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Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Two organisations synonymous with the State's economic and social development - Wesfarmers and The University of Western Australia - are joining forces in a new multi-million-dollar project to boost the study of Australian history at both tertiary and secondary levels.

Wesfarmers today (Tuesday) announced a $5 million gift to establish a Professorial Chair in Australian History at UWA - the first such position fully privately-funded in Australia and the first Chair of Australian History in WA.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson hailed the announcement as "an act of great leadership in corporate philanthropy", and Wesfarmers Managing Director Richard Goyder said the new academic position would help to "provide an enormously important perspective to current economic, social and environmental debates".

The Wesfarmers' gift comes as UWA celebrates its Centenary and just a year before the former WA farmers' cooperative - now one of Australia's largest listed companies - celebrates its own 100-year milestone.

The Professorial appointment will guide historical research from a West Australian perspective, promote academic and community interest in Australian history and help lead the development of public debate and policies on key issues affecting the nation's future.

The role will also develop a new Masters in Education (History) program at UWA designed specifically for school teachers to ensure that Western Australian history - with its unique regional character and culture - is showcased in the state education system.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson welcomed Wesfarmers' generous gift, which he said would help meet a need recognised by governments across Australia for a national revival in the teaching of Australian history.

"An appreciation of Australian history is essential to an understanding of ourselves as Australians and our place in the world," Professor Johnson said.

Wesfarmers Managing Director Richard Goyder said the gift to the University in its centenary year would enable UWA to deliver leadership in the study and teaching of Australian history at regional, national and international levels.

Establishing the perpetual Chair at UWA would also enable greater focus on the study and teaching of Western Australian history, adding depth to the existing national curriculum.

"Given much of Wesfarmers' history is in Western Australia, this is an especially appropriate contribution as the University celebrates its centenary and as we approach our own Wesfarmers centenary in 2014," Mr Goyder said.

"The rigorous study of history is valuable in itself but it also provides an enormously important perspective to current economic, social and environmental debates."

The Dean of UWA's Faculty of Arts, Winthrop Professor Krishna Sen, said WA was an economic leader in a time zone shared by 60 per cent of the world's population and nations that promise the greatest economic growth in the 21st Century.

"The new Chair will help provide decision-makers with critical analytical tools to tackle future challenges, guide public policy, meet environmental challenges and respond to the political, economic, social and cultural expectations of the state's Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples," she said.

The post will be advertised internationally at the end of March, with the aim of appointing a leading historian within 6 months.

Media references

Cathy Bolt (Wesfarmers Media and External Affairs Manager) (+61 8)  93274423  /  (+61 4) 17 813 804

Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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