Prosecution, punishment and the printed word in enlightenment Scotland, from 1747 to 1815. This project examines the principles and workings of the Scottish criminal justice system and how these were represented in, and influenced by, print culture, from 1747 to 1815. It will further understanding of Australian history by looking at how legal representations of Australia influenced the Scottish Judiciary's transportation policy.
Life, death and remembrance: a prosopographical study of British combat officers killed on the Western Front, 1914-1918. This project assesses the changing character of the British combat officer class during the Great War, using the method of collective biography, and the ways that those killed were remembered and memorialised by their families. Outcomes will include a book, conference papers and a number of articles in high-quality international journals.
The Life and Writings of Sir Charles Brooke, second Rajah of Sarawak (1829-1917). The benefit of the project is an understanding of the processes and mentality which underlaid what was perhaps history's most successful experiment in enlightened European rule over Asian peoples during the Imperial era. There are lessons here here for Australians' relations with their Southeast Asian neighbours, notably Malaysia and Indonesia. In the British context, it will document and evaluate for the first ti ....The Life and Writings of Sir Charles Brooke, second Rajah of Sarawak (1829-1917). The benefit of the project is an understanding of the processes and mentality which underlaid what was perhaps history's most successful experiment in enlightened European rule over Asian peoples during the Imperial era. There are lessons here here for Australians' relations with their Southeast Asian neighbours, notably Malaysia and Indonesia. In the British context, it will document and evaluate for the first time the achievement of one of the great figures of the Imperial era. Within Malaysia (and notably Sarawak) it will provide a major contribution towards an understanding of the 'White Rajah' era and its legacy of economic autonomy and political and cultural pluralism. Read moreRead less
Beyond the Family: Fragmented Families and Household Strategies in England, 1400-1830. This project poses radical new questions to the history of families and domestic relations in England 1400-1830. We aim to provide the first systematic analysis of the extent, variety, and significance of non-nuclear family forms in this period, explore their affectual relationships, and locate them in European contexts. Using approaches from literary textual analysis to statistical demography, we will critiqu ....Beyond the Family: Fragmented Families and Household Strategies in England, 1400-1830. This project poses radical new questions to the history of families and domestic relations in England 1400-1830. We aim to provide the first systematic analysis of the extent, variety, and significance of non-nuclear family forms in this period, explore their affectual relationships, and locate them in European contexts. Using approaches from literary textual analysis to statistical demography, we will critique several areas of scholarship on family and household history, evoking new research on medieval and early modern non-nuclear family structures, and hopefully providing fresh perspectives on the historical context of the perceived 'breakdown' of nuclear families in modern western-type societies.Read moreRead less
Australian Legacies of British Slavery: Capital, Land and Labour. This project aims to bring Australia into the global history of slavery by exploring the legacies of British slavery in South Australia and Victoria. Through developing methods for biographical research and digital mapping, it will trace the movement of capital, people and culture from slave-owning Britain to the new settler colonies, and produce a new history of the continuing impact of slavery wealth in shaping colonial immigrat ....Australian Legacies of British Slavery: Capital, Land and Labour. This project aims to bring Australia into the global history of slavery by exploring the legacies of British slavery in South Australia and Victoria. Through developing methods for biographical research and digital mapping, it will trace the movement of capital, people and culture from slave-owning Britain to the new settler colonies, and produce a new history of the continuing impact of slavery wealth in shaping colonial immigration, investment, and law. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity to build international disciplinary collaborations, new research methods, and research capacity building. Benefits include a radically new perspective on Australian history and abolition in the present, with major public outcomes.Read moreRead less
Writing the new history of British Imperialism its European, African and Australian context. I plan to complete several related projects already under way which are linked to the project title. The Oxford History of Missions in the British Empire will recast the way we think about the historical impact of Christian Missions. The Mapping Project compares the role played by surveyors and maps in the colononization of Australia and South Africa. Imperium of the Soul explores connections between d ....Writing the new history of British Imperialism its European, African and Australian context. I plan to complete several related projects already under way which are linked to the project title. The Oxford History of Missions in the British Empire will recast the way we think about the historical impact of Christian Missions. The Mapping Project compares the role played by surveyors and maps in the colononization of Australia and South Africa. Imperium of the Soul explores connections between deep currents of European intellectual life and the productions of key artists associated with British imperialism.
