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Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As co ....Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As contribution to policy, it can address two continuing debates: about the place of selective state schools in a national system of education, and about the dynamics of single sex schools, and the education of girls more generally.Read moreRead less
The work and workings of the Masson family. The family is of crucial importance to the social and economic fabric of Australian society. To appreciate the family it is vital to realise how it has developed, that is, to understand its history. This project seeks, by studying a complex and intriguing family, to improve that understanding. It sheds light on how the family has been formed, how and why the relationships between its members have changed, how decisions as to who makes up the members ....The work and workings of the Masson family. The family is of crucial importance to the social and economic fabric of Australian society. To appreciate the family it is vital to realise how it has developed, that is, to understand its history. This project seeks, by studying a complex and intriguing family, to improve that understanding. It sheds light on how the family has been formed, how and why the relationships between its members have changed, how decisions as to who makes up the membership of the family are made, and how the family's development has been affected by economic, political and social pressures.Read moreRead less
The Public University in Australasia (1850-1918). Australians need a clear understanding of the fundamental value of universities to their society. This project provides an important historical context to the civic functions of universities, and specifically, aims to enlighten the contemporary debate over the public and private benefits of higher education, the importance of merit-based access, universities as a public investment in the advancement of knowledge, the meaning of benefaction, and t ....The Public University in Australasia (1850-1918). Australians need a clear understanding of the fundamental value of universities to their society. This project provides an important historical context to the civic functions of universities, and specifically, aims to enlighten the contemporary debate over the public and private benefits of higher education, the importance of merit-based access, universities as a public investment in the advancement of knowledge, the meaning of benefaction, and the role of universities in the making of the Australian middle class.
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Face to Face with Asia: Australia, the Colombo Plan and the Asian Engagement Debate, 1950-1975. This project will be the first comprehensive study of Australia's involvement in the Colombo Plan for aid to South and Southeast Asia. It will examine this involvement as a central part of Australia's engagement with Asia in the postwar period. It will do so under three main headings: Australian foreign policy; cultural diplomacy; and the internationalisation of higher education. The project will be i ....Face to Face with Asia: Australia, the Colombo Plan and the Asian Engagement Debate, 1950-1975. This project will be the first comprehensive study of Australia's involvement in the Colombo Plan for aid to South and Southeast Asia. It will examine this involvement as a central part of Australia's engagement with Asia in the postwar period. It will do so under three main headings: Australian foreign policy; cultural diplomacy; and the internationalisation of higher education. The project will be innovative in bridging the gap between histories of Australian foreign policy and cultural histories of Australian-Asian relations. It will provide an excellent foundation for on-going research into the consequent reconfiguring of our identity as an Asia-Pacific nation.Read moreRead less
Sites of Learning, Spaces of State: Reconstructed Primary Schools and Small Parks in Tokyo, 1923-1945. Australia places a high priority on its relationship with Japan as it is a country that remains of fundamental importance for political and economic reasons. Indeed, one of the reasons why we enjoy such a strong relationship today is due to our growing familiarity with each other's language, culture and society. Japan is likely to remain Australia's largest export market for some time hence it ....Sites of Learning, Spaces of State: Reconstructed Primary Schools and Small Parks in Tokyo, 1923-1945. Australia places a high priority on its relationship with Japan as it is a country that remains of fundamental importance for political and economic reasons. Indeed, one of the reasons why we enjoy such a strong relationship today is due to our growing familiarity with each other's language, culture and society. Japan is likely to remain Australia's largest export market for some time hence it is important that we also maintain our engagement in scholarship of Japan's history, culture and society. This project will deepen our understanding of Japanese state and society in a critical period of the twentieth century, and in doing so contribute to Australia's long-term goal of strengthening this important bilateral relationship.Read moreRead less
Historical Conflict and Reconciliation in East Asia: Media, History Wars and the Search for Regional Understanding. The relationship between Japan, China and Korea is of central importance to the future stability of our region, and of particular political and economic importance to Australia. This project will promote a deeper understanding of current tensions in the relationship between these countries, and will contribute to the practical search for resolutions to cultural and ideological dime ....Historical Conflict and Reconciliation in East Asia: Media, History Wars and the Search for Regional Understanding. The relationship between Japan, China and Korea is of central importance to the future stability of our region, and of particular political and economic importance to Australia. This project will promote a deeper understanding of current tensions in the relationship between these countries, and will contribute to the practical search for resolutions to cultural and ideological dimensions of this conflict. By addressing the relationship between changing methods of communication and contrasting images of history, the project will also contribute to the development of new theoretical approaches to the communication of historical knowledge in the twenty-first century. Read moreRead less
Droughts and Flooding Rains: El Nino and La Nina Events in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific 1865 - 1903. Historically in Australia and Oceania, droughts and flooding rains have been considered an aberration, but understanding is now emerging that they result from El Nino and La Nina episodes and should be perceived as and planned for as irregular but natural phenomena. This study will expand our knowledge and comprehension of their influence on environments, economies, cultures and n ....Droughts and Flooding Rains: El Nino and La Nina Events in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific 1865 - 1903. Historically in Australia and Oceania, droughts and flooding rains have been considered an aberration, but understanding is now emerging that they result from El Nino and La Nina episodes and should be perceived as and planned for as irregular but natural phenomena. This study will expand our knowledge and comprehension of their influence on environments, economies, cultures and national thinking in our human and environmental history in Australia and the South Pacific, thereby facilitating more appropriate attitudes and a better capacity to plan for and live within environmental realities.Read moreRead less
Scientific voyages in the Antipodes. Thomas Huxley, John McGillivray and the Darwinian Revolution. This project examines the scientific British survey expeditions to Australasia during the nineteenth century. The research focuses on the importance of Australasia in the formation of Darwinism, one of the key scientific and social theories of modern western culture. Environmental change and scientific and cultural heritage in our region will be traced back to these early scientific voyagers.
The Origins and Effects of the Unified National System of Higher Education in Australia. The project will provide the first systematic and fully documented account of the genesis, aims, authorship, design, negotiation, carriage and implementation of the changes introduced to Australian higher education from 1987 to 1992. In addition, it will evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of these changes in reference to the purpose and rationale of the reforms as presented in the policy documents ....The Origins and Effects of the Unified National System of Higher Education in Australia. The project will provide the first systematic and fully documented account of the genesis, aims, authorship, design, negotiation, carriage and implementation of the changes introduced to Australian higher education from 1987 to 1992. In addition, it will evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of these changes in reference to the purpose and rationale of the reforms as presented in the policy documents of the period. The project will undertake detailed case studies of four Australian universities, tracing how they were affected by the creation of the Unified National System of higher education. This account and analysis of the changes orchestrated by Minister John Dawkins will help inform future higher education policy debate.Read moreRead less
Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia. To co-ordinate, research, analyse, write and develop an Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia. The Encyclopedia will be produced as an innovative multimedia CD-ROM and website as well as a printed version.