Indonesian labour migration to north Australia, 1880-1972. This study of mobility between Indonesia and Australia provides a historical context for understanding Australia's relations with Indonesia and the complex history of our shared maritime border. Exploration of Indonesian immigration experiences will add to current political debate over temporary labour migration. This project demonstrates the importance of cross-border research as a means of enriching Australian history and enhancing our ....Indonesian labour migration to north Australia, 1880-1972. This study of mobility between Indonesia and Australia provides a historical context for understanding Australia's relations with Indonesia and the complex history of our shared maritime border. Exploration of Indonesian immigration experiences will add to current political debate over temporary labour migration. This project demonstrates the importance of cross-border research as a means of enriching Australian history and enhancing our cultural capital in relation to our northern neighbours. This detailed study of our multi-ethnic northern communities from which came the first Indonesian-Australian citizens makes a significant contribution to our knowledge of Australia's Asian diaspora.Read moreRead less
Rethinking Impartial Humanitarianism: Lessons from the Recent History of the Asia-Pacific Region. Australia today is increasingly involved in complex international humanitarian missions, involving cooperation with other nations and with international non-government organizations. These actions have profound implications for relationships between Australia and other countries. Through an investigation of key case studies from the Asia-Pacific region, this project will create a deeper understandin ....Rethinking Impartial Humanitarianism: Lessons from the Recent History of the Asia-Pacific Region. Australia today is increasingly involved in complex international humanitarian missions, involving cooperation with other nations and with international non-government organizations. These actions have profound implications for relationships between Australia and other countries. Through an investigation of key case studies from the Asia-Pacific region, this project will create a deeper understanding of the long-term experiences, possibilities and limitations of impartial humanitarian action. It will thus contribute to global debates about humanitarianism, and to better-informed Australian engagement in responding to humanitarian crises in our region and the wider world.Read moreRead less
War crimes and the Japanese military, 1941-1945. During the Second World War, Japanese military forces in Asia and the Pacific committed extraordinary atrocities against prisoners-of-war, civilian internees and local populations. These atrocities shocked Japan's Western enemies, not least because Japanese military behaviour in the early 20th century had been celebrated as remarkably humane. This project seeks to explain Japanese wartime brutality, identifying the specific circumstances in which ....War crimes and the Japanese military, 1941-1945. During the Second World War, Japanese military forces in Asia and the Pacific committed extraordinary atrocities against prisoners-of-war, civilian internees and local populations. These atrocities shocked Japan's Western enemies, not least because Japanese military behaviour in the early 20th century had been celebrated as remarkably humane. This project seeks to explain Japanese wartime brutality, identifying the specific circumstances in which it occurred and considering the particular wartime context. It challenges the prevalent explanation of Japanese wartime violence which locates the causes of brutality in deeply rooted aspects of Japanese national culture. This research is expected to contribute to understandings of war and violence.Read moreRead less
Repatriation and release of Japanese war criminals 1946-1958: Southeast Asia, Japan and the Great Powers. Japanese war criminals held in Southeast Asia were repatriated and released in Japan from the late 1940s. Releases were negotiated between Japan and the nation that had convicted the prisoner. The project provides new understandings of the emergence of Southeast Asian states in regional diplomacy and of Japan's re-emergence as a regional power.
