William Blackstone: Life and Works. The life and works of William Blackstone (1723-1780) have been largely overshadowed by his enormously influential Commentaries on the Laws of England. This project will deploy new evidence to explore Blackstone's elusive personal life and diverse public roles, as academic activist and administrator, architect, historian, law reformer, legislator, linguist, literary critic and scholar, politician and judge. Contextualising Blackstone within the rapidly developi ....William Blackstone: Life and Works. The life and works of William Blackstone (1723-1780) have been largely overshadowed by his enormously influential Commentaries on the Laws of England. This project will deploy new evidence to explore Blackstone's elusive personal life and diverse public roles, as academic activist and administrator, architect, historian, law reformer, legislator, linguist, literary critic and scholar, politician and judge. Contextualising Blackstone within the rapidly developing scholarship of the British Enlightenment, the project's outcomes will include the first ever full-length scholarly biography, together with annotated editions of his largely unpublished correspondence and hitherto unexamined architectural writings.Read moreRead less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
Moral Panics and the Law in Eighteenth-Century England. This project will reveal the origins of a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in modern western society. By doing so it will attract international attention from academic historians and sociologists. It will also contribute to Australia's reputation for producing high-quality intellectual products, and further enhance its standing as a leading centre for the study of Britain in the eighteenth century. Because of its contemporary relevance the stu ....Moral Panics and the Law in Eighteenth-Century England. This project will reveal the origins of a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in modern western society. By doing so it will attract international attention from academic historians and sociologists. It will also contribute to Australia's reputation for producing high-quality intellectual products, and further enhance its standing as a leading centre for the study of Britain in the eighteenth century. Because of its contemporary relevance the study will provide a critical perspective on modern politics, especially the perception that governments legitimise their authority by helping to constitute popular anxiety about threats to moral and personal security.Read moreRead less
Revolutionary Voyaging? Science, Politics and Discovery During the French Revolution (1789-1804). Despite the turmoil of the French Revolution, several state-sponsored scientific voyages were sent to various parts of the globe between 1789 and 1804, notably to Australia and the Pacific. This project is the first to examine these expeditions as a collective group. It seeks to determine whether they represented a new form of scientific voyaging, shaped by the radical changes of the time. It will ....Revolutionary Voyaging? Science, Politics and Discovery During the French Revolution (1789-1804). Despite the turmoil of the French Revolution, several state-sponsored scientific voyages were sent to various parts of the globe between 1789 and 1804, notably to Australia and the Pacific. This project is the first to examine these expeditions as a collective group. It seeks to determine whether they represented a new form of scientific voyaging, shaped by the radical changes of the time. It will also highlight the influence these voyages had, in return, on French debates regarding the nature of Man and human societies, our relationship with the natural world, and French understandings of Australia’s place in the world.Read moreRead less
Managing migrants and border control in Britain and Australia, 1901-1981. This project aims to historicise the creation and control of ‘suspect’ migrant communities and the restrictions on the further immigration of members of these groups by the British and Australian authorities from 1900-81. The project aims to scrutinise the creation of 'suspect communities' and the policies of surveillance, community control and restricted entry. The expected outcome is to show that such policies and practi ....Managing migrants and border control in Britain and Australia, 1901-1981. This project aims to historicise the creation and control of ‘suspect’ migrant communities and the restrictions on the further immigration of members of these groups by the British and Australian authorities from 1900-81. The project aims to scrutinise the creation of 'suspect communities' and the policies of surveillance, community control and restricted entry. The expected outcome is to show that such policies and practices did not prevent Britain and Australia from becoming multicultural societies by the 1970s. This will provide a greater understanding of how Britain and Australia’s border control systems have evolved since 1900 and how past historical policies relate to contemporary practices.Read moreRead less
A new history of law in eighteenth-century England. The century after 1689 witnessed momentous changes in English traditions of law and governance. This project will result in a new history of English law during the period, centred upon prestigious publications that will become standards and starting-points for future study by historians, lawyers, other scholars, and legal professionals.
