HTAA Conference 2026Many Stories, Many Voices
Hosted by Queensland History Teachers Association
2 Day Conference
1 Day Conference
Abstract
In China's growing international ambitions and influence, Australia faces arguably the greatest geopolitical challenge it has ever faced. For the first time since the end of World War II, we contemplate the prospect of our region being dominated by a great power whose values we don't share. As the challenge has become ever more acute over the past decade, Australian leaders have reached for historical analogies to try to understand the nature of the problem. Most regularly, these have been taken from European history: the appeasement of Hitler at Munich; and the confrontation with the Soviet Union in the early Cold War. What is clear however, is that Australia's neighbours in Southeast Asia are relying on very different historical understandings to contemplate China's rising power. This lecture will explore the implications of using different histories to understand current geopolitical challenges.
About the Speaker
Michael Wesley is Professor of Politics and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, Culture and Engagement at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses around three themes: Australian foreign policy, particularly in relation to the Asia Pacific; Asia Pacific security competition and geopolitics, and state-building interventions. His work on Australian foreign policy began with a collaboration with Allan Gyngell, a long-term practitioner, on a book about how Australian foreign policy is made, Making Australian Foreign Policy (Cambridge, 2003, second edition 2007). He has also explored traditions of thought in Australian foreign policy, comparative approaches to foreign policy by Labor and Coalition governments (The Howard Paradox: Australian Diplomacy in Asia 1996-2006, ABC Books, 2007) and the objectives, techniques and dilemmas of Australian foreign policy in Asia (There Goes the Neighbourhood: Australia and the Rise of Asia, NewSouth Books, 2011).
1A: It's Everyone's History! Differentiation in the Secondary Classroom
Kath Burke and Peter Leete
Abstract
We have always firmly believed that History is for everyone. History encourages students to think critically, communicate clearly and engage with the world around them. The recent open letter to the Albanese Government regarding the importance of revitalising Humanities and Arts degrees at universities, and the supporting arguments put forward by corporations valuing the ‘soft-skills’ so important to 21st century thinking further underscore that these are vital skills we are teaching here! So how do we open these opportunities to students who may struggle to access the curriculum? Why is it important that we try? Can History studies offer an alternative to the traditional vocational pathway, and what does this look like in the classroom? In this workshop, we will look at differentiation strategies in junior school and how this led to the development of St Margaret Mary’s College’s History Skills subject in senior school.
About the Presenter
Kath has been teaching Humanities for over 25 years. She is an unashamed History nerd. Kath has been Head of Humanities at SMMC since 2019, where she enjoys teaching History across Years 7–12, and shared running of Diplomats’ Club where students discuss History, Politics and anything quirky. Peter Leete has been teaching Humanities for over 20 years. He has been at SMMC since 2014, teaching Humanities across junior and senior school. Ancient History in all its forms is his passion, and he inspires his students to witness the relevance and impact of the ancient world on the world around them today.
1B: Source Analysis Skills: Back to Basics
Crystal Wieringa
Abstract
Developing effective source analysis skills is essential to understanding History. Students need to be equipped with the skills to determine the perspective of primary and secondary sources and then analyse the credibility and usefulness of the information presented. How do we empower our students to identify hidden agendas, understand context and construct evidence-based arguments in a meaningful and engaging way? We need to go back to the basic building blocks of interpreting historical sources - understanding the historical skills and what they mean. This workshop will unpack the historical skills and examine how students can question historical sources to understand the information they are being presented with.
About the Presenter
Crystal Wieringa is a passionate Humanities and Modern History teacher who has held a diverse range of roles in a variety of educational settings throughout her 15-year teaching career. Crystal has a special interest in designing engaging lessons that are accessible for all students and is hugely enthusiastic about Humanities being a significant area of study for young people. Crystal has been an executive committee member of the History Teacher’s Association of WA (HTAWA) since 2011, and has enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with teachers, facilitate professional learning and organise conferences in this uniquely rewarding role.
1C: Evaluating in Ancient History (QCAA Ancient History Syllabus)
Danielle Flower
Abstract
This workshop is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the Evaluating criterion in the QCAA Ancient History syllabus. Participants will engage in practical activities that develop their understanding of how judgments about the reliability of evidence in sources are made, and how the marking guides in the 2025 syllabus are applied. The workshop will also provide opportunities for participants to ask questions to clarify their understanding of this criterion and to reflect on how new understandings can be incorporated into existing teaching and learning resources.
About the Presenter
Danielle Flower is the Principal Education Officer for Ancient History at the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. She has over 15 years of experience in history education, working as an Experienced Senior Teacher and Head of Department in both regional and metropolitan state schools in Queensland, as well as in various roles at the QCAA. Her favourite historical personality to teach is Alexander the Great.
1D: Education and Gen AI: Meeting new challenges, creating new opportunities
Anthony Barnett
Abstract
This presentation explores the current debate around the relationships between History education, pedagogy and artificial intelligence. This is placed in the wider context of educational technology including AI in education, and the emergence of generative AI since 2022. The presentation considers how AI tools may be used to support students, teachers and institutions, including for research, feedback, resource creation and administrative work. It also examines key challenges, such as the reliability of AI tools, the role of cognitive struggle, academic integrity, professional judgement and the possible deskilling of educators.
About the Presenter
Anthony Barnett is experienced in educational technology and artificial intelligence applications in teaching. He is researching the intersection of AI and pedagogy, seeking to develop practical frameworks for integrating new technologies in educational settings.
1E: The American Revolution at 250: Tacitus has entered the chat
Dr Craig Johnston
Abstract
Tacitus was an acute critic of the heirs of Augustus, exposing the gap between the republic’s self-congratulating myths and the sordid realities of power. Reviewing the American Revolution at 250, he would recognise many of its features. A nation founded on lofty republican virtue battling the very vices it claimed to banish: factional frenzy, imperial ambition dressed as “manifest destiny”, leaders who mistake theatrics for statesmanship, and citizens who mistake noise for liberty. When the Founders warned of tyranny they did not anticipate it might arrive wearing a flag lapel pin. This paper turns a Tacitean gaze on the Revolution and its long aftermath. Rather than asking whether the American experiment has succeeded, it asks how much of its own mythology it now believes and invites participants to reconsider how the Revolution is remembered, what its legacy now signifies, and how the experiment is faring in the 21st century.
About the Presenter
As a secondary teacher, Dr Craig Johnston taught senior Ancient and Modern History, and since 2021 he has lectured in History Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His PhD in History, from the University of Edinburgh, focused on constructions of identity in a multicultural world, so it is no surprise that he is drawn to the ideals and philosophies that underpin the American Revolution. Craig aims to mould the minds and identities of the next generation of History teachers. Or so his students let him believe.
1F: Unpacking Historical Causation: Practical Strategies for the History Classroom
Gerard Alford
Abstract
Understanding cause and effect is central to effective History teaching across the Years 7–10 curriculum - from the First World War and Building Modern Australia to the Industrial Revolution and the decline of the Roman Empire, to name just a few. Yet helping middle-school students move beyond simple cause-and-effect lists to a deeper, more nuanced understanding can be challenging. This practical, hands-on workshop explores a range of high-impact pedagogical approaches that support students to identify, analyse, and evaluate causes and consequences with increasing sophistication. Participants will engage with ready-to-use classroom strategies that help students build historical thinking skills, recognise complexity and interconnection, and develop richer explanations of historical change and continuity. Participants will leave with adaptable tools and approaches that strengthen student understanding across multiple historical contexts - while making cause and effect thinking visible, rigorous, and engaging. Please bring laptops/tablets to this session.
About the Presenter
Gerard has over 20 years' experience as a full-time Secondary School teacher in a range of independent schools in three Australian states and the UK, where he held a number of different senior positions including Head of Faculty, Director of Studies and Dean of Staff. He has a further 17+ years' experience as a respected education consultant, best-selling author and education resource developer. He is a well-established author of education resources and is the Director of one of the largest education resource companies in Australia: itc Publications.
1G: The Value of the Three-Level Guide for Historical Inquiry
Dr Glenn Davies
Abstract
The Three-Level Guide strategy is an effective way to improve reading comprehension and the subsequent writing, as well as develop higher order thinking. Three-Level Guides were developed by Herber (1970) as a means of improving reading comprehension. Step 1: Literal Comprehension (reading on the lines to see what is actually said). Step 2: Interpretative Comprehension (reading between the lines to make inferences about what the author might mean). Step 3: Applied Comprehension (reading beyond the lines to make association with other knowledge, to solve problems, and to modify existing perceptions). The support for the Three-Level Guide strategy emanated from the 1980s, when the Learning to Learn through Reading (LTLTR) in-service program was implemented across Queensland. This workshop will demonstrate how to write Three-Level Guides, with a focus on Senior Ancient History.
About the Presenter
Dr Glenn Davies has been an ancient history teacher in Queensland state schools since 1992. He has been a Head of Department since 1997, lectured in History Method at Australian Catholic University, and is currently Head of Social Sciences at Craigslea SHS in northern Brisbane. He has been a member of the QHTA Management Committee since 2003, presented at State and National History Conferences, participated in various QCAA State committees and LARCs, and written seven secondary history textbooks. In 2023 he was one of the recipients of QHTA’s ‘Outstanding History Teacher Award’.
