how we see Australia’s past, as well as our own?  John Maynard, Mark Dunn, Stephen Gapps, and Kate Grenville speak with Julie McIntyre about their experi...

The 2024 History Council of New South Wales Annual History Lecture was given by Professor Frank Bongiorno , professor of history at Australian National University. First held in 1996, the Annual History Lecture was inaugurated by the HCNSW to underline the importance of history to current issues and concerns. The lectures are original works that constitute a significant contribution to historical...

5 Years on from COVID-19: lessons from past health crises and the future of global health Join an engaging discussion with our distinguished panel of public health and virology experts, who explore enduring infectious diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and mpox, five years after the discovery of COVID-19. This episode highlights how pandemics have historically reshaped our world and demonstrates the...

Lorena Allam, Dirk Moses and Ümit Kurt reflect on what can be learned from histories of genocide, and locate their discussion between journalism, history and processes of truth-telling. This  History Now session, chaired by Associate Professor Nancy Cushing, is a compelling exploration of truth-telling and genocide, featuring insights from award-winning journalist Lorena Allam, and renowned genoci...

Can crime narratives truly be told without causing harm or voyeurism? Join us for a compelling discussion as we bring together the insights of Dr. Meg Foster and Dr. Rachel Franks, led by chair, Nerida Campbell. With their extensive expertise in crime-related history and collections, we navigate the ethical tightrope historians must walk when recounting crime stories. Learn how these experts balan...

In this episode of History Now, Emily O’Gorman and Taylor Coyne reflect on how history can be understood and written from more-than-human perspectives.  History Now seminars explore current and compelling issues affecting the practice of contemporary history. It is a long-running series of public talks and discussions, bringing new perspectives to all aspects of historical practice. This year Hist...

In this episode of History Now, Livia Rezende and Isabel Rousset explore the ways in which international exchange and transcultural connections inform design and visual histories. History Now seminars explore current and compelling issues affecting the practice of contemporary history. It is a long-running series of public talks and discussions, bringing new perspectives to all aspects of historic...

This lecture is the first online offering of the 2024 First Nations Stories Series, facilitated by the History Council of New South Wales' Project Officer for First Nations' Histories. For more information about the HCNSW First Nations programs, please see our website: https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/abou... "History and Memory: Oral Histories and the Science of the Dreaming The po...

In this panel, staged by the History Council of NSW at the 2024 Sydney Writers Festival, three award-winning Australian historians discuss the dual art of crafting histories and captivating narratives for diverse audiences.  Our authors, Dr Margaret Cook, Dr Shannyn Palmer and Nicole Cama, explore the dynamics of writing and presenting histories that respond to questions and ideas with relevance t...

Historians Professor Catharine Coleborne and Dr James Dunk discuss the depth of historical writing about mental illness in Australia and reflect on its resonance in the present moment; how can we write the history of mental health now? Chair:  Dr Effie Karageorgos This event is held in partnership with the University of Newcastle’s Future of Madness Network. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Histo...

Reflecting on the enduring spirit of Aboriginal activism, today's episode is an homage to both the ancestors who fought for justice and the scholars like Emeritus Professor Lyndall Ryan who have chronicled their struggles. Coordinated by Jessie Adam-Stein and chaired by Dr. Cara Cross, this panel event from the History Now 2024 series, co-hosted with the History Council of New South Wales and...

Featuring Dr Hannah Forsyth & Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson. Chair:  Dr Mike Beggs.  Series curated by Dr Jesse Adams Stein. Hannah Forsyth and Sophie Loy-Wilson discuss the ways in which historicising capitalism is changing our approach to history in Australia. History Now seminars explore current and compelling issues affecting the practice of contemporary history. It is a long-running series of publ...

Professor Alison Bashford and Dr Jarrod Hore,  Chair: Dr Frances Flanagan Alison Bashford and Jarrod Hore reflect on New Earth Histories and how the history of geosciences and different world cosmologies can be brought together. History Now seminars explore current and compelling issues affecting the practice of contemporary history. It is a long-running series of public talks and discussions, bri...

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Welcome to the recorded version of the History Council of New South Wales’ ‘Writing Histories’ panel, recorded via zoom on the 9th of November 2023.  History isn't just about dusty old books and dates, it's about sharing the tales of our past with the world. But how do historians make sure their stories reach a wide audience? How do we pen our words for different readers? The HCNSW calle...