Scholarly Editions of James Hogg's The Three Perils of Man and Edinburgh periodical writings and Walter Scott's miscellaneous short stories. This project will add significantly to scholarly knowledge of James Hogg, now recognised as one of the most important nineteenth century Scottish writers, and of his better known contemporary Walter Scott. The exciting and very recent discovery of the original manuscript of Hogg's most ambitious novel, The Three Perils of Man, the inclusion of Scott's final ....Scholarly Editions of James Hogg's The Three Perils of Man and Edinburgh periodical writings and Walter Scott's miscellaneous short stories. This project will add significantly to scholarly knowledge of James Hogg, now recognised as one of the most important nineteenth century Scottish writers, and of his better known contemporary Walter Scott. The exciting and very recent discovery of the original manuscript of Hogg's most ambitious novel, The Three Perils of Man, the inclusion of Scott's final, unpublished novella and the addition of a volume of Hogg's periodical writings have meant a major expansion of work already underway. The project will enhance the international reputation of Australian scholars through their participation in producing internationally recognised editions of important literary texts.Read moreRead less
The High Court of Australia: A Biographical Study. The High Court of Australia has shaped the legal, political and social landscapes of Australia. Yet despite its wide-ranging importance the Court has largely been the subject of a legal inquiry focusing on its substantial case law. This project seeks to fill a significant gap in the literature with the publication of an institutional history of the Court. Central to this project is a commitment to a multi-disciplinary approach that explores the ....The High Court of Australia: A Biographical Study. The High Court of Australia has shaped the legal, political and social landscapes of Australia. Yet despite its wide-ranging importance the Court has largely been the subject of a legal inquiry focusing on its substantial case law. This project seeks to fill a significant gap in the literature with the publication of an institutional history of the Court. Central to this project is a commitment to a multi-disciplinary approach that explores the Court beyond a merely legal paradigm. The outcomes of this project will be publications that situate the law, the judiciary and Australian history within a single explanatory narrative.Read moreRead less
Intimacy and Violence in Anglo Pacific Rim settler colonial societies. Violence and intimacy were both fundamental to the formation of settler colonial societies, yet we know surprisingly little of how they were connected. Through a large-scale collaboration of leading scholars, this project aims to produce the first transnational analysis of intimacy and violence as key, intertwined vectors in the development of settler societies across the colonial Anglophone Pacific Rim. Drawing out connectio ....Intimacy and Violence in Anglo Pacific Rim settler colonial societies. Violence and intimacy were both fundamental to the formation of settler colonial societies, yet we know surprisingly little of how they were connected. Through a large-scale collaboration of leading scholars, this project aims to produce the first transnational analysis of intimacy and violence as key, intertwined vectors in the development of settler societies across the colonial Anglophone Pacific Rim. Drawing out connections between the broad-scale dynamics of colonial rule and the violent and intimate domains of its implementation on the ground, the project aims to generate new comparative insights into the development of colonial settler cultures and create enhanced understanding of their legacies for western settler democracies today.Read moreRead less
Volunteers in Crisis: Analysing Responses to HIV/AIDS in Australia. This project aims to investigate the contribution that volunteers made to Australia's response to HIV/AIDS. The Australian public policy response to HIV/AIDS is widely considered one of the world’s best. This response drew heavily on the efforts of volunteers, who assisted in managing this public health crisis. This project aims to use empirical research and oral histories to investigate the motivations of these volunteers, the ....Volunteers in Crisis: Analysing Responses to HIV/AIDS in Australia. This project aims to investigate the contribution that volunteers made to Australia's response to HIV/AIDS. The Australian public policy response to HIV/AIDS is widely considered one of the world’s best. This response drew heavily on the efforts of volunteers, who assisted in managing this public health crisis. This project aims to use empirical research and oral histories to investigate the motivations of these volunteers, the nature and significance of their contributions and the impact of volunteerism on these individuals and on non-profit community-based organisations. The intended outcome will generate original insight into the role volunteers play during public health crises and may provide strategies to inform the management of future epidemics.Read moreRead less