Students

BHIX1004 – History and Heritage

2026 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Peter Edwell
peter.edwell@mq.edu.au
Charlotte Mann
charlotte.mann@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
BHIX 1004 - History and Heritage
Unit description Unit description

"History lives all around us—in heritage-listed buildings, our local museums, our streets, memes and community memorials. But why are some places protected while others are destroyed? How do communities fight to preserve their stories, and what happens when people remember the past differently?  You'll discover how local communities research their own histories, how museums choose stories to tell, and how digital technologies are revolutionising our encounters with the past. Whether analysing a campaign to save a historic building or a major exhibition on frontier violence, you'll understand how public history shapes who we are. This unit introduces how history works in the real world, shaping community and national identity, politics, and cultural memory. You'll journey through global approaches to heritage, from colonial collecting and Indigenous requests for repatriation, learning practical skills that heritage and history professionals use daily: assessing cultural significance, developing conservation plans, managing collections, and creating interpretations that bring the past to life. By unit's end, you'll see history and heritage everywhere, and understand the forces determining which stories survive in the public realm.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and analyse the historical, political, and cultural forces that shape decisions about preservation, commemoration, and heritage management.
  • ULO2: Evaluate competing narratives of the past by examining how communities, institutions, and individuals remember, represent, or contest historical events.
  • ULO3: Apply foundational heritage skills such as significance assessment, conservation planning, and interpretive design to real-world historical sites, objects, or collections.
  • ULO4: Critically reflect on the role of public history and heritage in shaping identity, memory, and debates about belonging in contemporary society.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Community History/Memory Project 35% No 06/11/2026 Individual Yes Open
Heritage Site Analysis Report 35% No 09/10/2026 Individual Yes Open
Case Study 30% No 24/08/2026 Individual Yes Open

Community History/Memory Project

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Research an item/event of family or local heritage significance and place it in its regional/national/international context. Present your findings as a digital story or short video, highlighting how communities construct and contest the past
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the historical, political, and cultural forces that shape decisions about preservation, commemoration, and heritage management.
  • Evaluate competing narratives of the past by examining how communities, institutions, and individuals remember, represent, or contest historical events.
  • Critically reflect on the role of public history and heritage in shaping identity, memory, and debates about belonging in contemporary society.

Heritage Site Analysis Report

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 09/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Analyse a heritage site and assess the site's historical significance using heritage assessment criteria (e.g., aesthetic, social, historical, scientific value). Discuss how the site is interpreted for the public and any tensions or controversies surrounding its preservation or representation
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the historical, political, and cultural forces that shape decisions about preservation, commemoration, and heritage management.
  • Evaluate competing narratives of the past by examining how communities, institutions, and individuals remember, represent, or contest historical events.
  • Apply foundational heritage skills such as significance assessment, conservation planning, and interpretive design to real-world historical sites, objects, or collections.

Case Study

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 24/08/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Choose a heritage site, memorial, or museum exhibition—either in Australia or internationally—that has sparked public debate. Describe the site and its historical context and summarise the nature of the debate or controversy. Analyse how different stakeholders (e.g. governments, communities, historians, activists) have engaged with the site
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the historical, political, and cultural forces that shape decisions about preservation, commemoration, and heritage management.
  • Evaluate competing narratives of the past by examining how communities, institutions, and individuals remember, represent, or contest historical events.
  • Apply foundational heritage skills such as significance assessment, conservation planning, and interpretive design to real-world historical sites, objects, or collections.
  • Critically reflect on the role of public history and heritage in shaping identity, memory, and debates about belonging in contemporary society.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

The ilearn site contains extensive information about teaching delivery. It also contains a considerable number of learning and research resources.

Unit Schedule

A detailed unit schedule appears on the ilearn site.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook