Public Symposium on Newcastle and the Hunter Valley at War
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Newcastle and the Hunter Valley’s fascinating war history will be examined in a symposium bringing together the brightest historians of the region who will explore themes of preparation, participation, resistance and commemoration.
The free symposium is open to the public and will be held from 9am-5.30pm on Thursday 9th November at the Newcastle Museum. Registrations are now open. Speakers including renowned University of Newcastle academics, postgraduate students, and community historians will present their research into how the people of Newcastle and the Hunter engaged with and responded to war from the time of white settlement to the contemporary era.
The symposium is organised by UON historians Dr Kate Ariotti and Dr James Bennett and their PhD student Bryce Abraham. Dr Ariotti said traditional understandings of the impact of war in Australia are dominated by the histories of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“With this symposium we wanted to focus specifically on Newcastle and the Hunter so people can get an understanding of just how long and diverse our region’s military history is,” she said.
“We have an extensive historical association with war locally that many people may not be fully aware of. From the time Europeans first arrived here there was warfare and today Newcastle and the Hunter Valley still has strong military links,” she said. “Few other metropolitan areas could rival Newcastle and the Hunter region for such significant and continuous contributions to Australia’s martial history.”
Held just two days before Remembrance Day, the symposium will be ideal for high school History teachers wanting to inject a local flavour into their classes as well as history enthusiasts and the returned services community.
“Attendees of the symposium will leave with a sense of how people from the region have experienced war and conflict over time, and how locals engaged with the different war efforts,” Mr Abraham said.
The day will start with a focus on early conflict between European settlers and the Indigenous people of the Hunter region. A talk on martial culture and colonial defence will look at the development of Fort Scratchley as well as the experiences of local men who served in the Boer War.
The midday session will examine the First World War. Hunter Valley historian David Dial OAM will describe the experiences of local diggers on the Western Front, followed by presentations on the impact of the conscription debates in Newcastle and women’s contributions to the war effort. PhD student Elicia Taylor and cultural and social historian Professor Victoria Haskins will present their research into Stockton’s Dinkum Girls.
“At a time when Australian women were prevented from participating physically in the war, this patriotic group raised funds and provided a warm welcome to local soldiers returning from the warfront,” Ms Taylor said. “These women have largely been forgotten in local commemorations of the First World War. But contemporary newspaper accounts singled out their contributions and highlighted the value of their efforts well beyond the typical acknowledgement of women’s work, associating the Dinkum Girls’ efforts with the sacrifice and heroism typically attributed to soldiers.”
Following this, the Second World War will come into focus with talks on Newcastle’s industrial hub and preparations for war, the experiences of Novocastrians caught up in the fighting against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea, and the impact of the American presence in the region. UON postgraduate student Judith Conway and Denise Gaudion, President of the Port Stephens Family History Society, will explain how Bob’s Farm became an evacuation camp for overseas nationals from Portuguese Timor.
The final session explores the campaign against conscription in Newcastle during the Vietnam War, and the evolution of the region as a defence hub. Dr Heather Sharp from UON’s School of Education will conclude the symposium with a discussion of how local students respond to learning about war through visiting the former battlefields of the Western Front.
Register for the symposium here
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/newcastle-and-the-hunter-at-war-symposium-tickets-38698938567
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.