Honest history

The Honest History coalition was officially organised in March 2013. Members of the coalition felt dissatisfied with how the legacy of Australia’s role in the Gallipoli campaign has been represented through Anzac Day and the Australian War Memorial. On 7 November 2013, the Honest History website was officially launched by journalist Paul Daley at the Manning Clark House.[11] The primary aim of the website was for members of the coalition to carry out their activities in raising awareness and diversity of historical opinion on key issues in Australian history.[2][12]

In April 2017, The Honest History Book was published which sought to challenge popular narratives within Australian History. Edited by David Stephens and Alison Broinowski, the book contains multiple essays written by members affiliated with the Honest History coalition. Historians involved in composing the book include: Larissa Behrendt, Frank Bongiorno, Paul Daley, Mark Dapin, Carolyn Holbrook, Carmen Lawrence, Stuart Macintyre, Mark McKenna and Peter Stanley. The topics range from Indigenous history and the Gallipoli Campaign to more social issues including multiculturalism, foreign policy, social equality and environmentalism in Australia.[1][13][14]

The Honest History Book have been generally well received among journalists and other historians. Stephen Caroll of The Sydney Morning Herald called the book "a long overdue assessment" on Australian history.[15] Other reviewers commending the "timely" nature of the book, reflecting the trend of historical approaches in revisiting Australian history.[16][17] Writing for the Evatt Journal, Michelle Arrow called the book "provocative, combative and myth-busting" which can "hopefully encourage Australians to demand more from the media, government and cultural institutions that shape our views of our past".[18] Catie Gilchrist of The Dictionary of Sydney also gave a positive review stating that it is a "challenging, engaging, at times fist pumpingly 'you have nailed what is so wrong with Australian politics and history' sort of book".[19]

In acknowledging the "public attacks" historians critical of Australia's ANZAC history have endured, public historian Anna Clark endorsed the book as important in delving and uncovering myths in Australian history. However, in writing for the Sydney Review of Books, Clark added that the book could have improved by "including international studies of memory and historical consciousness, as well as their implications for historical analysis and research".[20]

The Australian War Memorial

In 2019, a submission was made to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories by members of the Honest History coalition. Members of the coalition sought to bring into question the Australian War Memorial and argued that it had decontextualised the realities of the First World War. The coalition claims that the memorial has been primarily used for “entertainment” purposes rather than educating Australians about the implications of Australia’s involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign.[2]

Members of the coalition put forth recommendations which argued for better transparency behind the funding of the memorial as well as the stakeholders involved in donations towards the memorial. The coalition also argued that funding should not be heavily allocated to the memorial, as it should not be treated with higher priority compared to other historical institutions.[2]

Currently, Honest History continues to inform and update their followers on the funding of the Australian War Memorial through their website and social media platforms in which they also share online petitions concerning the funding of the building.

In February 2019, members of the Honest History coalition announced that they have voluntarily cancelled its legal status as an official organisation under the Associations Incorporation Act 1991. This was made effective in November of that year. Reasons behind their cancellation remain unspecified by the members of the coalition.[3]