'Setting the Scene':

Abstract

This article provides an outline of the current statue wars in Australia, England, America, New Zealand and Eastern Europe before reviewing the many of the acts of public history making these contestations have inspired among both protestors and protectors. Commencing with the unveiling of the contested statue of Captain James Cook in Sydney's Hyde Park in 1879, the authors trace the connections and contestations between past and present history making before reflecting upon the role of public historians as communities strive to develop frameworks that can foster careful conversation, consultation and collaboration processes that help to reckon with the past.