1H: Highlighting Her Story: Including women's historical voices in the classroom
Kelly Chase
Abstract
Our classrooms are often made up of 50% girls, yet when you leaf through the pages of many textbooks, women are rarely mentioned- even in periods of history lasting more than 700 years. In this session, you will learn some practical tips for being more inclusive of women’s stories within the Middle Years curriculum to show the next generation of women that they are worthy of making history and make young men aware that women have always been in history in positions of power and leadership. You will leave this session inspired by the plethora of women who have been hiding in history.
About the Presenter
Kelly Chase is a history teacher at St Hilda’s School and has been teaching for 24 years. She has a passion for ensuring that women’s stories are represented in the history classroom. In 2020, Kelly started the History Detective Podcast as a practical resource for teachers to use while teaching online, that has now expanded into the History Detective YouTube. Since then, she has released more than100 episodes of the podcast. She has also released a book called History, Her Story, Our Story: Inspirational Women Who Shaped Our World. In 2023 she was awarded the Outstanding History Teacher Award by the QHTA
Teaching the 'Forgotten War': A Korean War Resource for Australian Classrooms
Dr Denis Mootz and Megan Tucker
Abstract
This workshop launches a national online resource developed by the History Teachers’ Association of Australia in partnership with the Korean War Legacy Foundation. Drawing on educational and archival materials from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Australian War Memorial, and the National Archives of Australia, the project supports teachers in effectively incorporating the Korean War into Australian school curricula. The resource provides curriculum-aligned readings, digital sources, classroom activities, and adaptable lesson ideas for Years 9–12. Participants will explore practical strategies for embedding the Korean War within studies of the Cold War, Australia’s military history, and post-1945 international relations. The session highlights ways to engage students in historical inquiry, empathy, and critical thinking while connecting Australia’s involvement in Korea to broader global and contemporary contexts — ensuring the so-called “Forgotten War” is both remembered and meaningfully taught in Australian classrooms.
About the Presenter
Dr Denis Mootz is an education consultant and former Head of History with four decades of classroom experience across New South Wales. A long-serving leader in history education, he has been Vice-President of the PTC NSW and Treasurer of HTANSW. Denis lectured in History Method at UNSW, edited Teaching History for 28 years, and contributed to Macquarie University’s Museum of Ancient Cultures. Megan Tucker is a Senior History Teacher and 7–12 Literacy/HASS Curriculum Leader at Kadina Memorial School, South Australia. She is Vice President of HTASA and serves on AHA committees, focusing on curriculum design and resource development.
Introducing Archaeological Knowledge and Analysis through Australian Examples
Georgia Williams
Abstract
Archaeological knowledge is essential for all history students. As such, archaeological skills and knowledge are being increasingly included in the Australian Curriculum (2022, Version 9) and in new state and territory curricula and syllabi. Exciting examples include Queensland’s Senior Ancient History unit ‘Digging up the Past’ (2025); the New South Wales Sequence 4 Depth Study ‘The Ancient Past’ (2025); and Victoria’s Year 7 unit ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' knowledge and understandings (Deep Time to the modern era)’ (2025). This workshop will equip teachers with foundational archaeological knowledge directly linked to current curricula and syllabi. The focus here will be on Australian archaeology rather than examples from overseas. You will learn ways in which case studies of Australian archaeology and archaeologists can be used in your classroom to meet content descriptors and inquiry questions, showing you how you can foreground local and national deep time history across the Year 7-12 curriculum.
About the Presenter
Georgia Williams is a qualified archaeologist and educator, working full time at Bremer State High School (SE QLD) as a Humanities and English teacher. She is also the co-chair of the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and Learning.
Not Over Yet? The French Revolution in Light of Recent Scholarship
Professor Andrew Bonnell
Abstract
It is now nearly half a century since the French historian François Furet wrote (in 1978): "The French Revolution is over". This was taken as a provocation by many French historians at the time. The bicentenary of the French Revolution in 1989 saw continuing debates over the legacy and continuing meaning of the French Revolution, both within France and internationally. Scholarly interest in the French Revolution remains undiminished, and the history of this period is still being reassessed and debated. This session will examine recent developments in historical writing on the revolution and reflect on developments in the scholarship such as the causes of the revolution, the cultural history of the revolution, the role of women, the meaning of the "Terror", and the global and transnational dimensions of the revolution. There will be time to consider the implications of such work for the senior history curriculum.
About the Presenter
Professor Andrew Bonnell's research interests include: Modern German and European history; German cultural and intellectual history in social and political context; and the history of German Social Democracy. Professor Bonnell holds a BA (Hons) (Sydney), and a PhD (Sydney). He is currently Professor in History at UQ. His teaching areas include Modern German history, European intellectual history, European fascism and the radical right, Film and history and Nationalism.
Student Voices: Learning History with AI (Panel)
Vince Wall - students and AI
Abstract
Know the learners and how they learn! What does AI in History feel like from the student side of the desk? This session features a panel of secondary students sharing their experiences of learning History in classrooms where AI is used intentionally and critically. Students speak to issues of voice, agency, connection, and meaning-making as they navigate historical inquiry, evidence, and research with AI at their fingertips. The panel offers educators an authentic opportunity to listen - to students themselves- about what matters to them in AI-supported history learning and to reflect on how pedagogy, presence, and professional judgement still matter!
About the Presenter
Vince is an award winning and highly accomplished Australian History teacher with nearly 40 years of classroom experience. He has worked in a variety of leadership roles. He currently leads his school’s integration of AI into the teaching and learning process. He’s a published author with postgraduate qualifications in both educational leadership and history. He’s a PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland. Vince has published numerous articles on history, pedagogy, and educational technology.
DNA: Awakening new voices and stories from the past
David Boon
Abstract
Analysis of ancient and modern DNA is providing insights that challenge and expand interpretations of Greek, Roman and Viking empires. This presentation explores how analysis of ancient DNA identifies the ethnic origins of people in those empires, the expansion of empires and their impact on modern populations. Challenging stereotypes, myths and assumptions, this presentation shows how science and history can come together to create more accurate pictures of the past. It will bring to life the stories and voices of everyday individuals from those empires and their connection to modern individuals, including the presenter in the case of the Vikings. Links will be made to specific content within Years 7 and 8 of the Australian Curriculum, and how knowledge of DNA studies can enhance the teaching of Greek, Roman and Viking empires.
About the Presenter
David Boon taught for three decades in primary and secondary schools in Tasmania. He was a HASS curriculum officer with the Tasmanian Department from 2016 until 2022, including a secondment to ACARA for the review of the Australian Curriculum in 2020/21. David is a past-president and life member of the Tasmanian History Teachers' Association and has presented at numerous HTAA conferences. He is an author of teacher education texts and works on a number of history and curriculum projects. As a DNA search angel, he combines analysis of DNA and historical research to help those searching for biological families. David is currently ACARA acting curriculum specialist HASS.
Herodotus: Framing the East vs West dichotomy. Assumptions, Fictions Falsehoods and Fantasie
Dr Alan Barrie
Abstract
The concept of "WESTERN CIVILISATION", or, the "Western tradition" has become a politically loaded term, supported by right wing conservatives and maligned by the left. This 'debate' has been exacerbated in Australia with the creation of the Ramsey Centre for Western Civilisation, and former PM Tony Abbott's recent release of his History of Australia, extolling the virtues of the 'West'. Given the shared global values of today, I think there is much more common ground to be found between modernity and Ancient Persia than there is with Greece and Rome - the supposed 'foundation civilisations' of the 'West'. And what, or who, is to blame for this fallacy of Western superiority ... we have to go back to HERODOTUS.
About the Presenter
Dr Alan J Barrie is a university tutor and secondary school teacher in Queensland Australia. Having attended the Universities of Queensland and Cambridge, he has been a teacher, examiner, syllabus writer, resource consultant, conference presenter and lead author of Senior Ancient History for Queensland, (Cambridge University Press), 2019, and 2nd Edition, 2025.
Spreading the word - promoting History at your school
Cathy Baron
Abstract
This session is aimed at sharing ideas to promote and increase the value of History at your school.
About the Presenter
As a teacher for over 30 years, Cathy has a passion for History education! She is President of HTAA and HTAWA, a school principal, and continues to develop resources and teacher's professional learning.
Collections-based learning with State Library of Queensland
Troy Bullock
Abstract
This hands-on Show and Tell session introduces newly released student learning modules and teacher-ready resources that incorporate primary sources, object-based learning, and digital collections to spark inquiry, deepen understanding, and support curriculum outcomes. Bring history off the page and into the classroom using State Library of Queensland’s collections! In this session, participants will: • explore practical ways to incorporate State Library collections into history teaching and inquiry-based learning • engage with case studies drawn from Queensland’s war history and significant First Nations perspectives • consider ideas for using learning modules as stimulus for assessment, including real-world applications and internal assessment tasks • discover opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom through online resources and live programs Ideal for teachers looking for ready-to-use, ACARA 9.0 aligned resources, this session offers practical strategies and fresh inspiration for educators across all states and territories, regardless of location or access to physical collections.
