The History Trust of South Australia was established under the History Trust of South Australia Act (1981) to encourage the research and public presentation of South Australian history and to safeguard South Australia’s material heritage. Its Board of eight trustees reports to the Minister for the Arts. The History Trust today operates three museums: the Migration Museum, the National Motor Museum and the South Australian Maritime Museum. In collaboration with the State Library of South Australia the History Trust also manages the Centre of Democracy, based in the Institute Building on North Terrace. The History Trust supports South Australia’s community history network of committed volunteer associations and local history specialists through a Community Museums Program, offers annual grants for research and writing, and presents South Australia’s History Festival annually.
Organisation and History
The establishment of the History Trust followed the creation of the Constitutional Museum in Old Parliament House, which opened in 1980. Peter Cahlan was the first Director, overseaing the establishment of the Constitutional Museum and becoming Chief Executive of the History Trust. He was succeeded in late 2000 by Margaret Anderson, followed in 2016 by Greg Mackie. John Tregenza was the first senior (later state) historian, [check when position done away with].
In late July 1995 the History Trust vacated Old Parliament House as the Constitutional Museum was closed to allow the building to be used for offices and meeting rooms for parliamentarians. It was shifted to Edmund Wright House, where the History Trust offices were then based until 2003, at which time the History Trust once again moved, this time to the Torrens Training Depot at the Torrens Parade Ground, Victoria Drive, Adelaide.
Museums
Link off when histories written
Community History
again
History Festival
South Australia’s History Festival, now a month long event held every May, began life as SA History Week in 2004.
