THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF DEATH AND BEREAVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND, 1914-1980. Death, bereavement and old age come to us all, but their history has been neglected for twentieth century Australia and England. I aim to write two substantial books and several articles on this vitally important subject, explaining how and why emotional and expressive death practices and attitudes were often transformed after 1918 into a silence about death, with minimal ritual and privatised grief. Th ....THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF DEATH AND BEREAVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND, 1914-1980. Death, bereavement and old age come to us all, but their history has been neglected for twentieth century Australia and England. I aim to write two substantial books and several articles on this vitally important subject, explaining how and why emotional and expressive death practices and attitudes were often transformed after 1918 into a silence about death, with minimal ritual and privatised grief. This comparative project has crucial outcomes for our understanding of the histories of medicine, war, religion and the family, as well as policy implications for current issues such as euthanasia, suicide, aged care, cancer and palliative care.Read moreRead less
Understanding old age in Australian history as a foundation for improved social and economic policy. My history of old age in Australia since 1860 will provide the first book which maps our experiences of growing old in the past, as a foundation for improved social and economic policy. The national government's 'Inter-generational report' has started a process of review and planning at a time of dramatic demographic change. However, developing strategies for 'ageing well, ageing productively' d ....Understanding old age in Australian history as a foundation for improved social and economic policy. My history of old age in Australia since 1860 will provide the first book which maps our experiences of growing old in the past, as a foundation for improved social and economic policy. The national government's 'Inter-generational report' has started a process of review and planning at a time of dramatic demographic change. However, developing strategies for 'ageing well, ageing productively' depends on an informed understanding of previous and current expectations about and attitudes to ageing in Australia. The history of old age is a complex rather than simple story, and successful policy development will require a solid historical foundation.Read moreRead less
The role of the Wittenoom Asbestos mine in the lives and deaths of Italian transnational workers. Reconstructing the lives of Italian workers in the context of transnational migration and the mining of one of the worlds' most hazardous minerals is significant in itself as part of Australian historical record. To the Italian community, the story exemplifies the disproportionate contributions and sacrifices of postwar migration. Importantly, the evidence produced will be of use in improving public ....The role of the Wittenoom Asbestos mine in the lives and deaths of Italian transnational workers. Reconstructing the lives of Italian workers in the context of transnational migration and the mining of one of the worlds' most hazardous minerals is significant in itself as part of Australian historical record. To the Italian community, the story exemplifies the disproportionate contributions and sacrifices of postwar migration. Importantly, the evidence produced will be of use in improving public health and policy responses to the legacy of asbestos disease, both in Australia and in Italy. In drawing on Italian and Australian scholarship, community networks and government initiatives, the project will provide valuable training to a doctoral candidate, and contribute to furthering the practical internationalisation of Australian research.Read moreRead less
Growing Australian: domesticating native plants. This project is a pioneering study of the history and meanings of growing Australian native plants. It asserts the importance of the garden in ensuring an environmentally sustainable future and argues that in order to promote more environmentally responsible gardening practices, the history of Australian cultural attitudes towards native gardens must be understood, as must the ongoing resistance to gardening with native plants. The project will a ....Growing Australian: domesticating native plants. This project is a pioneering study of the history and meanings of growing Australian native plants. It asserts the importance of the garden in ensuring an environmentally sustainable future and argues that in order to promote more environmentally responsible gardening practices, the history of Australian cultural attitudes towards native gardens must be understood, as must the ongoing resistance to gardening with native plants. The project will advance the national and international debate from one concerned with "native plant vs exotic" and "indigenous plant vs weed" to one in which the cultural ideas invested in different gardening practices can be recognised and new ways of imagining and transforming gardening practice established.Read moreRead less
The twentieth century in paint. The art market is a major contributor to the Australian economy worth over $500M per annum. However many modern works created with new materials introduced in the 20th century in Australia and Southeast Asia exhibit problems with deterioration, and there is little research on the use and effects of these materials. Without answers to material based preservation questions collectors, curators and conservators cannot make informed decisions. This project, with partn ....The twentieth century in paint. The art market is a major contributor to the Australian economy worth over $500M per annum. However many modern works created with new materials introduced in the 20th century in Australia and Southeast Asia exhibit problems with deterioration, and there is little research on the use and effects of these materials. Without answers to material based preservation questions collectors, curators and conservators cannot make informed decisions. This project, with partners in Australia, Asia, US and UK will provide fundamental information to assist in formulating management strategies, inform curatorship and develop innovative approaches to conservation and the manufacture of art materials.Read moreRead less