About the Presenter
Troy Bullock is the Program Officer, Schools Engagement at the State Library of Queensland Troy spends his days hosting interactive, live-streamed workshops for State Library of Queensland teaching students research strategies and sharing Queensland stories through State Library’s impressive heritage collections. He is a qualified and experienced secondary teacher with a long career producing some of Australia’s best and most innovative digital education products for companies including Jacaranda Wiley Publishers and the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Around the Big-History Campfire: Deep-time stories and voices - hope for climate futures
Dr Marilyn Ahearn; Dr Max Barnett; Marisa Colonna
Abstract
This interactive workshop reflects on an emerging 13.8-billion-year history of our universe, exploring how deep-time stories and voices can spark hope in the face of climate crises. This workshop uses the lens of Big History to explore past/present future voices (https://www.oerproject.com/Big-History) and draws upon two PhD studies, one based on primary students’ environmental education and the second on societal responses to collapse. It is relevant to primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Transdisciplinary thinking blends history and science with critical thinking, exploring transformative worldviews beyond a fragmented human-centred lens. Participants will engage with past and present voices to explore strategies to meet future complex needs through open-ended mind-mapping and creative responses (e.g. art, poetry, prose). Participants will explore how awe and wonder can inspire wider worldviews to tackle complex, wicked environmental problems—and why history’s stories and voices, connecting past/present/ future, matter in building hopeful futures.
About the Presenter
Dr Maximillian Barnett is an Associate Lecturer at Macquarie University Law School, teaching in law and world history. He is a member of the International Big History Association (IBHA) and the World History Association. Dr Marilyn Ahearn is a primary school teacher and an adjunct lecturer in Education at Southern Cross University, Gold Coast. She is a member of Sustainability, Environment and the Arts in Education Research Centre. Marisa Colonna is an experienced primary school teacher who studied Big History in her BA DipEd at Macquarie University. She has been teaching Big History for 10 years.
The End of the Soviet Union
Clair Monnickendam
Abstract
The new Queensland External Examination topic Cold War: The End of the Soviet Union offers rich opportunities for deep historical inquiry in senior secondary classrooms. This session provides History educators with possible content that can shape an engaging and rigorous unit of work—from political stagnation and economic decline to reform, resistance, nationalism, and the dissolution of Soviet authority. Drawing on primary sources, including speeches, policy documents, memoirs, visual propaganda, and media reports, alongside major historical interpretations, this presentation will share strategies for helping students analyse, evaluate, and synthesise evidence with confidence. Participants will explore practical approaches for teaching competing perspectives, constructing historical arguments, and supporting students’ cognitive processes in preparation for the external assessment. In addition they will leave with some source sets for use in their own classrooms.
About the Presenter
A nerdy girl with a bad habit for history, Clair Monnickendam is a Highly Accomplished Teacher and the Vice President of the Queensland History Teachers’ Association. She has taught in both state and independent schools across metropolitan Brisbane and is passionate about helping students make meaningful connections between the past and the present. Clair also works as a Sessional Tutor at QUT, teaching third- and fourth‑year education students and supporting the next generation of History educators.
Judgments about the reliability of evidence from historical sources and the Queensland Modern History Syllabus
Dr Ben Gowlett
Abstract
Through the lens of the Queensland Modern History Syllabus (Modern History Syllabus), this presentation seeks to enhance participants’ understanding of the Evaluating criterion when it is applied to the making of judgments about the reliability of evidence from historical sources. To achieve this objective, the presentation discusses: the notion of reliability; the role and significance ascribed to reliability; the type of information that is often cited when explaining judgments focused on the reliability of evidence from historical sources; and how the marking guides in the Modern History Syllabus seek to differentiate between various types of judgments related to the reliability of evidence from historical sources.
About the Presenter
Dr Ben Gowlett is the Principal Education Officer for Modern History at the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Ben has also lectured in the History Curriculum Courses at the University of Queensland’s School of Education. Ben comes to the world of history teaching with a Doctorate focused on Asian History, First Class Honours in History, an Australian Postgraduate Award, and the University of Queensland’s Devahuti Prize in History.
Teaching, Learning, and Assessing History in the Age of AI (Panel)
Vince Wall - AI panel
Abstract
This expert panel brings together leading voices from curriculum scholarship, system leadership, school-based practice, and classroom research to examine what it means to teach, learn, and assess with integrity in an age of AI. Chaired by Dr Alison Bedford, Senior Lecturer in History Education at the University of Southern Queensland, the panel features Jo Butterworth, Executive Director of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority; Jenny Knight, Assistant Principal - Pedagogy and Innovation at FisherONE; and Vince Wall, a highly experienced History teacher, academic researcher, and practitioner working at the intersection of AI, pedagogy, and assessment. The discussion explores curriculum intent, assessment design, academic integrity, and the role of professional judgement as AI reshapes schooling - focusing on how educators can balance innovation with rigour, clarity, and trust.
About the Presenter
Vince is an award winning and highly accomplished Australian History teacher with nearly 40 years of classroom experience. He has worked in a variety of leadership roles. He currently leads his school’s integration of AI into the teaching and learning process. He’s a published author with postgraduate qualifications in both educational leadership and history. He’s a PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland. Vince has published numerous articles on history, pedagogy, and educational technology.
Teaching "Resistance"
Dr Kirk Graham
Abstract
From Medea and Spartacus to Toussaint Louverture, the Luddites, Pemulwuy, and the Pankhursts, history's rebels can offer a particularly illuminating window on the past, not least because the diverse political, social and cultural forms that "resistance" takes is contingent on the societies in which it emerges. After establishing the ethical value of teaching resistance, as well as its positive impact on student engagement, this workshop will propose an approach to history teaching that develops the concept of "resistance" as a tool for historical understanding; using the contested example of anti-Nazi opposition within the Third Reich, we will explore what "resistance" can teach us about the nature of the Nazi regime, the degree of popular support that Nazism had among Germans, and the implications of resistance, or its lack, for the post-war world.
About the Presenter
Dr Kirk Graham is a History and English teacher at Mount Alvernia College. In 2019 he completed a PhD in history at the University of Queensland on anti-Nazi propaganda, and is the author of British Subversive Propaganda during the Second World War (2021). He has worked at both UQ and QUT as a sessional tutor and occasional lecturer.
Teaching the Holocaust with integrity: Honouring many stories and many voices
Darlene Hill
Abstract
Many Stories, Many Voices provides a unique opportunity to explore how we teach the Holocaust in ways that honour the individual lives, diverse experiences, and enduring legacies embedded within this history. How do we hold space for the multiplicity of voices - the victims, survivors, perpetrators, bystanders, and descendants - all the while maintaining rigorous historical accuracy and moral clarity? Designed for Year 10 History teachers, this session aligns explicitly with the Australian Curriculum v9 content and skills descriptors; however, teachers of all year levels will be able to extrapolate from this session for their own units of work. Participants will engage with evidence-based strategies that strengthen students’ capacity to analyse sources, evaluate interpretations, and construct well-reasoned historical arguments. The workshop also foregrounds key General Capabilities, including Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding, and Critical and Creative Thinking, supporting reflective and responsible engagement with complex pasts. Practical approaches for fostering emotional safety, navigating challenging conversations, and ensuring this history is taught without sensationalism, distortion, or simplification will be explored. By embracing both scholarly rigour and compassionate pedagogy, teachers will be equipped to guide students through the many stories and many voices of the Holocaust with the sensitivity and seriousness it demands.
About the Presenter
Darlene Hill is Head of Department – Humanities and Library at Kepnock State High School in Bundaberg. A passionate and awarded History educator, she is dedicated to fostering deep historical thinking and strengthening evidence-based pedagogical practice at local, state, and national levels. Darlene has presented at QHTA and History Teachers Association of Australia national conferences, sharing practical strategies for engaging students in rigorous historical inquiry. She received the 2025 QHTA Outstanding History Teacher Award and is a participant in the 2026 Gandel Holocaust Studies Program, further enriching her expertise in Holocaust education.
Designing quality assessment: The transition to secondary
Greg Sikich
Abstract
How do you know your History assessment program is truly impactful? Does it spark student curiosity? Does it use the achievement standard with precision to assess subject-specific skills? In this workshop, we will jump into hands-on activities that ignite a deep dive into the Years 6–8 History achievement standards. With a strong focus on middle-years learning, you will interrogate a sample History investigation, test its alignment to the achievement standard and use these insights to reflect on the design of year-level appropriate assessment within your own contexts. You will also explore a range of QCAA resources designed to strengthen your professional capacity in designing high-quality, purposeful assessment.
About the Presenter
Greg Sikich is Principal Project Officer: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), with the Australian Curriculum K–10 Branch at the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).
The National History Challenge in your classroom
Liz McGinnis
Abstract
Every History classroom develops investigation, interpretation and communication skills. The FREE National History Challenge provides an authentic audience for your students’ work. Students may choose their own topic or you can direct them to fit your teaching program. Entries from Years 1 to 12 can be in any format. All the historical skills and understanding you work so hard to inculcate can be displayed. Why not make the NHC a whole class assessment or use it to encourage specific students? As well as the joy of producing a fine piece of work, your students may even win prizes!! What’s not to like? In this workshop you will not only learn about the Challenge, but will discover how to incorporate its elements into your teaching. An interactive approach will be taken.
