The History Council of Victoria Incorporated (HCV) is the peak body for history in the Australian state of Victoria. Its vision is to connect Victorians with history and to inspire engagement with the past, their identity and the world today. The HCV champions the work of historians and the value of history. It recognises that history can be written about any place, any person, any period. The HCV advocates why history matters.

Read more: HCV Annual Reports

The HCV was formed as an advisory body in 2001 and incorporated in 2003. It comprises representatives from cultural and educational institutions and heritage bodies; history teachers and curriculum advisors; academic and professional historians; and local, Indigenous, community and specialist history organisations.

As the peak body for history, the HCV has both ‘outward-looking’ roles (including advocacy and representation to government and the wider community, consultation, community education, and networking with allied interest groups) and ‘inward-looking’ roles (including member support, information dissemination, and networking between members).

The HCV delivers a number of accessible and well-received history-focussed initiatives. These include:

• History Roadshow
  This program tours regional Victoria to deliver curriculum enrichment sessions for VCE history students and teachers. The program is funded by the Strategic Partnership Program of the state government's Department of Education and Training.

• Making Public Histories 
  This seminar series explores issues and approaches in making public histories. The program for 2020 is offered jointly by HCV, Monash University and the Old Treasury Building, with sponsorship from Old Treasury Building, the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University and also from Monash University Publishing.

• Annual Lecture 
  Since 2004, the lecture has been delivered by eminent and respected authorities who have shared fresh thinking and new evidence on historical topics. The 2020 lecture is delivered via Zoom webinar on 8 October by Associate Professor Ruth Morgan of the Australian National University. Click HERE to learn more. 

• Projects such as the Value of History (a collaborative project of the four History Councils in Australia),  Drought Stories (a spoken and visual history of recent drought in Victoria, recording the experience of drought-affected communities up to 2010) and One Place, Many Stories (a free online resource designed for teachers and middle to upper primary students as a way of engaging children in the history of Victoria).

Since 2015, the HCV has been pleased to sponsor the Years 9 and 10 category of the Historical Fiction Competition organised by the History Teachers' Association of Victoria. 

Get involved!

Here are some ways to get involved: 

• Endorse the Value of History, a statement developed co-operatively by the HCV and the History Councils of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
  
  
• Sign up as a Friend of the HCV. Friends can add their own history-related events in Victoria to our calendar.

• Stay in touch and receive updates on HCV activities by subscribing to our free and occasional E-news bulletin. (Friends will receive this automatically.)

• Donations are always welcome. Amounts over $2 are tax-deductible for Australian tax-payers.

If you have questions, or suggestions that would assist the HCV in its work, please contact us.