I will be revising my book on Theories of Imperialism and researching new work on war and conquest.
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Irish Convicts and Early Australian Society: A Reassessment in Two hemispheres. Based on new archival research in Ireland and Australia and the development of a data bank comprising information on more than one thousand male and female Irish convicts who arrived on eight transports between 1800 and 1806, this project examines the process of transportation within the context of a much wider Irish diaspora in the Age of Revolutions. It seeks to bring Irish convicts into the mainstream of colonial ....Irish Convicts and Early Australian Society: A Reassessment in Two hemispheres. Based on new archival research in Ireland and Australia and the development of a data bank comprising information on more than one thousand male and female Irish convicts who arrived on eight transports between 1800 and 1806, this project examines the process of transportation within the context of a much wider Irish diaspora in the Age of Revolutions. It seeks to bring Irish convicts into the mainstream of colonial studies by examining the traditional view of their ?otherness? and by focusing as much on their lives before transportation as after. A book, articles and conference papers will result.Read moreRead less
Western Australian Legacies of British Slavery . This project aims to bring Australia into the global history of slavery by exploring the legacies of British slavery in Western Australia. Through developing innovative methods for biographical research and digital mapping, it will trace the movement of capital, people and culture from slave-owning Britain to WA, and produce a new history of the continuing impact of slavery wealth in shaping colonial immigration, investment, and law. Expected outc ....Western Australian Legacies of British Slavery . This project aims to bring Australia into the global history of slavery by exploring the legacies of British slavery in Western Australia. Through developing innovative methods for biographical research and digital mapping, it will trace the movement of capital, people and culture from slave-owning Britain to WA, and produce a new history of the continuing impact of slavery wealth in shaping colonial immigration, investment, and law. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity to build international disciplinary collaborations, new research methods, and a major national online exhibition. Benefits include a radically new perspective on Australian history and abolition in the present, with major public outcomes.Read moreRead less
Living as a child: children's experiences in England c. 1400-1750. How we best nurture and socialize the next generation of Australians is currently a matter of critical debate. Yet modern Australian attitudes to childhood and practices of child-rearing were first formed in the crucible of pre-modern Europe. Our proposed history of children's experiences in England c. 1400-1750 will provide a rich understanding of the foundations of present-day theories and practices of child-rearing. It will e ....Living as a child: children's experiences in England c. 1400-1750. How we best nurture and socialize the next generation of Australians is currently a matter of critical debate. Yet modern Australian attitudes to childhood and practices of child-rearing were first formed in the crucible of pre-modern Europe. Our proposed history of children's experiences in England c. 1400-1750 will provide a rich understanding of the foundations of present-day theories and practices of child-rearing. It will enable us to distinguish universal features of child-rearing from those which change over time, and to maintain Australia's international reputation for top-class research and research training in pre-modern history and culture.Read moreRead less
The Italian wars, 1494–1559. This project aims to re-evaluate the Italian Wars, a conflict fought between 1494 and 1559 mainly on the Italian peninsula but which reshaped the political map of early modern Europe. The project will investigate newly identified textual and material source to produce a big-event history. Its findings will have significant impact both scholarly and general communities, from identifying new textual and material sources for historical study to potential ramifications f ....The Italian wars, 1494–1559. This project aims to re-evaluate the Italian Wars, a conflict fought between 1494 and 1559 mainly on the Italian peninsula but which reshaped the political map of early modern Europe. The project will investigate newly identified textual and material source to produce a big-event history. Its findings will have significant impact both scholarly and general communities, from identifying new textual and material sources for historical study to potential ramifications for historical warfare interpretation in television, radio and gaming environments.Read moreRead less