The Victorian Community History Awards are held annually to recognise the contributions made by Victorians in the preservation of the State's history, and to recognise excellence in historical research. The effect of the VCHA over the period from 1998 to the present has been the stimulation of community history, the lifting of standards and the fostering of diversity and originality.[1]
History
The Victorian Community History Awards were established and sponsored in 1997 by Information Victoria. The judges have always been appointed by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, and among the first were Professor Weston Bate, Professor A. G. L. Shaw, and senior journalist at The Age, John Lahey.[2]
Funding was suspended in 2006 to provide additional funds for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. After 2010 Information Victoria Bookshop withdrew support for the program, but after a vigorous campaign by the RHSV for the continuance of the Awards, the Baillieu government accepted a submission from the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) to continue the program for a further four-year period.[3]
From 2011 the Awards were administered by the RHSV in partnership with PROV.[4]
In 2012, following consultation between the Public Record Office Victoria and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, award categories were slightly altered and renamed, as below:
- 2011: Gunditjmara people with Gib Wettenhall for The People of Budj Bim
- 2010: Jenny Davies for Behind the Facade: Flinders Street more than just a Railway Station
- 2009: Ken Oldis for The Chinawoman
- 2008: Annette O'Donohue & Bev Hanson for Eaglehawk & District Pioneer Register Volume 6 - T-Z
- 2007: Jillian Durance for Still Going Strong: The story of the Moyarra Honor Roll
- 2005: Justin Corfield, Dorothy Wickham and Clare Gervasoni for The Eureka Encyclopaedia
- 2004: Wandiligong Preservation Society Co-ordinated by Coral Bennett and Joy Kit for Oriental Crossing
- 2003: Ann Synan for We Came With Nothing: Story of the West Sale Migrant Holding Centre
- 2002: Gillian Upton for The George: St Kilda Life and Times
- 2001: Warik Lawrance for 1864 (CD ROM)
- 2000: Daryl Tonkin and Carolyn Landon for Jackson's Track - A Memoir of a Dreamtime Place
- 1999: Dr. Andrew Brown-May for Melbourne Street Life
- 1998: Patrick Morgan for The Settling of Gippsland, A Regional History
Best Community Research, Registers and Records
- 2011: Marie Hansen Fels for 'I succeeded Once': The Aboriginal Protectorate on the Mornington Peninsula, 1839-1840.
- 2010: Susie Zada and Pam Jennings for Scots in Geelong and District to 1860
- 2009: Karen T Collins, Collingwood Historical Society for Bitter Roots, Sweet Fruit: A history of schools in Collingwood, Abbotsford and Clifton Hill
- 2008: John McKay and Hamilton History Centre Inc for The Streets of Hamilton, Western Victoria Australia: a History of the People behind the Names
- 2007: Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society for History of a Street Precinct
- 2005: Graeme Massey for Gallipoli Heroes: A tribute to the men from Western Victoria who gave their lives for their country
- 2004: Arthur Yong, North Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association for Chinese Settlement in Darebin
- 2003: Graeme Massey (Warracknabeal Secondary College – History Department) for Fallen Heroes. Warracknabeal War Memorial
- 2002: Dianne Carroll for Carroll Heritage Collection
- 2001: Allan Willingham for Camperdown: A Heritage Study
- 2000: Keith Clarke for Convicts of the Port Phillip District
- 1999: Brendan Fitzgerald and Bayside Library Services for Sin on Disc
- 2011: Michael Collins and others for Our Boys at the Front: The Mornington Peninsula at War 1914-18 from the pages of the Peninsula Post. (Book and DVD)
- 2010: Yarra Valley Italian Cultural Group for Dreams from a Suitcase ('Sogni Dalla Valigia'): Recollections of Italian Settlers in the Yarra Valley
- 2009: Christine Grayden, Phillip Island Conservation Society for An Island Worth Conserving: A History of the Phillip Island Conservation Society
- 2008: Collingwood Historical Society Inc for Collingwood Plaques Project
- 2007: Andrew Brown-May and Shurlee Swain (eds) for The Encyclopedia of Melbourne
- 2005: Peter Yule (ed.) and the Carlton Residents Association Inc. for Carlton: A History
- 2004: Elizabeth Huf for Courage, Patience and Persistence: 150 Years of German Settlement in Western Victoria
- 2003: Jewish Museum of Australia (in association with Shalom Association) for From Russia with Hope: Australian Jews from Russia 1870-2002 (Exhibition)
- 2002: South Port Day Links and Port Melbourne Historical Society for Linking Us Together
- 2001: Sigrid Borke for In and Out of Port. Voices from the Port of Melbourne. An Oral History
- 2000: City of Whittlesea for Oral History and Poster Exhibition Project
- 1999: Jan Critchett for Untold Stories - Memories and Lives of Victorian Koories
- 1998: Linda Barraclough for historical research and community work in Gippsland
Best Print / Publication - Commercial
- 2011: Ron Hateley for The Victorian Bush: its 'original and natural' condition.[19]
- 2011 Anne Longmire for The Catalysts: Change and Continuity 1910-2010.[19]
Best Print / Publication
In 2011 the Best Print / Publication category was divided into Best Commercial Publication and Best Self or Community Publication. See above.