About the Presenter
Liz McGinnis is Vice President of the HTAA and Chair of the National History Challenge. She has taught senior History in both WA and the ACT and been a head of department for many years. Liz has more than 40 years active involvement in HTAA affiliates and believes passionately in their mutual aid philosophy.
'The Assisi Underground' and the importance of Year 10 History
David Grimes
Abstract
This workshop explores The Assisi Underground as a compelling case study of moral courage during the Holocaust, highlighting its strong alignment with Year 10 History. With the 2025 NSSAB report confirming that History is no longer compulsory in Year 10, it is more important than ever to advocate for its role in developing ethical understanding, civic awareness, and historical literacy. The session offers practical strategies, testimony, and inquiry-based approaches that engage students meaningfully in rights, freedoms, and global conflict.
About the Presenter
David Grimes is an accomplished educational leader with over twenty‑five years of experience across Australia and the UK. A Curriculum Leader for Humanities, he has held senior roles including Assistant Principal, Education Services Officer, and Senior Lecturer in Professional Development. David has extensive expertise in curriculum design, teacher quality, professional learning, and whole‑school improvement, with a strong record of leading pedagogical innovation and building high‑performing teams. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he combines deep disciplinary knowledge in History with a commitment to evidence‑based practice, leadership coaching, and cultivating learning cultures that enhance student outcomes
Dismantling the rules-based international order?
Dr Brian Hoepper
Abstract
This workshop examines the claim that the so-called ‘rules-based international order’ is being eroded, asks whether that ‘order’ has actually lived up to its aspirational title, and considers what might emerge in its place. They are questions vital for the students whose adult lives will extend many decades from today. The workshop activities will problematise the terms ‘rules’ and ‘order’, examining how they’ve been applied and whether they have actually advanced the peace, security and livelihood of all the world’s people. Similarly, participants will discuss whether current geopolitical trends are likely to serve - or possibly obstruct - those interests.
About the Presenter
Dr Brian Hoepper has been active in the field of History education for five decades as a classroom teacher, university lecturer and independent curriculum adviser. He has been involved in textbook authorship, syllabus/curriculum development, conference presentations and teacher professional development. Brian is interested particularly in critical inquiry and educating for social justice and sustainability. Brian is a past president, life member and patron of QHTA.
Visible and misrepresented - ancient women through the case study of Cleopatra
Sarah Coleman - Cleopatra
Abstract
This session explores one of the most enigmatic figures of the ancient world - Cleopatra VII Philopator - as a case study through which to examine how powerful women in the ancient world can be simultaneously visible and misrepresented. Although Cleopatra is one of the most commonly named women across Australian senior Ancient History syllabi, her political authority, economic strategy, and diplomatic skill are frequently overshadowed by narratives shaped by hostile sources and later popular culture. The session foregrounds core disciplinary concepts shared nationally, including sources, perspectives, contestability, and historical interpretation, to demonstrate how we as teachers have the power to challenge reductive portrayals and reposition women as historical actors rather than mere symbols. Participants will leave with strategies for teaching gender, power, and representation while remaining tightly aligned to syllabus expectations and assessment demands.
About the Presenter
Sarah Coleman is an experienced Head of Humanities and Social Sciences, curriculum writer, and senior teacher of Modern History, Ancient History and Literature. With a strong focus on designing rigorous, concept-driven curriculum, she leads whole-school development of critical and creative thinking through explicit disciplinary practices. Sarah is recognised for her expertise in historical thinking—source analysis, contestability, contextualisation, and argumentation—and for delivering high-impact workshops that help teachers translate these skills into broader critical thinking applicable across faculties. She has served as a Subject Matter Expert for QCAA and ACARA, and as a QCAA External Exam Marker, Endorser, Confirmer and Assessment Writer. Sarah has authored curriculum resources for Oxford and Cambridge and works as a casual academic at the University of Southern Queensland. Currently undertaking a PhD on the representation of women in Ancient History curricula, she brings deep disciplinary knowledge and system-level insight to contemporary curriculum and pedagogy.
Two Millennia of Mushrooms and Misogyny
Erika Carlyle-Brauer
Abstract
In this lecture, we examine the chilling historical parallels between Agrippina the Younger and Erin Patterson. We will explore why the 'poisonous woman' remains one of history's most enduring and sensationalised archetypes. By analysing ancient texts from Tacitus alongside true-crime media coverage, we investigate how both women were portrayed as unnatural mothers and domestic monsters. This is an example of how to engage students in learning.
About the Presenter
With over 20 years' experience teaching Ancient History to senior students, Erika brings a wealth of experience in both curriculum knowledge, the science of learning and engaging students.
NSDAP Totalitarianism
Dr Denis Mootz - NSDAP Totalitarianism
Abstract
Sir Richard Evans once described the experience of living in NSDAP Germany as 'complicated'. This presentation will explore and attempt to explain the complications.
About the Presenter
Dr Denis Mootz taught K-12 in NSW schools for more than 40 years. He has worked at University of New South Wales in Teacher Education and at Macquarie University in archaeology and Ancient History. He has presented and been published in regional, state, national and international contexts. He is currently HTAA Secretary and NSW HTA Treasurer.
Adventures in Parallel Investigation - Enabling Student Choice
Kelly Allgood and Nicholas Tuckey
Abstract
This workshop demonstrates how parallel investigations, structured through the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model, can energise History learning and assessments. Drawing on practical examples from Years 7, 8, and 10 History classrooms (mainstream and extension), the session focuses on strategies that boost engagement, strengthen historical thinking, and embed student voice in assessment design. Participants will hear about the challenges and successes in our adventures: building content knowledge, historical skills, and modelling inquiry using a shared exemplar (“I do”/“We do”), then scaffolding and supporting collaborative and independent investigations (“You do together”/“You do individually”) where students select topics from an approved list. Attendees will leave with adaptable templates and planning tools to implement parallel investigations that balance curriculum rigour with choice, fostering deeper learning and ownership.
About the Presenter
Kelly Allgood is an experienced Humanities teacher who genuinely enjoys teaching historical investigation to middle years students. She is passionate about empowering students to have choice in their learning journey and the gains made in engagement and behaviour by also offering that choice in assessments. She and Nicholas were co-teachers in 2025 for a Year 10 History class at Corinda SHS. Nicholas Tuckey is an English and Humanities teacher with over three years’ experience across diverse cohorts in South-East and North Queensland. Recently he has been developing inclusive history teaching strategies to respond to varied interests, abilities, and support needs.
Abstract
My lecture re-examines the life and accomplishments of Julius Caesar, the Roman statesman who continues to inspire new generations of leaders and thinkers. Unquestionably charismatic, Caesar was renowned for his political savvy, military prowess, and public speaking skills, all of which were crucial in turning the struggling Roman Republic into an Empire. Yet Caesar remains a deeply controversial figure, with his portrayal fluctuating between that of a cunning tyrant and a "founding father": his life and impact have been subjects of debate by ancient and modern historians alike, and his murder in 44 BCE inflicted significant trauma on the Roman psyche. A thorough examination of our historical sources is essential for most assessments of Caesar and his leadership style.
About the Speaker
Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides is Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient History at Macquarie, and her career spans over 20 years. She holds degrees from Greece (Aristotle University), the UK (Leeds and Kent), and Australia (MQ). She works on ancient ideas of leadership, political and intellectual, and their reception in Christianity. She has published on Hellenistic monarchy, especially the Seleucids, and on Plato's (metaphors of) ideal states. Her latest monograph is Wine and Ecstasy in Plato, published by SUNY Press (2025). Her research has received funding by the Australian Research Council and the Gerda Henkel Foundation.
About the Speaker
Associate Professor Martin Crotty's research interests include war and Australian society, sports history, masculinity, and education. Martin studied in New Zealand before moving to Australia to undertake postgraduate studies at Monash University and the University of Melbourne. After four years of teaching History at the University of Newcastle in NSW, he took up his current position teaching History at the University of Queensland in early 2003. He has since served as the Deputy Dean of the Graduate School and is the current Head of School for the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry. Martin's major publications include Making the Australian Male: Middle-Class Masculinity, 1870-1920 (1901) and a variety of journal articles, book chapters and edited collections, including The Great Mistakes of Australian History (2006), Turning Points in Australian History (2008) and Anzac Legacies: Australians and the Aftermath of War (2010).
Student Museums - putting History back in the hands of our students
Greg Lally
Abstract
Student museums empower young people by providing them with a sense of agency, building confidence and developing skills through hands-on participation, creative co-creation, and a sense of ownership. They foster skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy by allowing students to create exhibits and gain a deeper understanding of history in a meaningful and self-directed way. This presentation will share experiences in introducing student historical museums into different schools and how historical narratives can empower young people. Student museums can activate the school curriculum in a tangible, experiential way, which can make students want to learn more and even pursue subjects further. As we try to attract more students to select our subjects once they get the option of choice, it is imperative that we show that History can be fun and interesting.
