About Us | Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT)

The Professional Historians Association NSW & ACT (PHA NSW & ACT) represents practising professional historians in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

PHA NSW was formed in 1985 as a professional association for historians with a minimum of a bachelor degree in history at honours level and one year of full time professional experience.

In 2014, the association was reconstituted to recognise its members in the ACT, and was renamed PHA (NSW & ACT). It is a member of the national peak body – Professional Historians Australia Inc (PHAus).

Download the PHA (NSW & ACT) constitution.

Download the PHA (NSW & ACT) 2023-24 Annual Report.

Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT) Inc. is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 of New South Wales. The Associations Incorporation Regulation 2010 also applies to our Association.

Our incorporation number is Y0230613.

The objectives of PHA (NSW & ACT) are:

I. Leading public historians in the continuing professional development of their skills and practices across a life-long career as a historian

II. Facilitating and inculcating an ethos of high standards of professional and ethical practices among public historians

III. Promoting concepts of public history and professional practice across the many fields of historical inquiry and diverse forms of interpreting and presenting history to which public historians are significant contributors

IV. Advocating public history perspectives in public debates concerning interpretations of history and the keeping of documentary, environmental and other historical records

V. Providing potential clients with guidance on engaging public historians for appropriate remuneration, conditions and other considerations

VI. Representing members in contractual and employment matters

VII. Recognising the outstanding contributions made by public historians within the field of history and within the broader community

VIII. Fostering mutually supportive and co-operative relationships among public historians, being a forum for the exchange and sharing of information and news between fellow public historians, and publishing in any form of technology materials relating to the objects of the Association

IX. Maintaining links, formal and informal including through memberships and affiliations, with public and private external bodies engaged in the practice of history in any of its diverse forms

X. Maintaining membership of and contributing to the evolution of Professional Historians Australia Inc, and maintaining and deepening collegiate links with other professional and public historians associations around the world.