News

At the recent 2022 Western Australian Heritage Awards, our late President, Clare Menck, was awarded The Judges Award: the Professor David Dolan Award.

This prestigious award is made at the discretion of the judges from all finalists in all categories. It was for particular acknowledgement of Clare’s last work, A Thematic History of Western Australia, published posthumously in October 2022, which is an outstanding achievement and, poignantly, the most significant project she delivered in her career. Commissioned by the Heritage Council WA, the Thematic History is an invaluable resource for anyone working in the field of Western Australian history.

As we adjust to the reality that we lost her too soon, we take consolation in how fortunate we are to have this publication as a tangible reminder of Clare’s intellect, her skill, her tenacity and her commitment to consider all peoples’ stories and voices.

The nomination for Clare to the Heritage Awards was submitted by the PHAWA management committee, and the award was accepted on her behalf by our President Helen Munt and Clare’s husband Tyson Menck. We are delighted with this salute to Clare, as were her family and all who knew her.

The evening was a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the work, the contributions and the legacies of all our friends, associates and colleagues; to raise a toast to those present and also those now absent but not forgotten.

Clare’s publication A Thematic History of Western Australia is available to download from the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage at the following link. A Thematic History of Western Australia (www.wa.gov.au)