About the Presenter
Greg is Head of Department - Humanities at Kawana Waters State College. Having worked in a variety of complex schools (aren't they all!) including Morayfield State High, Chancellor State High and Bowen State High, one of the main challenges has always been how to maximise student engagement - because as we know, if students are interested in a topic or aspect of History they will thrive. The most enjoyable aspect of History is that there are different perspectives to different events and it is up to students to interpret what actually happened, using the evidence, rather than 'being told' what happened.
Practical strategies for early career teachers in History classrooms
Belinda Card
Abstract
This workshop will be designed for early career teachers (or new to history teaching), offering practical strategies to build confidence and engagement in the classroom. We'll explore how to implement content effectively using the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, ensuring lessons cater to multiple learning levels and styles. Participants will learn techniques for teaching students to engage with annotated sources, fostering critical thinking and interpretation skills. The session will also introduce the CAMPOEIU source analysis structure, providing a clear framework for developing analytical writing and deeper historical understanding.
About the Presenter
Belinda Card is an experienced educator with over 15 years in teaching, primarily in primary education, and is now in her second year teaching junior secondary History. She works under the guidance of a highly respected QHTA mentor and recently presented at the QHTA TeachMeet on this same topic. Combining her skills with junior secondary learners and a commitment to supporting early career teachers, Belinda aims to make history accessible, engaging, and rigorous for all learners.
Integrating First Nations into all Australian Histories
Professor Kate Fullagar
Abstract
This session will explore the state of Australian knowing and forgetting about our history when it comes to the presence of First Nations people. It will focus on what the Uluru Statement meant when it declared that Truth/History should come last, and what such a call means today after the dismal failure of the Voice referendum.
About the Presenter
Kate Fullagar is Professor of History at the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and President of the Australian Historical Association. Kate specializes in the history of the eighteenth-century world, particularly the British Empire and the many indigenous societies it encountered. She is the author of Phillip and Bennelong: A History Unravelled (Sydney, 2023), The Warrior, the Voyager, and the Artist: Three Lives in an Age of Empire (New Haven, 2020) and The Savage Visit (Berkeley, 2012); the editor of The Atlantic World in the Antipodes: Effects and Transformations since the Eighteenth Century (Newcastle, 2012); and co-editor with Michael McDonnell of Facing Empire: Indigenous Experiences in a Revolutionary Age (Baltimore, 2018). She was Lead Chief Investigator of an ARC Linkage project with the National Portrait Gallery called Facing New Worlds.
A Pedagogical Platter
Sarah Coleman - Pedagogical Platter
Abstract
The Pedagogical Platter is an energising professional learning session that brings together a curated suite of evidence-informed pedagogies to elevate History teaching. Rather than privileging a single method, this presentation showcases how a balanced combination of approaches can produce classrooms that are rigorous, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant. Anchored by the Four Question Method (4QM), the session demonstrates how structured historical inquiry—through narrative, causation, evidence, and argument—creates clarity for teachers and empowers students to think like historians. The session also highlights the central role of explicit instruction, illustrating how modelling, scaffolding, and targeted checks for understanding build the historical literacy needed to engage with complex content and sources. Underpinning the entire session is Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), providing practical techniques to reduce extraneous load and support schema development, ensuring that challenge is purposeful rather than overwhelming. Complementing this are inquiry learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which promote curiosity, multiple pathways to understanding, and equitable access for all learners. Together, these pedagogical approaches form a rich “platter” that supports teachers to craft History classrooms where knowledge is deepened, thinking is sharpened, and every student can meaningfully engage with the past.
About the Presenter
Sarah Coleman is an experienced Head of Humanities and Social Sciences, curriculum writer, and senior teacher of Modern History, Ancient History and Literature. With a strong focus on designing rigorous, concept-driven curriculum, she leads whole-school development of critical and creative thinking through explicit disciplinary practices. Sarah is recognised for her expertise in historical thinking—source analysis, contestability, contextualisation, and argumentation—and for delivering high-impact workshops that help teachers translate these skills into broader critical thinking applicable across faculties. She has served as a Subject Matter Expert for QCAA and ACARA, and as a QCAA External Exam Marker, Endorser, Confirmer and Assessment Writer. Sarah has authored curriculum resources for Oxford and Cambridge and works as a casual academic at the University of Southern Queensland. Currently undertaking a PhD on the representation of women in Ancient History curricula, she brings deep disciplinary knowledge and system-level insight to contemporary curriculum and pedagogy.
History Through Inquiry: Building Skills in Investigation and Debate
Cindy Bin Tahal
Abstract
This presentation will introduce learning content from the Seriously Social school program, focusing on World War history topics for Years 9 and 10. It will also showcase a range of debate topics that support inquiry learning in the history classroom, such as "That Australian history unites us". A key focus of the session will be developing students' research skills using the investigation triangle, a model that supports evidence-based inquiry and helps students construct well-reasoned arguments. The presentation will also provide practical guidance on using debate as a teaching method in the history classroom. Both the research model and debate approaches can be readily applied across history subjects, offering teachers adaptable tools to strengthen student engagement and deepen historical understanding.
About the Presenter
Cindy Bin Tahal is the Education Director at the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, where she leads national initiatives to strengthen social sciences teaching through collaboration with teachers, curriculum authorities, students, and the research expertise of the Academy’s Fellows. She brings more than 25 years of diverse experience across the early to middle years of education in Australia, North America, and Southeast Asia. Cindy is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, researching international education, and holds a Master of Education with a focus on Middle Phase Learning and Pedagogy, as well as a Bachelor of Education. She is committed to empowering teachers and students through evidence-informed practice and meaningful classroom engagement.
Using artwork and artefacts as historical sources when researching WWI and WWII
Paul Foley
Abstract
This workshop will examine how useful artefacts and artwork are when researching the experience of Australians who served in the First World War and the Second World War. The primary and secondary sources analysed in the workshop will support teachers of History/HASS in Years 9 and 10. Delegates will be provided with multiple examples of the often-contestable history which reside in the stories surrounding wartime artwork and artefacts. It is often stated that 'Truth is the first casualty of war’ and this phrase will be one of the key discussion points in this workshop. Teachers will leave the workshop with a 'ready to go' assessment task, complete with a guiding question and historical sources for students in both Years 9 and 10.
About the Presenter
Paul Foley is Humanities Learning Area Leader at Loreto College, Adelaide. Paul is current HTAA Vice-President (Past-President). He is a regular contributor to PD activities for History teachers. Paul represents History teaching on various boards and is Chair of the Simpson Prize Competition.
History Curriculum Across Australia: an analysis of dispossession and disposition
Dr Alison Bedford
Abstract
History curricula across Australia share many similarities, but each state and territory has their own approach. Using corpus-assisted discourse analysis, this presentation considers two aspects of how history education is constructed in curriculum documentation using the findings of a pilot study into the discourses evident in Australian history curricula, with a focus on discourses of Indigenous experience and critical thinking. This research is guided by questions of how First Nations peoples are represented in the curriculum, and how students are positioned as learners. The findings suggest agency is a key theme for both historical actors and learners. The corpus assisted approach allows for the analysis of very large bodies of text which could not be manually analysed and this pilot study demonstrates the utility of the method for curriculum research, with a view to developing a larger historical corpus of history curricula over time.
About the Presenter
Dr Alison Bedford taught secondary history for 19 years, and is now a Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research centres on the teaching of national histories and the development of students as critical and independent learners.
Selecting sensitive, engaging, History-rich texts which respect Indigenous cultural protocols
Tess Merlin
Abstract
This workshop looks at selecting texts for Senior School History students and expands on important considerations regarding ICIP (Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property) protocols in writing. It explains the requirements and recommendations in respecting these protocols in writing history and historical fiction, using the author’s 2025 release Red Dirt Blue Lights as an example of writing with respect to ICIP in a sensitive way. The session touches on the unique procedures around information gathering and research when the topic is about or touches upon topics relating to Indigenous History, including real or fictional characters, Indigenous Culture or lands. We discuss important factors in selecting texts which tell a story of Indigenous history. Primarily that the book tells the sometimes harsh and uncomfortable truths, yet benefits the community about which it is written. We discuss the educational value of texts and the appeal to the students of the targeted age group.
About the Presenter
Tess Merlin is an ex-police officer and author. Her 2025 release, Red Dirt Blue Lights was a finalist in the 2025 Queensland Literary Awards. This historical fiction novella tells of her experiences as a young policewoman in the 1970s and the fictional story of a young Indigenous girl in Cherbourg. It brings history to life with a realistic snapshot of the conditions of life in Cherbourg at that time and the challenges that First Nations People faced. Her debut novel, RANK, was published in 2023. She is a qualified Trainer & Assessor and an experienced language teacher and course facilitator.
Bump it Up: Improving Assessment Confidence
Aurora Reid
Abstract
This presentation invites educators to take a fresh look at how Bump It Up Samples, grounded in the research of Dr Lyn Sharratt, can significantly strengthen student and teacher confidence in assessment. The session highlights the value of clarity, transparency and shared understanding as foundations for effective learning. By developing Bump It Up Samples before students begin an assessment task, year level teams can create stronger alignment and ensure that expectations are consistent and easy to interpret. Co-constructing success criteria and exemplars with colleagues and students also builds collegiality and leads to more precise task design, which supports clearer feedback and improved student outcomes. The workshop will showcase practical classroom examples and provide educators with an opportunity to create their own Bump It Up Samples using existing student work and AI-assisted tools. Participants will leave with adaptable strategies they can apply immediately in their own context.
About the Presenter
Aurora is the Learning Area Leader for HaSS and Business at St Dominic’s Priory College in Adelaide, where she teaches Stage 2 Ancient Studies, Stage 2 English and Middle Years HaSS. She is a member of the SACE Ancient Studies Subject Renewal team, contributing to state-level curriculum development. In recent years, Aurora has led her learning area in strengthening learning and assessment practices across Years 7–12. She is passionate about improving student outcomes and is committed to designing clear, purposeful learning experiences that build student confidence, helping them understand what quality work looks like and how to achieve it.
First Nations Story telling into the History classroom
Michelle Brown and Peter Lawrence
Abstract
Teaching history generally requires an understanding of chronology, and that is usually defined by a linear mindset. However, when teaching First Nations’ history and trying to be true to the teaching of perspectives, then perhaps we as historians need to start thinking about Dreamtime thinking — an everywhen where past and present can collide for not only the discussion, analysis and presentation of First Nations’ histories, but also the First Nations’ students in our classes. Some ideas from ‘Aboriginal Gothic Literature’ may provide some starting points to examine ways in which we as teachers can pivot towards a more comprehensive understanding of First Nations’ representations and understandings of history. Examples will be provided from Year Ten History (Gurindji Walk-off) and Year 11 History (Frontier Conflict) with a focus on the Native police in Qld (NSW). Peter will bring to the conversation a rich understanding of pedagogy based on the 8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning developed by Dr Tyson Yunkaporta and Uncle Ernie Grant's Holistic Framework.
About the Presenter
Michelle Brown has been a Modern History teacher in Queensland for 37 years. She has presented numerous times at both National and State History Conferences in Queensland. Michelle is now flirting with being a poet. Peter Lawrence identifies as a Yugarapul man through his family's connection to the Rosewood Scrub. Peter has taught Australian history with Aboriginal focus for the past 25 years and taught Senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the late 1990s. He has taught Senior Modern History for over 20 years and has presented at Queensland History Teachers State Conferences. Peter contributed a chapter to the Cambridge Press, Senior Modern History text and its 2nd edition. He has been a researcher for the Ration Shed Museum including the WW1 Black Diggers story – The Boys from Barambah. He has written for both Australians Together and for the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He is a presenter of Crossing Cultures Hidden History, 8 Ways and Uncle Ernie Grant’s Holistic Framework, Black Diggers and the Frontier Wars.
PANEL chaired by Professor Kate Fullagar, with speakers Jonathon Dallimore, Cathy Baron, Dr Hannah Forsyth
PANEL chaired by Professor Kate Fullagar, with speakers Jonathon Dallimore, Cathy Baron, Dr Hannah Forsyth
Abstract
This panel discussion, chaired by AHA President and ANU Professor Kate Fullager will explore the ways in which educators can promote the value of a History education to students. An overview of the current state of History education at a state and national level will set the context for the discussion. Panel members will share their practical suggestions for communicating the significance of a History education to students at all levels. A Q & A session will make this a valuable opportunity to share ideas, debate solutions and take a collaborative approach to our advocacy for the centrality of History to young people’s lives - now more than ever.
About the Presenter
Kate Fullagar is Professor of History at the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and Vice President of the Australian Historical Association. Kate specializes in the history of the eighteenth-century world, particularly the British Empire and the many indigenous societies it encountered. Jonathon Dallimore is the Executive Officer for the History Teachers’ Association of NSW and a lecturer in History Methods. An author of numerous textbooks, Jonathon provides practical strategies for navigating inquiry-based learning and the complexities of shared national narratives. Dr Hannah Forsyth is Adjunct Associate Professor of HIstory at the University of New England and CH Currey Memorial Fellow at the State Library of NSW. A former President of the Australia and New Zealand History of Education Society, As a teacher for over 30 years, Cathy Baron has a passion for History education! She is President of HTAA and HTAWA, a school principal, and continues to develop resources and teacher's professional learning.
Why Caesar had to go!
Dr Kit Morrell
Abstract
This paper will contextualise Caesar's assassination by examining his increasing power from the 50s BCE to the Ides of March and why his assassins found it unacceptable, grounded in discussion of the nature of the Roman republic and the expectations of an aristocratic career. It will examine key ancient sources for Caesar's power, including literary texts and contemporary coins, as well as some modern perspectives on Caesar's dictatorship and its significance for the study of Roman history.
About the Presenter
Kit Morrell is the Susan Blake Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Queensland. Her research and teaching focus on Rome during the late republic and imperial periods, especially the lifetime of Caesar, Pompey, and Cicero. Her publications include her 2017 monograph Pompey, Cato, and the Governance of the Roman Empire and a new co-edited volume on The Rule of Law in Ancient Rome (2025). Kit is a passionate teacher who encourages students of all levels to get their teeth into the ancient evidence and question conventional narratives of Roman republican history.
Archaeologists as education allies: the Australian 'Deep Time Detectives' program
Dr Georgia Stannard
Abstract
The latest Australian Curriculum (Version 9, 2022), including the new core Year 7 History unit, the ‘deep time history of Australia’, presents a novel opportunity for archaeologists to play a key role as allies in the co-creation of resources showcasing the complex and diverse histories of Australia’s First Peoples beyond the lens of European occupation. One of the significant hurdles facing teachers in delivering this unit is the legacy of its omission in past curricula. Hundreds of conversations with Australian teachers over the last three years have identified a general unfamiliarity with foundational knowledge needed to interpret and tell deep time histories, as well as persistent unconscious biases and misunderstandings that are actively sabotaging teaching and learning. In response to these concerns, we set out to develop an education program centred on object-based learning and Aboriginal pedagogies. This paper will introduce “Deep Time Detectives”, a hands-on desktop excavation that combines 3D printed artefacts, ecofacts and pollen grains with student and teacher-led learning to develop new ways of viewing deep time through multiple lenses. The program also includes a series of animated videos which focus on building capacity in foundational knowledge and confidence in the classroom.
About the Presenter
Dr Georgia Stannard is a Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and History at La Trobe University. She has two key research areas - heritage education and human- environmental interactions in Australia’s cold climates - and teaches into a wide range of subjects, including practical archaeology, archaeological science and the archaeology of Australia’s First Peoples. Georgia is the current co-chair the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and Learning (ANCATL), an organisation dedicated to the facilitation of archaeological education. Georgia continues to collaborate with national and state curriculum authorities and education departments to develop resources to teach Australia’s deep time history.
Meeting Curriculum Needs at Newly Established/Growing Schools
James Elder
Abstract
This presentation explores the unique experience of working in a foundation school and the challenges of meeting all the curriculum points for all subjects with limited staff. Speaking as one of only six high school teachers who was part of the original Year 7 Team, we will examine the collaborative working environment that developed, where staff found working across disciplines simply part of the daily grind. The presentation will also highlight how this ad hoc structure enabled the rapid design of interesting cross-curricular projects. It will also outline the breadth of responsibilities undertaken by ordinary staff members, including tasks typically managed by Heads of Learning Areas (such as budgeting, curriculum development, and long-term assessment planning) as well as Head of Year duties (including student discipline and camp organisation). We will end with some discussion the long-term impact of simple choices.
About the Presenter
James Elder is a history teacher who previously worked as an archaeologist. This previous experience contributes a strong cultural understanding to the classroom as well as practical experience working in a humanities profession. After completing an education degree, he spent two years teaching at established schools, refining practice and curriculum delivery. In 2020 he joined a foundation school as the only teacher with experience teaching Humanities and designed much of the Years 7-9 Humanities content. This early work had such an impact on the students that many would eventually pick ATAR History in years 11 & 12.
Enhancing students' grasp of historical concepts for effective application
Nelly Labiche
Abstract
Understanding historical concepts is essential for developing students’ ability to think critically about the past and construct meaningful historical interpretations. This session explores practical strategies for introducing and unpacking these key concepts, helping students apply them effectively in their responses.
About the Presenter
Nelly is a nationally certified Lead Teacher with over ten years’ experience teaching the Years 7–9 HASS curriculum. As President of the Geography and History Teachers Association of the Northern Territory, she leads initiatives that foster professional growth and excellence in humanities education. From 2020 to 2025, Nelly served as the National History Challenge Coordinator (NHC) for the Northern Territory and was involved in judging both the NHC and the Simpson Prize Competitions. Passionate about developing students’ historical thinking and inquiry skills, she promotes practical, classroom-ready strategies that make learning engaging, relevant, and accessible.
