Congratulations to Anthony Merlino who has been awarded the 2019 Public History Prize by the Professional Historians Association of NSW and the ACT for his essay Taking Centre Stage - Indigenous Australian Activism and Popular Music in the 1980s.

His essay explores the historical connections between Aboriginal activism and musical expression through three prolific Aboriginal bands of the period: No Fixed Address, Warumpi Band, and Yothu Yindi. Anthony was announced as the prize winner at the Association's annual History in July event, where Michelle Rayner, Executive Producer of ABC's History Listen, presented the Peter Tyler Oration, sharing her knowledge and insights on sound recording - and its role in historical inquiry. The essay will soon be published on the Association's website. Anthony also receives a cash prize of $500 alongside the award.

Taking Centre Stage was originally produced as an assessment piece for Making History, where students design an independent research project and see it to completion.

Head of School Professor Frank Bongiorno reflected on Anthony's achievement:

"The School of History is very proud of Anthony's success in winning the Public History Prize, and we are grateful to the Professional Historians Association NSW & ACT for their support and encouragement of student research. His essay, as a study of Indigenous activism and music in the 1980s, was outstanding, important and timely. Our students at all levels, from undergraduate to doctoral, have a remarkable record of success with national and international prizes. Anthony is the latest contributor to a distinguished tradition of student research, also reflected in the recent revival of the ANU Historical Journal which Anthony now co-edits. I offer him congratulations on behalf of the School."

All NSW & ACT university students engaged with the field and practice of public history were eligible to enter, and the award has been running since 2008.