Djab Warrung Trees and the Western Highway works

The History Council of Victoria welcomes the order of the Supreme Court to temporarily halt works on the Western Highway.

This issue has been a protracted one and there are multiple narratives. For its part, the Victorian Government has been at pains to point out that its extensive consultations have led to major compromises over the road’s route and the protection of many trees of undoubted cultural significance.

However, the strength of opposition to other tree-felling and the debate about specific protections are reason enough for the government to pause and rethink. The decision of the Supreme Court is an opportunity for the government to do so.

While there are fundamental differences between the issues, community anger has also been generated by the coincidence of the tree-felling and the recent destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the subject of a Senate enquiry and widespread international condemnation.

We are at a particularly significant moment in the history of recognition of unique Australian Indigenous heritage in many forms, including objects, spaces and languages. The History Council urges the State government to reinforce the advances it has made in other domains of Indigenous reconciliation.

30 October 2020


The History Council is the peak body for history in the State, with the objective of furthering historical literacy and awareness and inspiring public engagement with the past and its importance for understanding the world today. The council includes 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.

This response is supported by a majority of individual board members but does not necessarily represent the views of all of the institutions they represent.

 

About

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.


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Events

Our calendar lists all upcoming public events arranged by the History Council of Victoria (HCV), plus events in Victoria, Australia, that are added by our Friends and Members.

If you are organising an event that relates to History, we encourage you to publicise it on our website.


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Advocacy

As the peak body for history in Victoria, the History Council makes submissions on current issues. In doing this, the HCV Board is guided by its Advocacy Policy and by 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.


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Prizes

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.


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Summary

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).

 
 

 

 

Credits

Image acknowledgements to go here.