Jim Belshaw has been writing the Express' history column, History Matters, since October 2012. An historian and economist by training, he went to school and university in Armidale before joining the Commonwealth Public Service.  

After a career as a senior public servant, a strategic consultant and a senior manager in the NGO sector, he returned  to his true loves of history and writing. His main book project is a history of Northern NSW over the last 50,000 years. 

Jim's columns span all aspects of New England history from prehistoric times to the present. These columns give a selection of his writing over the last twelve months. You can find more by searching on Jim Belshaw on the Express website.

Each week a variety of columnists are published in the Armidale Extra and on the Armidale Express website.

The topics range from gardening to psychology, as well as education, religion and history.

With 2018 drawing to a close we have taken the opportunity to introduce readers to some of our writers who have spoken to us about their columns. 

As well as explaining what they write about, and what insight they are trying to provide, we also asked them about the feedback they receive from the community.

Read some of Jim Belshaw’s history columns: