Topic: The memory landscape of the Cowpastures in memorials, monuments, and murals.
Lecture by Dr Ian Willis OAM.
Abstract
All around the community in the Macarthur region are cultural artefacts that are representations of the settlercolonial narrative of the Cowpastures, which was variously a colonial frontier, a government reserve, and a…[Read more]

In 2015 the Office of Art and Archives focused on adding more art and archival content to the History, Art & Archives website (http://history.house.gov/). The website is a collaborative effort: curators and archivists in the Office of Art and Archives and Office of the Historian staff work on and contribute content. The Office of Art and Archives…[Read more]

The Camden Historical Society has published a new anthology of the Camden History Journal. There are many stories of events and local personalities from the Camden area.

In 1964, the Campbelltown-Ingleburn News ran a banner headline on its front page, Symbol of Progress, over a story about opening a new council administration building as part of a proposed civic centre precinct in the town centre.
The newspaper headline expressed confidence in Campbelltown’s planned declaration as a satellite city by the state…[Read more]

This newspaper article examines the history of the teamsters that operated on the Yerranderie Road between the Yerranderie silver mines in the Burragorang Valley and the railhead at Camden NSW. The carriers’ teams of horses supported an ecology of farmers growing hay and corn for stock feed, blacksmiths at The Oaks and Camden, horse breeders, w…[Read more]

This blog post discusses the mid-century houses of the Camden NSW area that were built as part of the economic growth and development created by the Burragorang coalfields. These houses were built between the Second World War and the early 1970s, have a variety of residential architectural styles and are located south of the town centre, in…[Read more]

When we study civil wars and conflicts we tend to conceptualise them as occurring in stages: starting from domestic political disagreements, to demon-strations and protests escalating into violence and war. How armed conflicts end is often seen as the reverse process, moving from high intensity armed interaction, to a drawing down, war weariness,…[Read more]

This study presents innovative strategies for EFL educators aimed at cultivating resilience and growth mindsets in learners. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, we engaged 200 learners aged 11-20 from varied linguistic backgrounds. The methodology comprised surveys and interviews, enabling customized interventions that significantly improved…[Read more]

Throughout the interwar period, America’s interest in Romania grew and encompassed not only political, diplomatic, and historical aspects but also financial, cultural, and educational contributions. Thus, the Romanian- American ties throughout the interwar period suggest innate complexity and dynamism. This volume presents novel techniques and i…[Read more]

ویتمن ایرانی: فراتر از پذیرش ادبی ــ که به پذیرش والت ویتمن، شاعر نامدار آمریکایی، در یک دورۀ تقریباً صد ساله در ایران معاصر می‌پردازد ــ دارای نُه فصل، مقدمه، مؤخره و ضمیمه است. کتابِ حاضر تحقیقی بینارشته‌ای است: از سویی ادبیات تطبیقی (پذیرش ادبی، تأثیرپژوهی و تصویرشناسی) و نقد ادبی (تاریخ‌گرایی نو)، و از سوی دیگر مطالعات ترجمه (ترجمه و ای…[Read more]

Correspondences can be identified between (on the one hand) androcentric cosmogonies, ancestral misogyny and tribal blood rituals, and (on the other) the classical paradigm of vampirism, especially in its literary and on-screen flowering. Specifically, the initiatory culture-hero and the archetypal vampire both confer a haematologically-mediated…[Read more]

This blog post tells the story behind the Camden Teamsters Memorial in John Street, Camden, NSW.
The memorial is a tribute to the teamsters, bullockies and carriage drivers who travelled the Yerranderie Road between the mining town of Yerranderie and Camden through the Burragorang Valley.
The memorial has a rear wheel from a flat-top wagon, a…[Read more]

This article re-analyses in detail the meaning of the expression ludi Graeci which appears in two of Cicero’s letters (Ad Fam. 7,1 and Ad Att. 15,5). A careful examination of the first instance reveals that ludi Graeci indeed referred to theatrical performances in Greek language and not merely to Latin plays that followed Greek models. A brief s…[Read more]

A priori, la mise en scène de représentations théâtrales semble bien éloignée d’autres types de spectacles plus violents organisés dans le monde romain, souvent à l’occasion de triomphes militaires. Toutefois, il convient de s’interroger sur l’éventuelle « violence culturelle » qui pourrait se cacher derrière l’organisation de jeux théâtraux gre…[Read more]

This blog post gives an overview of the Camden Material and Colour Guide. The guide provides property owners of heritage buildings in the Camden Heritage Conservation Area with tips and hints on restoration and conservation of their houses. The guide provides colour schemes on building exteriors and interiors by housing styles between 1840 and…[Read more]

At Christmas, Christians celebrate that Jesus was born on December 25 as the son of God andthe Virgin Mary. But this event is not unique. In this article, I show that the birth of Jesus hasseveral non-Christian predecessors, whereby various elements of the ritual dynamics have beenChristianized and implemented into the figure we know today as Jesus Christ.

This blog post is about a spring festival in Camden, NSW, called Celebrate Camden.
The brainchild of Vicki Sutherland from the Camden Chamber of Commerce, it aimed to promote Camden as a viable tourist and shopping destination.
The festival had mixed success and was held in 1994 and 1995, to be replaced by the Cowpastures Bicentennial.

All around the community in the Macarthur region are cultural artefacts that are representations of the settler-colonial narrative of the Cowpastures, which was variously a colonial frontier, a government reserve, and a formal region.
Today, the material culture of the Cowpastures is hidden in plain sight and appears to have been ‘forgotten’ by…[Read more]

This is a preprint of the Conclusion to a book called A History of Camden Chinese Market Gardeners 1899-1993 edited by Ian Willis and others

Comprised of soft glacial cliffs and sandy beaches, the southeastern coastline of Ireland is dominated by unconsolidated Quaternary-aged sediments with fewer rock exposures than Ireland’s other coasts. Facing Britain across a rough sea, County Wexford has been prone to incursions from both political and environmental forces throughout history. T…[Read more]