Trust and the Changing Moral Economy of Australian Medicine. There is strong evidence that patients sue their doctors because of inadequate doctor/patient communication, and this has been directly linked to low levels of trust. But unless doctors have become worse communicators over time, poor communication fails to explain recent rises in litigation rates. This historical study will examine the multiple factors affecting changing doctor/patient relationships. It will offer new insights into the ....Trust and the Changing Moral Economy of Australian Medicine. There is strong evidence that patients sue their doctors because of inadequate doctor/patient communication, and this has been directly linked to low levels of trust. But unless doctors have become worse communicators over time, poor communication fails to explain recent rises in litigation rates. This historical study will examine the multiple factors affecting changing doctor/patient relationships. It will offer new insights into the circumstances that fostered trust in medicine in the past, which will assist in understanding the current dynamics of changes in trust. This will help policy makers seeking to promote and maintain good health by strengthening the values of trust and reciprocity within Australia's healthcare system.Read moreRead less
Explaining the Changing Roles of Collections, Curators and Exhibitions in the Production of Museum Images of the Pacific:1900-2000. This study advances the hypothesis, developed as the result of previous research, that museum representations of the Pacific between 1900-2000 were the result of the changing relationship between three factors: the construction of a particular cutural map of the region via the provenance attributed to collections, curatorial activities and exhbitions. It employs Edw ....Explaining the Changing Roles of Collections, Curators and Exhibitions in the Production of Museum Images of the Pacific:1900-2000. This study advances the hypothesis, developed as the result of previous research, that museum representations of the Pacific between 1900-2000 were the result of the changing relationship between three factors: the construction of a particular cutural map of the region via the provenance attributed to collections, curatorial activities and exhbitions. It employs Edward Said's post-colonial theory to explain the factors involved in the production of particular images and their transformation through the colonial and post-colonial periods. This is done in three case studies of two museum anthropology departments: The Australian Museum and the American Museum of Natural HistoryRead moreRead less
HEIGHT, WEIGHT and LENGTH: Biometric explorations of Australia's socio-economic fabric in the long run, 1860-1970. HEIGHT, WEIGHT and LENGTH is a biometric analysis of Australian living standards. This project is significant because it illuminates the very fabric of Australian social and economic organisation. It traces what happened to living standards over the long run 1860-1970, covering booms, busts and wars. It examines the functioning of the family as an economic unit at the core of dis ....HEIGHT, WEIGHT and LENGTH: Biometric explorations of Australia's socio-economic fabric in the long run, 1860-1970. HEIGHT, WEIGHT and LENGTH is a biometric analysis of Australian living standards. This project is significant because it illuminates the very fabric of Australian social and economic organisation. It traces what happened to living standards over the long run 1860-1970, covering booms, busts and wars. It examines the functioning of the family as an economic unit at the core of distributing welfare-enhancing resources. It identifies who were the winners and the losers. It teaches lessons about vulnerability and strength during economic change that should inform future policy makers. Finally, it pushes the methodology in new directions with implications for its use around the world.Read moreRead less
UNDERSTANDING COLONIAL AUSTRALIA / BUILDING A NATIONAL RESOURCE. Understanding colonial Australia uses new methods with old data to penetrate the workings of the convict labour markets, the levels of wellbeing they supported, and the ways in which families distributed those resources among their members. Australia's position in the league-table of living standards is established against the four countries which contributed people to European Australia: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The o ....UNDERSTANDING COLONIAL AUSTRALIA / BUILDING A NATIONAL RESOURCE. Understanding colonial Australia uses new methods with old data to penetrate the workings of the convict labour markets, the levels of wellbeing they supported, and the ways in which families distributed those resources among their members. Australia's position in the league-table of living standards is established against the four countries which contributed people to European Australia: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The outcome is a history of wellbeing and inequality in colonial Australia. A spin-off from this research is the creation of a unique national resource: a computerised longitudinal data base on Australia's first white citizens, the convicts.Read moreRead less
Reproductive Frontiers: The Twentieth-Century Sciences of Human Hybridity. The proposed historical research will enrich our knowledge of scientific debates about biological absorption and population management, placing Australian ideas and experiences into their appropriate international context. It promotes awareness of how past scientific concepts continue to inform controversies about the quality of the Australian population. In particular, this project will enhance our understanding of scien ....Reproductive Frontiers: The Twentieth-Century Sciences of Human Hybridity. The proposed historical research will enrich our knowledge of scientific debates about biological absorption and population management, placing Australian ideas and experiences into their appropriate international context. It promotes awareness of how past scientific concepts continue to inform controversies about the quality of the Australian population. In particular, this project will enhance our understanding of scientific attitudes toward Aboriginal people, especially their reproduction and health.Read moreRead less