Creating a Kinder Fairer World: Teaching Ethical Understanding through History
Dr Joy Verrinder
Abstract
The Australian Curriculum requires Ethical Understanding be developed as a general capability across all subject areas. However, research has shown that teachers have diverse views on what ethics is, how to develop ethical understanding and how best to address contentious topics in an already overcrowded curriculum. In a world that often seems increasingly divisive, we need a clear and consistent approach to teaching ethical understanding. This presentation explains how ethical understanding and ethics skills can be developed through the History curriculum so that students can apply them in their future professions and businesses.
About the Presenter
Dr Joy Verrinder (PhD, MA, MBA, BA, CertT) is an experienced secondary teacher and educational administrator as well as having twenty years’ experience in the practical application of ethics to address social issues. She is passionate about developing teachers’ understanding of ethics and how ethics skills can be taught. Dr Verrinder has devoted the last 20 years of her life to developing ethical understanding. She has a Master’s Degree in Professional Ethics and Governance and a PhD focussed on developing ethical skills. She also has experience working with governments, businesses and organisations to successfully apply ethics to address social justice issues. Her book “Teaching Ethical Understanding: Creating a Kinder Fairer World” is currently being prepared for publication in 2026.
Many Stories, Many Voices: Flexibility and Depth in History 7–10
David Boon
Abstract
The Australian Curriculum: History 7–10 provides a flexible and rigorous framework for engaging students in the rich complexity of the past. Perspectives underpin the study of History 7–10, helping students understand that history is constructed through multiple lenses and voices. This session explores examples of opportunities for different perspectives including highlighting the Cross-Curriculum Priorities, and why multi-voiced inquiry is fundamental to deep historical understanding and meaningful student engagement.
About the Presenter
David Boon taught for three decades in primary and secondary schools in Tasmania. He was a HASS curriculum officer with the Tasmanian Department from 2016 until 2022, including a secondment to ACARA for the review of the Australian Curriculum in 2020/21. David is a past-president and life member of the Tasmanian History Teachers' Association and has presented at numerous HTAA conferences. He is an author of teacher education texts and works on a number of history and curriculum projects. As a DNA search angel, he combines analysis of DNA and historical research to help those searching for biological families. David is currently acting Curriculum Specialist: Humanities and Social Sciences at ACARA.
A Cult of Forgetfulness: Breaking down the Myth of Peaceful Settlement
Tully MacPherson
Abstract
This presentation interrogates the enduring myth of peaceful settlement in Australian history, revealing how the power of language was instrumental in shaping and sustaining this national narrative. Through euphemism, omission, and selective storytelling, colonisers and historians constructed a discourse that erased Aboriginal resistance and reimagined invasion as progress. The presentation explores how this linguistic framework which W.E.H. Stanner termed “the Great Australian Silence”, transformed acts of violence and dispossession into tales of endurance and discovery, silencing Indigenous voices in both public memory and historical record. By analysing texts, policies, and narratives from the colonial period to modern historiography, the study exposes how language became a tool of erasure, legitimising conquest while denying the lived realities of those who resisted. Reclaiming these suppressed stories challenges the colonial lexicon and invites a more truthful, inclusive understanding of Australia’s past: one grounded in resilience, resistance, and remembrance.
About the Presenter
Tully MacPherson is an accomplished educator with over six years of experience teaching English and Humanities across New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Currently Head of HASSAL at St Philips College Alice Springs, he demonstrates leadership in curriculum design, inclusive education, and culturally responsive practice. Passionate about truth-telling and historical inquiry, Tully designs learning experiences that challenge dominant narratives and amplifies diverse voices. With a wealth of experience working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities, his relationship-based approach, grounded in the Australian Curriculum, fosters engagement, resilience, and belonging, reflecting his commitment to improving educational and wellbeing outcomes for all students.
Fragmented Lives: Teaching Japanese Migration Histories and Wartime Internment
Dr Tianna Killoran
Abstract
While the history of Japanese migration to Australia has often been overshadowed by wartime histories, the story of this community is a vital thread in Australia's long multicultural history. Before 1941, Japanese migrants came to Australia—especially northern Australia—in search of work, and often established thriving businesses and families. The Japanese Australian community was abruptly fractured by the entry of Japan into the Second World War in 1941, leading to the near-total internment and dispossession of these residents. This workshop will introduce participants to Australia's history of Japanese migration, situating it within the broader context of pre-and post-war migration history and policy. After a brief historical overview, participants will engage in a primary source activity designed to connect students with individual and family case studies and reflect on the short and long-term consequences of wartime and internment policy in Australia's past
About the Presenter
Dr Tianna Killoran is a Lecturer in History based on the Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus at James Cook University. Her primary research focus is on the history of Japanese migrant communities in north Queensland during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her research has been published in History Australia and Lilith: A Feminist History Journal. She was a National Library of Australia Summer Scholar in 2020, and a 2023 Scholar in Residence for the Past Wrong, Future Choices research project in Canada focusing on the transnational history of Nikkei wartime experiences
Teaching Australia in the First and Second World Wars - Innovative classroom practices and resources
Veronica Hall - DVA
Abstract
This presentation will showcase engaging approaches to teaching the First World War and the Second World War in Year 9 and 10 classrooms. This includes syllabus based, sequenced lessons that contain historical sources and information and a range of activities that allow students to engage in differentiated surface, deep and transfer learning options. Printable or online, the resources include source analysis skills, extension and learning review activities and links to videos that explore the veteran experience. Created by a group of highly motivated, dynamic History teachers in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Education team, these History lessons and resources for students and teachers, are freely available on the Anzac Portal classroom page. Our focus is on developing engaging, contemporary, historically accurate and fully resourced lessons and student activities, that explore Australia’s involvement in wars, conflicts and peace operations. Designed for the new and experienced History teacher – your prep is done!
About the Presenter
Veronica Hall is a Senior Educational Content Writer for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, bringing to her role, extensive experience as a classroom teacher and instructional leader and mentor. Specialising in developing innovative, curriculum-aligned History lessons and resources, her work is informed by contemporary pedagogical practices and current historical research. Veronica engages and empowers students in their learning with rich historical content and skills activities, while saving teachers time and prep. Her educational content is published regularly on the Anzac Portal Classroom website. This year, Veronica was honoured to be part of the team delivering the 2026 Anzac Day Dawn Service in Villers Bretonneux, France.
Teaching the Romans with Archaeological Evidence at the RD Milns Antiquities Museum, UQ
James Donaldson
Abstract
This presentation explores a novel method for teaching Roman history to Senior Secondary School students using real ancient artefacts from The University of Queensland's RD Milns Antiquities Museum in a simulated archaeological investigation framework. Drawing on the Antiquities Museum's popular 'Life in the Roman Villa' hands-on workshop, we consider how the combination of real objects and a simulated scenario can extend and enhance student understanding of the ancient world and the historical/archaeological method. In the workshop students analyse an assemblage of artefacts from a made-up Roman villa and consider how we can use archaeological remains as evidence for everyday life. The presentation will consider how the object-based learning pedagogy of the workshop encourages students to think critically about individual objects, and the ways archaeological context can be used to create meaning.
About the Presenter
James Donaldson is an experienced museum curator and educator with over 15 years experience in the museum and higher education sector, working with students and the community to explore how we make meaning about the ancient past. His most recently exhibition at the RD Milns Antiquities Museum is the result of a three-year collaboration with the Greek community in Queensland, exploring how the Greek diaspora remembers, experiences and transmits their stories of history, home and belonging. His academic research explores how Australian soldiers made meaning with antiquities they acquired during the First World War.
Teaching Athenian Democracy: A source-based inquiry into power, participation and exclusion in Athens
Katherine Hart
Abstract
In Pericles' Funeral Oration democracy in Athens is famously described as a constitution that favoured "the many, instead of the few". However, the majority of the population living in Athens in the Fifth Century B.C.E. were not the male citizens who Pericles was referring to in his speech. So, how can teachers guide students to critically examine who really had access to political power and participation, and who was excluded from the democratic process? This presentation will consider how teachers can unpack the complexities of Athenian democracy through source led inquiry and analysis. We'll look at some of the key sources for citizens, women, metics and slaves and practical activities for unpacking these in the classroom. This presentation is particularly relevant for the Queensland Ancient History Senior Syllabus Unit 3: Fifth Century Athens but will also touch on some strategies for the Year 7 Australian Curriculum unit.
About the Presenter
Katherine Hart is an experienced senior ancient history teacher with over 10 years experience in a range of Queensland schools. She received her Highly Accomplished Teacher certification in 2022. Katherine regularly presents at QHTA conferences with previous presentations exploring effective feedback strategies in the humanities. She has a particular interest in Athenian history, particularly the history of democracy in Athens, and developed this unit to help students engage critically with primary evidence to develop a more sophisticated understanding of political participation.
Pedagogy for 'Perspective'
Paul Baker
Abstract
Creative, well-meaning history teachers, trying to bring history to life in their classroom, often humanise the dramas of history by inviting their students into the mindset of the past. Certainly 'perspective' is one of those distinguishing features of evidence that Senior Schooling requires students to understand. But if you don't teach perspective properly, you may be instilling values you did not intend. This session will look at both the pitfalls and potential pedagogical panaceas for that tricky yet vital historical skill we call perspective. Attendees may be asked to reflect on their own experiences and share them with the group.
About the Presenter
Paul Baker has presented at HTAA National Conferences and QHTA State Conferences. His recent presentations have: explored the emancipatory effect of studying history; investigated the teaching dilemma of striving for objectivity whilst creating 'active' citizens; revealed how Lateral Reading can transform your classroom; and passionately argued that Cognitive Load Theory has not killed the Inquiry Method.
Collections-based learning with State Library of Queensland - Session 2
Troy Bullock
Abstract
This hands-on Show and Tell session introduces newly released student learning modules and teacher-ready resources that incorporate primary sources, object-based learning, and digital collections to spark inquiry, deepen understanding, and support curriculum outcomes. Bring history off the page and into the classroom using State Library of Queensland’s collections! In this session, participants will: • explore practical ways to incorporate State Library collections into history teaching and inquiry-based learning • engage with case studies drawn from Queensland’s war history and significant First Nations perspectives • consider ideas for using learning modules as stimulus for assessment, including real-world applications and internal assessment tasks • discover opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom through online resources and live programs Ideal for teachers looking for ready-to-use, ACARA 9.0 aligned resources, this session offers practical strategies and fresh inspiration for educators across all states and territories, regardless of location or access to physical collections.
About the Presenter
Troy Bullock is the Program Officer, Schools Engagement at the State Library of Queensland Troy spends his days hosting interactive, live-streamed workshops for State Library of Queensland teaching students research strategies and sharing Queensland stories through State Library’s impressive heritage collections. He is a qualified and experienced secondary teacher with a long career producing some of Australia’s best and most innovative digital education products for companies including Jacaranda Wiley Publishers and the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Hey History Teacher! Interactive podcast listening party
Jane Curtis and Professor Anna Clark
Abstract
Hey History Teacher! is a new eight-episode podcast series designed as accessible, teacher-led professional learning for Australian history teachers (releasing late Feb 2026). This interactive conference session takes the form of a “listening party”, introducing the podcast, explaining how and why it was made, and inviting conference attendees to watch video excerpts drawn directly from classroom practice. The podcast series is based on in-depth interviews with more than 12 expert history teachers and educators from across Australia and was funded by HTA NSW. Teachers attending this workshop can choose the topics they're most interested in, and hear and discuss first-hand, evidence-based tips on areas including teaching difficult and contested histories, creative history pedagogy, teaching First Nations histories, balancing curriculum demands with engagement, advice for early-career teachers, and what great history teaching looks like in practice. The workshop would be presented in person by podcast producer Jane Curtis, with historian Professor Anna Clark joining via Zoom. It centres and celebrates the classroom experience, expertise and evidence-informed practice of primary and high school history teachers and educators.
About the Presenter
Anna Clark is an award-winning historian, author and public commentator, internationally recognised for her work on Australian history and history education. Her books include The History Wars (with Stuart Macintyre), winner of the NSW and Queensland Premier’s History Prizes, and Making Australian History. She is the creator and executive producer of Hey History! podcast. Jane Curtis is an award-winning producer at UTS Impact Studios. Her work has been recognised nationally and internationally, including the ABC documentary Kangaroo Dog (NSW History Council’s Public History Award, 2025) and Hey History! (Best Kids Podcast, New York Radio Festival 2025).
Competing for Olive Oil at the Games of a Warrior Goddess: Sport in Ancient Democratic Athens
Associate Professor David Pritchard
Abstract
The Olympics were not actually the biggest Games in ancient Greece. This honour went to the Games that the ancient Athenians staged for Athena, who was their cherished warrior goddess. But the Great Panathenaea – the name of these local games – had three mysterious features: winners got many thousands of litres of olive oil as prizes, there were unique sporting events that not even the Olympics had, and many other events were extremely warlike or involved the actual armed forces. This illustrated public lecture solves these three mysteries by exploring the decidedly colourful myths about this famous warrior goddess. The lecture also gives a sweeping overview of the rich sporting world of ancient democratic Athens.
About the Presenter
Associate Professor David M. Pritchard teaches Olympic history at the University of Queensland (Australia). His first job as an ancient historian was on the cultural program of the Sydney Olympic Games. He is the author of three sole-authored books, including Sport, Democracy and War in Classical Athens (Cambridge University Press), and the editor of four edited books, including Sport and Festival in Ancient Greek World (Classical Press of Wales). He has obtained sixteen research fellowships in Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the US. In 2026-7 he will be the Leverhulme Visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh. He speaks on radio and regularly writes for newspapers around the world.
Defining Moments in Asian Migration to Australia, 1850s-2020s
Dr Natalie Fong
Abstract
This workshop will present an overview of influential moments in Australian history relating to various waves of Asian migration to Australia from the time of the White Australia policies to the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant to Year 9 Making a Nation as well as China, the Vietnam War and Asian migration in Senior History. We will consider sources and class activities on aspects such as ‘White Australia Policies’ of the 1850s-1950s, journeys to Australia of Vietnamese refugees as a result of the Vietnam War, the Colombo Plan, the rise of Pauline Hanson and One Nation from the 1990s, and parallels between anti-Chinese sentiment during COVID and earlier anti-Chinese movements.
About the Presenter
Natalie Fong is the Head of Humanities at Citipointe Christian College. She completed her PhD at Griffith University in 2021 on the history of Chinese merchant families and their transnational businesses, 1880s-1950s. She was awarded a Chancellor’s Medal for Excellence. Natalie’s work has been published in journal articles and books (Hong Kong University Press; University of Hawaii Press), on SBS and ABC, and in podcasts (History Detective; Hey History!).
Making a Nation – our approach at St Margaret's
Dana Schottlaender
Abstract
This presentation will focus on the way we created and taught the unit ‘Making a Nation’ for our Year 9 students at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. Our unit is designed to answer the question: How did Australia become a democratic nation by 1914? by introducing the definition, principles, and values of democracy to guide our enquiry. In this presentation, I will outline our approach to the unit plan, the way we structured it, and the key questions that guide our learning intentions and outcomes. I will also share some of our resources and discuss the questions and challenges around the assessment piece.
About the Presenter
Dana Schottlaender’s background is in Political Science and History (BA from Tufts University (USA) and MA from Universidad Torcuato DiTella (Argentina)). She moved to Australia in 2012 and completed her Graduate Diploma in Education at UQ in 2013. She has taught in a few schools across Brisbane and has been at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School since 2020 (with a short break in between). She is passionate about History, teaching and debating, and has been involved in several schools as debating coach and director. When creating the unit ‘Making a Nation,’ she was interested in combining her knowledge and passion for Political Science with that of History, so decided to focus our enquiry on the question of democracy.
Small Circles, Big Impact: The Social and Political Power of Button Badges Across History
Janelle Ivers
Abstract
From campaign trails to counterculture movements, button badges have served as powerful miniature billboards that capture social change in the palm of a hand. This presentation examines the historical evolution of button badges from their 18th-century precursors to their mass adoption in the 20th and 21st centuries. It highlights how badges have been used to shape political identities, mobilise supporters, commercialise popular culture and democratise participation in public discourse. Drawing on examples from suffrage campaigns, wartime propaganda, civil rights activism, and contemporary digital-era movements, the presentation will argue that button badges offer a unique lens into the everyday material culture of protest, persuasion and belonging. By foregrounding these small but influential objects, the presentation demonstrates how badges reveal shifts in technology, communication, and civic engagement, and why they remain an enduring tool for public expression.
About the Presenter
Janelle Ivers is the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Redlands College, where she also teaches Modern History and Ancient History. With more than 28 years of teaching experience across Australia and the United Kingdom, she is recognised for her expertise in curriculum design, historical inquiry and fostering disciplinary thinking in secondary classrooms. Janelle is committed to elevating the role of History education through innovative pedagogy, professional collaboration, and the integration of material culture into learning. Her long-standing leadership and classroom practice continue to shape engaging, rigorous History programs for senior students.
The Australian Wars: A Practical Approach to Truth-Telling in the Australian Classroom
Martin Douglas and Jonathon Dallimore
Abstract
This presentation offers a practical framework for integrating truth-telling about the Australian Wars into the history classroom, moving beyond traditional "peaceful settlement" narratives to explore Australia’s longest conflict through a lens of shared history and historical justice. Using Rachel Perkins’ The Australian Wars documentary as a core resource, the session demonstrates how to navigate confronting content using inquiry-based learning, personality studies of figures like Pemulwuy and Tarenorerer, and digital tools like the Colonial Frontier Massacre Project. Though specifically aligned to the NSW Stage 4 curriculum, this session will offer practical ways to bring aboriginal narratives and truth-telling into History classrooms across stages and jurisdictions.
About the Presenter
Martin Douglas is the Head Teacher of History and English at Corowa High School in the rural Riverina region of southern NSW. He has presented on a range of Australian History topics with a keen focus on ANZAC and the impacts of colonisation. A History teacher of 18 years’ experience, Martin is passionate about pedagogical approaches to truth-telling in Australian classrooms. Jonathon Dallimore is the Executive Officer for the History Teachers’ Association of NSW and a lecturer in History Methods. An author of numerous textbooks, Jonathon provides practical strategies for navigating inquiry-based learning and the complexities of shared national narratives.