News Archive

For the third year in a row, a book published by UWA Publishing has won a prestigious Margaret Medcalf Award.

Justice: A History of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia by Fiona Skyring, published by UWA Publishing in 2011, has won this year's award.

Another UWA Publishing title, Government House and Western Australian Society 1829-2010 by Jeremy C. Martens, was awarded a Special Commendation, the first time this has happened.

The Hon. John Day MLA, Minister for Culture and the Arts, presented the Award to Dr Skyring at a special ceremony at the State Library of Western Australia yesterday.

"This book makes a significant contribution to increasing our understanding of the changes in criminal justice and policing, and to attitudes about racial discrimination and land rights that have occurred in recent times in Western Australia," Mr Day said.

"Dr Skyring has produced a fine research work which is accessible and doesn't shy away from examining the difficulties inherent in running an organisation devoted to Aboriginal justice in a complex political context ... it is a powerful and a compelling read."

The Margaret Medcalf Award is presented annually by the State Records Office of Western Australia for works published or completed in the previous calendar year which display excellence in referencing and research using archives. The award is named in honour of the second State Archivist, Miss Margaret Medcalf OAM, for her valuable contribution to the development of archives in Western Australia from 1971 to 1989.

In 2011, it was awarded to Murdering Stepmothers: The Execution of Martha Rendell by Anna Haebich. "It's Still in My Heart, This is My Country": The Single Noongar Claim History by John Host with Chris Owen won the award in 2010.

For more information on the Margaret Medcalf Award, visit the State Records Office .

Media references

Kiri Falls (UWA Publishing)  (+61 8)  6488 6806  /  (+61 4) 28 136 847
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783