PHA (Vic & Tas) is an organisation that exists to provide support for you as a professional historian. This support comes in various forms – like the services and resources that we provide to you as a member. A brief description of some of these advantages is listed below. Through many of these benefits and services members have the opportunity for both professional and social interaction with historians working in diverse fields of history.


Professional Accreditation

  • Ready identification of members’ level of qualifications and experience

  • Ensures a high standard of professionalism within the discipline of history and the organisation

Code of Ethics

  • Consolidates standards of professionalism, integrity and scholarship

  • Ensures a high standard of conduct within the profession by incorporating a by-law to regulate the use of a Code of Ethics and Professional Standards

Scale of Fees

  • Recommended fee structure for short, medium and long term projects

  • Hourly, weekly and annual fee rates calculated for various levels of professional experience

Insurance

Model Contract

  • A guide for drawing up a contract for a range of projects

Equipment for hire

  • Zoom H4 digital audio recorder and tripod

  • Data projector

Advocacy

  • Advocates the importance of history as a discipline and profession in the wider community

  • Assistance with dispute resolution

Professional Development Program

  • Monthly informative and instructive excursions and ‘how to’ sessions

  • Annual skills training workshops

  • Professional reading groups

Journal

  • Circa: The Journal of Professional Historians is a peer-refereed journal published on a regular basis.

  • A forum to publish work that reflects the diverse ways in which professional historians engage with history and practice

Bi-Monthly Newsletter

  • Pharos keeps members informed of professional developments, grant information, upcoming events, reviews, new members and the activities of current members

  • Provides a forum for members to engage with one another and to publicise their latest work

Employment Service

  • Publicises current work and professional development opportunities to members

  • Employment opportunities sourced exclusively from clients and through external employment service

Professional Networks

  • Provides members with the opportunity to gain support and assistance from one another, work on collaborative projects together and be surrounded by like-minded professionals

A COMMUNITY OF PROFESSIONAL HISTORIANS

In addition to these tangible services there is another extremely important role that PHA (Vic & Tas) can play in your professional life. The PHA is your professional community. It can provide support and networking on an official and unofficial level. When you are searching for a job, trying to put your CV together, attempting to write a project brief or trying to cost a project, don’t forget that there are many members – fellow professionals – who have attempted the same or similar things before.

One of the most positive elements about the PHA (Vic & Tas) community is that we all work together to build a supportive and encouraging professional environment. You might be struggling with how to put together an expression of interest for a job that has been advertised in our Employment Service. Or maybe you are not quite sure how long an element of a project will take and, as a result, can’t quite work out that component of the budget. While you will find some of these answers in the documents in our information kit and on this website, don’t be shy to ask.

Make the most of the PHA network. There is always someone willing to help. You can contact Committee members by phone or email. Or you might like to come along to one of our events. As well as being informative events, these sessions offer the opportunity to talk with colleagues before and after the presentation. Make the most of this supportive professional community – it is there to help you.