“Past/Present” is the AHA’s new column, published on a monthly basis in The Guardian. Written by our members, the column aims to provide an historical perspective on recent events, showcase the important work that historians in Australia do, and demonstrate the value of history and historical thinking to a wide audience.
If you’d like to contribute to “Past/Present”, please send a short pitch to the Executive Officer of the AHA. Make sure to follow the pitch guidelines as outlined here.
Note that all contributors to the column will be paid, following a very generous donation to the AHA’s Public Fund.
Published Columns
1 December 2025: Leigh Boucher, “Reciting the names of the dead: how Australia’s response to HIV/Aids was emotionally – and politically – powerful“
8 November 2025: Frank Bongiorno and James Watson, “In a world with democracy in decline, we have much to learn from those who rallied against Whitlam’s dismissal“
11 October 2025: Roland Burke, “The fledgling UN tried to rein in mass-scale misinformation. The world turned its back and is now paying the price“