James Cook University (JCU) and CQ University (CQU) are preparing to host the Australian Historical Association's (AHA) national conference, bringing more than 220 historians from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to Townsville this week, from Monday 30 June to Thursday, 3 July.

The conference theme, 'Looking Up,' engages historians with the important place of northern Australia in our nation's histories, and to consider the ways their work connects to contemporary issues.
A major highlight of the week is "History Matters: Teaching History in Northern Australia," a special ticketed event on Tuesday 1 July open to teachers and the public.
This unique day offers engagement with leading voices in historical scholarship, with a roundtable on engaging with First Nations' history in the classroom, and will feature a keynote address from one of Australia's most eminent historians, Professor Henry Reynolds.
Professor Reynold's lecture marks six decades since he began his distinguished career at James Cook University.
His time in Townsville sparked a pioneering interest in the history of relations between settlers and Aboriginal people, which led to his influential work The Other Side of the Frontier; a book that revolutionised the understanding of Australia's past and was first published by James Cook University in 1981.
"Hosting the Australian Historical Association's annual conference here in Townsville is a significant occasion for James Cook University," said Professor Koen Stapelbroek, Dean of the College of Arts, Society and Education at JCU.
"It not only brings the nation's leading historians to our doorstep but, through vital events like 'History Matters', it allows us to connect this national conversation directly with our local educators and community. It underscores our commitment to understanding the unique history of Northern Australia and its importance to the nation's story."
Other distinguished keynote speakers for the conference include former Senator and social activist Margaret Reynolds AC, expert on Northern Australian history Dr Lyndon Megarrity, and leading environmental historian Professor Andrea Gaynor.
The four-day conference will also feature histories speaking to a range of themes and topics, including First Nations History, War & Conflict, Northern and Regional Australia History, and Maritime History, catering to a wide array of historical interests.