Honest History

Honest History promotes balanced consideration of Australian history by offering contesting, evidence-based interpretations to students, teachers, universities, journalists and the public. We challenge the misuse of history to serve political or other agendas.

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The ‘sacred’ War Memorial that is destroying itself. And now the costs are blowing out – total $548m so far but probably more to come!

Heritage Guardians: a campaign against the $548m extensions to the Australian War Memorial; War Memorial responses on Frontier Wars; Minister watching closely what is now a $548m project – at least; analysis of the secret $50m boost under Morrison

The War Memorial splurge – and the rest

Perverse priorities in Australian spending on cultural institutions (ABC)

Frontier Wars retreat at the War Memorial

War Memorial Council Chair Kim Beazley’s two recent interviews parsed; More lunge-parry-thrust at Senate Estimates, including on Frontier Wars; War Memorial is again running away from the Frontier Wars; Estimates Committee transcript shows the extent of the Memorial’s backsliding as former Chair Nelson flies out to London; Henry Reynolds and Rachel Perkins at the National Press Club; War Memorial misses opportunity to clarify confusion about Frontier Wars; Media reports 9-18 November; Media roundup on Frontier Wars at the Australian War Memorial: RSL grumbles, united front crumbles; Encouraging noises from the War Memorial about future recognition and commemoration of the Frontier Wars – but is the Memorial backsliding under conservative pressure?

Cultural policy: why do some institutions do well while others rot?

Frank Bongiorno and Michelle Arrow on the crisis in Australian spending on cultural institutions (see graph above for one aspect)

Michael Piggott on the current moves to develop a cultural policy for Australia

Mark Baker in Inside Story on the parlous state of digitisation of World War II records (while the War Memorial big build goes on)

And there’s this

Alison Broinowski reviews Clinton Fernandes’ book, Subimperial Power: Australia in the International Arena

Phil Cashen (Shire at War blog) probes the term ‘service and sacrifice’ as it applied to the Great War

Greg Lockhart two-part article to mark 50 years since the final Australian Army parade in South Vietnam

Undue influence and the revolving door: Michelle Fahy writes about gunrunners and their power

Richard Broinowski reviews Paddy Manning’s biography of Lachlan Murdoch

Funny figuring in financing the Memorial’s big build: $5om extra bounces around the Budgets

Looking back

Australia is more than Anzac – and always has been