3-6 July 2023, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
We are delighted to announce the Call for Papers for the 2023 annual conference. We have chosen the theme of ‘Milestones’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the Australian Historical Association, and to encourage reflection: on the historical profession in Australia, how far the nation has come, and the many things it still has to deliver. But equally, we encourage participants working in any field of history to challenge easy answers offered by the comforts of teleology. Milestones mark progress towards a predestined goal, after all, and assumptions around progress and improvement were central to the colonial enterprise. Milestones can conceal as much as they illuminate, and our experiences of the ongoing pandemic render strange any assumption of time moving at one set speed. Hosted by Australian Catholic University on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne, this conference will be an opportunity to take stock of what has been, interrogate the place of historical knowledge and teaching in contemporary society, and ponder potential futures. The convenors welcome proposals for papers and panels on any geographical area, time-period, or field of history, especially those relating to the theme of ‘milestones’. AHA and affiliated streams include migration history, women’s history, environmental history, First Nations history, GLAM, history of capitalism, children and youth, oral history, religious history, and sports history.
Abstracts due 31 January 2023