The Politics of Guilt in Asia: the Afterlife of Japanese War Crimes. This project aims to investigate the perception of Japan’s continuing guilt for atrocities committed during the Second World War. Until the 1970s, it was widely believed that Japan had resolved its guilt by accepting punishment, paying recompense and apologising, and could move on. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the process by which the idea of Japan’s guilt was revived to become a major issue in East Asian ....The Politics of Guilt in Asia: the Afterlife of Japanese War Crimes. This project aims to investigate the perception of Japan’s continuing guilt for atrocities committed during the Second World War. Until the 1970s, it was widely believed that Japan had resolved its guilt by accepting punishment, paying recompense and apologising, and could move on. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the process by which the idea of Japan’s guilt was revived to become a major issue in East Asian and world affairs. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of how historical grievance is constructed and why it has come to be considered always open to review. Anticipated benefits include a greater understanding of the changing ways in which historical grievance is used, both politically and ethically.Read moreRead less
Decolonisation and photography in Southeast Asia: Histories and legacies. This project aims to investigate the untold history of decolonisation in Southeast Asia through amateur soldier photographs taken on the front line of conflicts. Such photographs constitute a vast yet neglected archive that promises unique insights into encounters between combatants on all sides, and with civilians whose experiences have rarely been accessible, particularly women, children and unfree workers. The expected ....Decolonisation and photography in Southeast Asia: Histories and legacies. This project aims to investigate the untold history of decolonisation in Southeast Asia through amateur soldier photographs taken on the front line of conflicts. Such photographs constitute a vast yet neglected archive that promises unique insights into encounters between combatants on all sides, and with civilians whose experiences have rarely been accessible, particularly women, children and unfree workers. The expected outcomes of this project are to produce new understandings of violence in decolonisation and the long-term legacies of colonialism in Southeast Asia. This project also intends to provide a critical historical framework for understanding the meaning and impact of photographs taken in war.Read moreRead less
A history of women as consumers, 1902-2010. This project aims to give women their own autonomous history as proactive consumers altering spaces outside the domestic sphere. Using a case study of Filipino elite and migrant women, and women’s magazines, ‘migrant archives’, interviews and ethnographic mapping, the project will write a history of the influence of women’s consumption practices on the economy, business and spaces of consumption in the twentieth century. The project aims to challenge t ....A history of women as consumers, 1902-2010. This project aims to give women their own autonomous history as proactive consumers altering spaces outside the domestic sphere. Using a case study of Filipino elite and migrant women, and women’s magazines, ‘migrant archives’, interviews and ethnographic mapping, the project will write a history of the influence of women’s consumption practices on the economy, business and spaces of consumption in the twentieth century. The project aims to challenge the view of women as peripheral to the Philippines’ economic history or having little influence on countries to which they migrated. This could enhance Australia’s reputation in the field of women in Asia and foster international collaboration.Read moreRead less
Confronting Historical Injustice in Indonesia: Memory and Transnational Human Rights Activism. Since the 1990s there has been a boom in memory and in human rights activism relating to historical injustice in Indonesia. Using an innovative framework of the concept of ‘regions of memory’ this project examines how human rights activists located within and outside Indonesia use memory for the purposes of achieving human rights outcomes. Through national and international collaborations this project ....Confronting Historical Injustice in Indonesia: Memory and Transnational Human Rights Activism. Since the 1990s there has been a boom in memory and in human rights activism relating to historical injustice in Indonesia. Using an innovative framework of the concept of ‘regions of memory’ this project examines how human rights activists located within and outside Indonesia use memory for the purposes of achieving human rights outcomes. Through national and international collaborations this project will analyse why transnational activism concerning crimes from the Japanese occupation (1942-45), the independence struggle (1945-1949) and the 1965 mass violence escalated at particular points in time and deepen our understanding of the relationship between memory and human rights.Read moreRead less
Beauty, Ugliness and China’s Changing Gender Norms. This project intends to explore the connections between political programs promoting social change and cultural and commercial activities in China since 1900. It intends to generate new knowledge about the factors that influence people’s perceptions of desirable male and female behaviours by examining the evolution of ideals of beauty and ugliness and how they are used by political, cultural or commercial actors. The expected outcomes include d ....Beauty, Ugliness and China’s Changing Gender Norms. This project intends to explore the connections between political programs promoting social change and cultural and commercial activities in China since 1900. It intends to generate new knowledge about the factors that influence people’s perceptions of desirable male and female behaviours by examining the evolution of ideals of beauty and ugliness and how they are used by political, cultural or commercial actors. The expected outcomes include deepening Australia’s knowledge of what constitutes a positive or negative attribute in the Chinese marketplace (both the commercial market of products and the political market of ideas) and enabling Australians to promote their products/ideas more effectively in the global powerhouse that is China.Read moreRead less
A history of Filipino migration and identity, 1906-2010. The purpose of the research is to write a history of Filipino migration over the long twentieth century from the perspective of the migrants themselves. The story that emerges will help us understand migrant activism and explain how migration has had an enormous impact on the host countries including Australia as well as the Philippines.