Australian Association for Maritime History

Maritime history organization in Australia

The Australian Association for Maritime History (AAMH) is an Australian maritime history organisation. It publishes a journal, a newsletter and organises conferences.

## History

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The association was formed in May 1978. Its main aim is to promote the study,[1] publication,[2] and general appreciation of maritime history. The eminent American maritime historian John B. Hattendorf considers the AAMH one of the most prominent scholarly organisations in the English-speaking world[3] and the late Professor Frank Broeze of the University of Western Australia considered that the creation of the AAMH contributed to a rising awareness of the significance of the role of the sea to Australian cultural history.[4] The AAMH is not restricted to Australia and Australian maritime history: its membership and field of interest are international in scope. The AAMH is run by an Executive Council that has officers from all Australian States and Territories. It is currently (2018) based in Sydney.

The AAMH served as the Australian sub-commission of the International Commission for Maritime History until the ICMH merged with the International Economic Maritime History Association to form the International Maritime History Association in 2016.[5] The AAMH also supports lectures,[6] conferences,[7] workshops, publications and book prizes.

## Maritime book prizes

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The AAMH co-sponsors with the Australian National Maritime Museum the Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Prize,[8] which is awarded for a book treating any aspect of maritime history relating to or impacting on Australia and the Australian Community Maritime History Prize awarded to a regional or local museum or historical society for a publication (book, booklet, educational resource kit, CD, DVD or other media) relating to an aspect of maritime history of that region or community.[9]

The Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History book prize is named in honour of the late Frank Broeze. Professor Broeze was a leading maritime historian[10] and one of the founders of AAMH. He served as President of the Association in the 1980s and was the first editor of the Association's journal, The Great Circle.[11]

The objective of the prizes is to promote a broad view of maritime history and the role of the sea and maritime influences in shaping Australia and its region; that is, the Indian, Pacific and Great Southern Oceans. The AAMH encourages this historical and archaeological approach of investigation and dissemination through its journal.

There are two categories: the Maritime History Book Prize for commercially published books and the Australian Community Maritime History Prize for works (books, DVDs, pamphlets etc.) by a locally based organisation.

## The Great Circle

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The Great Circle is the journal of the Australian Association for Maritime History.[12][13] The first issue of the journal appeared in 1979. It is a refereed journal and is published twice a year. The journal is archived on JSTOR.[14]

## Quarterly newsletter

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The AAMH has a quarterly newsletter (named Quarterly newsletter[15]) that was established by its first editor, Vaughan Evans[16] (a founding member of the Association) in 1980, two years after the Association was founded.[17] Both of these events came at a time when the field of maritime history was in its infancy in Australia. Recent back issues of the newsletters can be found on the Association's website.[18]

## See also

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* List of history awards

## References

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1. ^ University of Western Australia. University Extension, Australian Association for Maritime History, and Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology. "Sailing Ships & Sailing People, Seafaring Throughout the Ages: A Joint Conference of the Australian Association for Maritime History and the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology in Association with a Series of Public Lectures by International Seafaring Personalitites." (1987)
2. ^ Australian Association for Maritime History, and International Maritime Economic History Association. A Bibliography of University Theses on Australian Maritime History. St. John's, Nfld.: Published for the Australian Association for Maritime History by the International Maritime Economic History Association, 1996.
3. ^ "Perspectives on History - AHA". Retrieved 6 December 2024.
4. ^ Frank Broeze 1998 Island Nation: a history of Australians and the sea Allen and Unwin, St Leonards, NSW
5. ^ Ingo Heidbrink post on International Maritime History Association LinkedIn Group
6. ^ Quarterly newsletter (Australian Association for Maritime History) Issue 128 summer 2012/2013
7. ^ "New directions in maritime history : [papers presented to the conference organised by the Australian Association for Maritime History and the International Commission of Maritime History, Fremantle, 6-10 December 1993. | Maritime Archaeology Databases".
8. ^ "Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History book prize". Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
9. ^ Signals Number 101 December 2012 p66 Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
10. ^ Broeze, Frank (1998), Island Nation: a history of Australians and the sea, St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, ISBN 9781864484243
11. ^ Obituary History Cut Short in The University of Western Australia News 23 April 2001
12. ^ "The Great Circle". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
13. ^ ISSN 0156-8698
14. ^ "Australian Association for Maritime History on JSTOR". www.jstor.org. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
15. ^ "Quarterly newsletter", Newsletter of the Australian Association for Maritime History, Australian Association for Maritime History, 1997, ISSN 1440-5164
16. ^ "Quarterly newsletter". No. 127\. Spring 2012. p. 4.
17. ^ "Quarterly newsletter". No. 126\. June 2012.
18. ^ "Quarterly newsletter archives". Retrieved 21 October 2018.

## External links

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* Official website
* Quarterly newsletter archives