- 2010: Robin Grow for Melbourne Art Deco
- 2009: Gary Presland for The Place for a Village: How nature has shaped the City of Melbourne
- 2008: Barry Heard for The View from Connor's Hill
- 2007: Richard Broome for Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800
- 2005: Barry Hill and the Borough of Queenscliffe for The Enduring Rip: A History of Queenscliffe
- 2004: John Poynter for Mr Felton's Bequests
- 2003: Vicki Fairfax for A Place Across the River. They Aspired to Create the Victorian Arts Centre
- 2002: Carolyn Rasmussen for A Museum for the People
- 2001: Adrian Jones for Follow the Gleam: A History of Essendon Primary School 1850-2000
- 2000: Peter Yule for The Royal Children's Hospital A History of Faith, Science and Love
- 1999: Janet McCalman for Sex and Suffering - Women's Health and a Women's Hospital
- 1998: Phil Taylor for Karkarook: a Mallee Shire History
Best Walk / Tour
- 2011: Peter Cuffley, Helen McBurney, Geoff Palmer & Janey Runci for Henry Handel Richardson in Maldon.
- 2010: Karen McIntyre for Lake Bolac Heritage Walk
- 2009: Wangaratta Regional Tourist Development Inc for Heritage Walk, Wangaratta
- 2008: Bayside City Council for Bayside Architectural Trail
- 2007: Ruth Gallant, Footscray Reference Group & Maribyrnong City Council for Footscray Trail: a guided walk through the historic central business district
- 2005: Margaret Gardner and Val Heffernan, The Hamilton History Centre for Exploring Hamilton Walks
- 2004: Don Chambers for Melbourne General Cemetery
- 2003: Carmel Taig for Yarraville in 1901
- 2002: Ross Bastiaan for The Kokoda Walk in the Dandenong Ranges National Park
- 2001: Bayside City Council for Bayside Coastal Art Trail. Stage 3
- 2000: Richard Peterson for Brimstone to Bunyip Churches of Collingwood, Clifton Hill and Abbotsford 1852-1999
- 1999: Angela Taylor, Ron Hateley, Tarnya Kruger for The La Gerche Walking Track
- 1998: Mary Ryllis Clark for Discover Historic Victoria
Best Exhibit or Multimedia
- 2011: The Jewish Museum of Australia for Mameloshn: How Yiddish made a home in Melbourne.[19]
Best Audio-Visual / Multimedia
In 2011 Best Exhibit and Best Audio-Visual / Multimedia were combined as a category. See above.
- 2010: Keith White & Will Twycross for Visions of Port Phillip: The Burrells of Arthur's Seat 1851-1925
- 2009: Bendigo Chinese Association Museum Inc trading as Golden Dragon Museum for Creating a Community Museum
- 2008: Malcolm McKinnon and The Victorian Country Football League for Football Stories from Country Victoria
- 2007: Landsborough Festivals Inc for From Gold to Grapes: The Story of Landborough
- 2005: The Euston/Robinvale Historical Society Inc for Happy Birthday Robinvale
- 2004: James McCaughey, Red Finch Films for The First Eleven: The First Australian Cricket Tour of England (Video)
- 2003: Lakes Entrance Family History Resource Centre for Casting the Net – Pioneer Fishing Families of the Gippsland Coast
- 2002: Geoff Russell for Sir John Quick and Bendigo's ANA
- 2001: Lilydale & District Historical Society for Melba - Australia's Greatest Daughter
- 2000: Bronwyn Hughes (Author), Laki Sideris (Developer) and Tim Dolby (Producer) for Lights of our Past: Australian Stained Glass
- 1999: Timothy Lee for Wally's Weddings/The Bush Smithy
Best Exhibit / Display
In 2011 Best Exhibit and Best Audio-Visual / Multimedia were combined as a category. See above.
- 2010: Janine Rizzetti (Heidelberg Historical Society) for An Invitation to the Ball
- 2009: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society for The Navy in Port Exhibition: A month of celebration for the centenary of the Great White Fleet visit
- 2008: Robinvale Network House for Migration Memories - Robinvale
- 2007: Victorian Jazz Archive Inc. for Jazz Spans the Decades – A History of Jazz in Victoria
- 2005: David Williams for Harvests, Headlands & Halcyon Heritage
- 2004: Jointly organised by the Warrnambool Art Gallery and the Warrnambool and District Historical Vehicle Club. Curated by Brenda O'Connor for Early Motoring in Warrnambool
- 2003: Melbourne's Living Museum of the West for A Stone Upon A Stone: A Touring Exhibition about the History and Heritage of Dry Stone Walls
- 2002: Laharum Hall Committee for Federation Mural: History of Laharum
- 2001: Golden Dragon Museum, Bendigo for Showing Face
- 2000: Tatura and District Australia Day 2000 Committee for Tatura Collage Columns
- 1999: Jan Mitchell for Baywalk Bollards Project
- 1998: Mr Russell Jack - Bendigo Golden Dragon Museum
Special awards
- 2011: Judges' Special Prize for Excellence - Gregory Eccleston and others for Early Navigators of Bass Strait, 1770-1803. (Map)
- 2010: Award to Celebrate 175th Melbourne Anniversary - Bain Attwood for Possession: Batman's Treaty and the matter of history
- 2009: Judges' Special Prize for Excellence - Paul R Mullaly for Crime in the Port Phillip District 1835-51