Launch of the NSWRC's Local History Project

On the December 13th representatives from government, community organisations and over thirty Local Reconciliation Groups gathered to hear the Director General of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Ms Jody Broun, officially launch the NSW Reconciliation Council's Local History Project.

Ms Jody Broun is pictured above with the newly elected chair Mr Paul Newman.

The Local History Project is an exciting new initiative by the NSW Reconciliation Council. The project provides a grant of $40,000 over four years to one Local Reconciliation Group in NSW to identify a significant local historic event and commemorate or recognise its significance.

The Project will provide resources and support for a Local Reconciliation Group to develop and promote the symbol. The project provides a great opportunity for a Local Reconciliation Group to move reconciliation forward in their community and provide inspiration to other groups across the country.

Applications closed on the 20th April. The grant winner will be announced at the end of April 2004.

Other Grants

There are a range of other grants currently available for groups which have history or heritage projects.

These include the National Library of Australia's Community Heritage Grants scheme. The scheme, which has been in place for a few years, gives grants of up to $8000 to support preservation projects undertaken by community organisations such as local historical societies, public libraries, Indigenous groups and migrant community groups, which hold documentary heritage collections of national significance. This grant closes on the 30th June. For more information visit www.nla.gov.au/chg.


NSW Heritage Office - Aboriginal Heritage Projects
Support is available for projects identifying, conserving or promoting NSW Aboriginal heritage. Funding is available only for projects in which NSW Aboriginal organisations or communities are the project proponent or partner.
There is no deadline for this grant: applications may be submitted to the Heritage Office at any time. Applications are assessed by the Heritage Council's Aboriginal Heritage Committee on a quarterly basis.
Download the application form from the NSW Heritage Office website as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF), or as an MS Word Form. For further information on the program email Adell Hyslop on adell.hyslop@heritage.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 9873 8593.

To return to the NSW Reconciliation Council Home Page Click HERE.

For more detailed information about the Local History Grant program please read on.

Information about the Project

• What is the aim of the project?
• Who can apply?
• What does the project involve?
• Profile of a local Symbol of Reconciliation: the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial

What is the aim of the project?

The aim of the project is to advance reconciliation and increase awareness within the community about reconciliation through the creation of a lasting Symbol of Reconciliation. The Symbol could be an artwork, a resource, a monument or another significant community asset that commemorates an event or some aspect of the shared history of the local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

The grant of $40 000 for the project has been provided by the NSW Government. The project will be a partnership between a local community and the NSW Reconciliation Council. The aim of the grant is to provide a Local Reconciliation Group with the resources to:

1. Consult with the community and conduct research to identify an appropriate local Symbol of Reconciliation and;

2. To commemorate or promote the Symbol.

The project is based on the Symbols of Reconciliation program developed by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Click here for a PDF copy of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation’s Local Symbols of Reconciliation guidelines: “What We Can Do!” (2001) or contact the NSWRC office.

Who can apply?

The project is open to Local Reconciliation Groups (LRGs) who have registered with the NSW Reconciliation Council. A Local Reconciliation Group is a community group whose aims include the advancement of reconciliation. This could include a local faith group, a volunteer group based at a community centre, a social justice collective or a group of volunteers working on reconciliation issues within a larger organisation.

New Local Reconciliation Groups can be formed specifically to tender for the project. It does not cost anything to register as an LRG. Registered groups get access to regular information about reconciliation in NSW and a range of other benefits. For more information visit www.nswrecon.com/ilrg/index.html or contact the NSWRC office on 02 9219 0719 or nswrc@daa.nsw.gov.au.

If you would like to register a Local Reconciliation Group with the NSW Reconciliation Council please visit the Local Groups page and download a registration form.

What does the project involve?

The Local Reconciliation Group which is awarded the grant will be responsible for managing the project on the ground, including forming community partnerships and managing the project’s budget. To be successful the group must be able to show that they have the capacity to manage the project over four years. Groups can choose to join with other groups to tender for the project.

The successful Local Reconciliation Group will be given support and guidance from the project’s Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will include members from the NSW Reconciliation Council, heritage organisations, the Myall Creek Committee & local community stakeholders.

The NSWRC’s Local History Project Guidelines can help your group assess whether they have the capacity to manage the project. Click HERE to download a copy.

Profile of a local Symbol of Reconciliation: the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial

The Myall Creek Massacre Memorial was established in 2001. It is a memorial to the group of 28 unarmed Aboriginal people killed by a gang of stockmen on June 10th 1838. The seven men involved were then sentenced to hang. It was the first time that white people had been hung for murdering Aboriginal people.

The Memorial consists of a large granite boulder with a plaque, erected on a knoll overlooking the site of the massacre at Myall Creek. The path winding up to the monument has seven smaller rocks each containing some of the story, with a seat opposite each rock and situated under trees.
The Memorial brought together the descendants of the victims, survivors and perpetrators of the violence in an act of reconciliation which had implications for the whole community. Each year a commemoration ceremony is held at the site.

For information about the annual Myall Creek Commemoration ceremony visit the Myall Creek webpage at www.nswrecon.com/myall_creek/index.html.

For a transcript of the documentary produced about the Memorial, aired as part of the ABC’s Australian Story program in 2001, visit http://www.abc.net.au/austory/transcripts/s332825.htm.