Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis This subject raises critical questions about the uses of history in Australia and overseas. What is public history? Why has it emerged as a field of enquiry and practice? What distinct issues does it address? What are the practical applications of historical knowledge? Readings and case studies examine the relationships between learned and popular understandings of the past, representations of the past in various media and the means, processes and forms by which our understandings of heritage and history are generated and sustained. Topics of seminars include environmental history, community and commissioned histories, the heritage movement, oral history, material culture, Aboriginal heritage, museums, theme parks, cultural tourism and all aspects of the media from film to open learning.
Assessment Written and oral work, fieldwork exercises (9000 words): 100%