2021 - How do niche histories find and grow their audience? PHA annual conference, Brisbane

This paper engages with the idea of what makes popular history ‘popular.’ It can be easy to head down a research rabbit-hole, producing something of worth but of little interest to a wider audience. In public programming I have often chosen my subjects in response to themes which interest the public. My new role is challenging: to enthuse people about the history of nuns. To many this history sounds dry and irrelevant. The Sisters of Charity have a 185-year history in Australia and are inextricably woven into our past through their work at the Female Factories and Hyde Park Barracks, and the foundation of St Vincent’s hospitals. Their impact on our history is impressive and their story fascinates those who encounter it. But how do I get audiences to engage in the first instance? Is a fascinating history without an audience still history?