On the back of the successful inaugural WA State Heritage & History Conference "Connections" held in May 2017 with more than 350 attendees we are pleased to announce that the second conference will take place on 28 to 30 April 2019 with the theme 'Handle with Care'.

Places, stories and collections face many threats. Environment, time, misuse, neglect or even misguided good intent can corrode, corrupt or devalue. As custodians and curators we are familiar with conservation and care in the physical context. This conference, however, also seeks to explore other elements of heritage, history and collections that may need to be ‘handled with care’.

‘Dark heritage’ is a concept that recognises the need to reflect all elements of the past in understanding and interpreting a place. This may include uncomfortable truths, or historical perspectives that have previously been hidden from view. Without proper guidance there is a risk of sensationalism, using history to shock and thrill and trivialising events whose impact may still be felt within current generations.

When handled with care and sensitivity, these darker elements of our past have the potential to build a full understanding of a place; to provide the visitor, tourist or student with a balanced and informed history; to respect and acknowledge the impacts of past acts.

The History Council is a member of the Advisory Committee and there will be a wealth of papers on history as well as heritage and this year, in an exciting development, heritage and history will be fundamental to papers focussing on tourism.

Keynote speakers include Professor Lyndall Ryan AM FAHA from the University of Newcastle’s Centre for the History of Violence. She is widely respected for her impressive on-going work in mapping Australia’s massacre sites. More information is at https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/lyndall-ryan
The core conference will take place over two days on 29th and 30th April 2019 at The Westin Hotel, situated in the heart of the Hibernian Place in Murray St Perth. There will be additional events scheduled around the conference dates. 

For more details see https://meetingmasters.eventsair.com/QuickEventWebsitePortal/washhc2019/washhc