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| Australian Centre for Indigenous History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Centre for Indigenous History |
| Established | 2006 |
| Location | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Type | Research centre |
| Parent institution | Australian National University |
Australian Centre for Indigenous History is a research centre based at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory focusing on Indigenous histories across Australia. The centre engages with Indigenous communities such as the Yolŋu, Noongar, Arrernte, Torres Strait Islanders, and Koori groups, and collaborates with national institutions including the National Museum of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. It situates Indigenous histories alongside events like the Mabo case, the Bringing Them Home report, the 1967 Australian referendum, the High Court of Australia decisions, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The centre was established within the School of History at the Australian National University following policy debates tied to inquiries such as the Stolen Generations investigations and the aftermath of the Bringing Them Home report, responding to research priorities set by bodies like the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Founding activities connected with scholars who had worked on topics such as the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) litigation, the Wik Peoples v Queensland cases, and colonial encounters memorialized in events like the Black War and the Frontier Wars. The centre's history intersects with institutional reforms at the National Museum of Australia and legal milestones including the Native Title Act 1993.
The centre's mission aligns with aims articulated in statements like the Uluru Statement from the Heart and frameworks promoted by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Objectives include documenting oral histories similar to projects conducted by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, producing scholarship at venues such as the Australian Historical Studies and the Journal of Pacific History, and informing policy debates related to inquiries like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. It seeks to foster partnerships with communities including the Tiwi, Gamilaraay, Wiradjuri, Palawa, and institutions such as the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Research programs span comparative work on colonial processes tied to events like the Frontier Wars and legal histories around the Mabo case and the Native Title Act 1993, as well as projects on cultural revival exemplified by initiatives in Arnhem Land, Torres Strait Islands, and Western Australia. The centre hosts scholars examining archival collections associated with the National Archives of Australia, linguistic programs working with materials on languages such as Kala Lagaw Ya, Yolŋu Matha, and Noongar language, and interdisciplinary collaborations with departments including the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Crawford School of Public Policy, and the Fenner School of Environment and Society.
Archival work engages with repositories like the National Archives of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the State Library of New South Wales, the State Library of Victoria, and community-run archives such as those in Darwin, Northern Territory and Hobart, Tasmania. Collections encompass oral histories, mission records connected to sites such as Hermannsburg, photographic collections tied to photographers like Frank Hurley and documentary traces of events such as the Cape York expeditions. The centre collaborates on digitization with agencies including the Trove platform at the National Library of Australia and specialized projects supported by the Australian Research Council.
Public programs include lecture series in partnership with the National Museum of Australia, exhibitions coordinated with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, and school outreach aligned to curricula developed by state authorities such as the New South Wales Department of Education and the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Educational initiatives reference storytelling traditions practiced by groups like the Gumatj, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, and Torres Strait Islander communities, involve public events timed with commemorations such as NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week, and support teacher resources comparable to those produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Governance structures reflect academic models at the Australian National University and include advisory arrangements with Indigenous leaders who have participated in forums like the Referendum Council and representatives from bodies such as the Peak Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Organisations. Partnerships extend to the National Museum of Australia, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, state cultural institutions such as the South Australian Museum and the State Library of Queensland, and international collaborators including scholars from the University of Otago, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Auckland.
Notable projects include collaborative oral history initiatives that complement inquiries like the Bringing Them Home project, legal-historical analyses of the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) judgment, and community-led digitization efforts mirroring work by the Cultural Heritage Research Centre. Major publications have appeared in journals such as the Australian Historical Studies, the Journal of Pacific History, and monographs published by presses including the ANU Press and the University of Queensland Press. The centre has produced reports informing policy debates involving the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations and contributed to comparative studies with partners at institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.
Category:Research institutes in the Australian Capital Territory Category:Australian National University