Among the guest speakers at the conference will be Cowra residents Ray Walsh, Lawrance Ryan, Graham Apthorpe and Margaret Stent.

Ray Walsh will give a presentation titled “Discovering Coura Rocks and Beyond” while Mr Apthorpe will discuss Cowra’s prisoner of war connection in a talk titled “Lost in Battle and Behind the Wire: The prisoners of war at Cowra”. 

Mr Ryan’s address to the conference is titled “Finding Europa: A new life in a new country”

On the final day of the two day conference Mrs Stent will speak on Faces to Names: Unlocking Cowra’s links to the world. 

Historical societies have an important role to play in ensuring that their communities’ history does not get lost and that members of the broader community can find out about their work so that they too can learn and contribute to this history.

Lost communities can be remembered and found through written archival records, photographs and voice recordings.

The digital revolution is increasing accessibility to records and providing more tools to reach a wider geographical and demographical audience.

The RAHS invites you to join them at their 2017 conference in Cowra to hear a dynamic range of local and specialist historians explore these topics and to learn skills that will support your history projects.

The 2017 Lesley Muir Address will be delivered by renowned academic and historian Professor Peter Read, and the 2017 Create NSW Cultural Grant and NSW Heritage Grant Awards, both of which assist the research and publication of local and specialist history, will be presented.

Certificates of Achievement and Appreciation will also be awarded, recognising the invaluable contribution made by individuals to historical societies throughout New South Wales and the history sector.

Delegates can choose from three history tours on Saturday afternoon and attend the lively conference dinner at Cowra Services Club on Saturday evening.

There is also a free pre-conference event at the beautiful Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre from 5.30pm on Friday, October 27.

Mr Bob Griffiths, Chairman of the Board of the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, will provide an historical overview of the Garden and its centrality to the Cowra-Japan friendship.

The RAHS Conference offers opportunities to network with people who are committed to promoting local and community history and who enjoy sharing their successes and challenges with others.

For more information and to book online visit www.rahs.org.au/2017-rahs-conference. For media enquiries contact RAHS General Manager, Suzanne Holohan by email executive@rahs.org.au or call History House on (02) 9247 8001.

Conference Program

Saturday, October 28.

8.00am Registration.

9.00am Welcome to Country – Aunty Robyn Coffey. 

9.05am Welcome, Housekeeping and President’s Address. 

9.25am 2017 Cultural Grant Awards. 

9.45am The Lesley Muir Address: Finding Lost People and Lost Places - Professor Peter Read

10.30AM – Morning tea.

11.00am Ray Walsh – Discovering Coura Rocks and Beyond.

11.30am Graham Apthorpe – Lost in Battle and Behind the Wire: The prisoners of war at Cowra.

12.00pm Lawrance Ryan – Finding Europa: A new life in a new country.

12.30PM – 1.30PM Lunch. 

1.30pm Jenna Bain – From New York to Nimbin: amplifying the Library’s sound archive via opensource and the machine.

2.00pm Christine Yeats – Government Gazettes. 

2.30pm Debbie Sommers – eHive: Online collections and connections.

3.00PM – 3.30PM – Afternoon tea.

Tours 3.30pm – 5.00pm P.O.W. Breakout Tour.

3.30pm – 5.00pm Europa Park and Railway Tour. 

3.30pm – 5.00pm Heritage Walk. 

6.30pm Conference. 

Sunday, October 29

9.00am 2017 Heritage Grant Awards, Certificate of Achievement and Certificate of Appreciation Awards. 

9.15am Business Session – Keeping track of your society’s finances; Finding ideas for revenue streams – From objects to events.

10.30AM – 11.00AM Morning tea.

11.00am Robert Lee – An Illusion of Permanence: Railways as a Transient Symbol of Colonisation in the Lachlan.

11.30am Michael Bennett – Trackers on Trains: The mobility of Aboriginal people in the age of rail, 1882-1950. 

12.00pm Transport Heritage Grants. 

12.30PM – 1.30PM Lunch.

1.30pm Margaret Stent – Faces to Names: Unlocking Cowra’s links to the world.

2.00pm Peter Hobbins – The Last Traces of a Life? Sydney's quarantine inscriptions. 

2.30pm Judith Dunn – Resurrecting a Lost Cemetery.

3.00PM Conference close. 

Monday, October 30.

9.00am – 2.00pm Iandra Castle Tour.