57063 Public History: Theory and Practice

This subject introduces the nature and practice of professional history in the public sphere. The course explores a range of arenas in which history operates in the culture and the ways public histories are communicated and contested. Areas such as oral history, heritage assessment, museums, monuments, memorials, cultural policy and memory provide an introduction to the theoretical and practical nature of public history. The subject looks at the Australian and overseas experience and addresses the issues and practicalities of working as a public historian, including ethics, the commissioning process and historical networks.