Denmark Historical Society to host 2022 State History Conference

WA history buffs will converge on Denmark this weekend for a series of talks and events on the town’s history for the Royal Western Australian Historical Society’s Annual State History Conference.

The event, hosted by the Denmark Historical Society, has been several years in the making, with the society originally scheduled to hold the event in 2020 before it was postponed due to COVID.

Last year’s event was held by the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

Denmark Historical Society president Ashleigh Murch said the weekend was already a sell-out with about 120 delegates expected to attend, representing 31 historical societies from across the State.

A series of talks by local historians will be held across Saturday and Sunday morning at Denmark’s Riverside Club.

“The talks range from Vernice Gillies talking about 30,000 years of Indigenous history, right through to Andrea Gaynor talking about the fires this year and what they mean to Denmark’s history,” Mr Murch said.

“So that’s a very broad range which covers all of Denmark’s history.”

Other presenters include veteran ABC broadcaster and oral historian Bill Bunbury and Albany historian Malcolm Traill.

On Saturday afternoon, there will be a series of excursions to local places of historical significance including Tingledale Hall, the Recollections of War Museum and the Denmark Museum.

Mr Much will also host a film screening and panel discussion of the film Bloody Hippies which focuses on the town’s bohemian history.