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HSC students gain insight into history writing

May 19, 2005

Garland Linda thumb.jpgEighty-four Year 12 students from northern and western NSW have been given an insight, at The University of New England, into the processes of interpreting and writing history.

They came to UNE’s annual HSC History Extension Day from as far afield as Dubbo, Coonabarabran and Tenterfield, and Macksville, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. There were also students from schools in Armidale, Tamworth, Glen Innes and Inverell.

Associate Professor Matthew Dillon from UNE’s School of Classics, History and Religion, who coordinated the day, said it had been designed to help advanced students with “how to approach historical documents, and how to deal with historians and their biases”. “They learn how history is written , and the different perspectives that individual historians bring to writing about the past,” he explained. “This enables them to write essays that show an awareness of historical problems.”

Part of the day’s program was an examination of different genres of history writing: from academic history to popular and oral history; from political history to social history. (Associate Professor Lynda Garland, pictured here, talked to them in UNE's Museum of Antiquities about the use of ancient evidence.) The students were also introduced to psychohistory: the use of concepts, principles and theories from psychology to gain a deeper understanding of historical events. Seven UNE historians gave the students the benefit of their expertise.

UNE introduced its annual HSC History Extension Day six years ago, and has reported the attendance of increasing numbers of students. (This year the day, on Saturday 14 May, attracted about 30 more students than last year.) “This, and the healthy numbers of students doing Modern and Ancient History at HSC level, indicates that history is well and truly alive in our education system,” Dr Dillon said.

A total of 17 teachers accompanied the students, some of them for the third and fourth year in succession. “They keep coming back,” Dr Dillon said. “And I’ve received e-mails from many of them this week looking forward to next year.”


Media contact: Associate Professor Matthew Dillon, School of Classics, History and Religion, UNE (02) 6773 2049 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at May 19, 2005 01:45 PM