Conviction Politics: the convict routes of Australian democracy. This transnational digital history project aims to demonstrate the importance of collective convict protest to the early development of democracy in colonial Australia. It generates new knowledge about Australian convict history, documenting for the first time the extent and character of convict activism 1788-1850 and offers fresh perspectives on the role of ‘political’ transportees in the mobilisation of the wider convict and free ....Conviction Politics: the convict routes of Australian democracy. This transnational digital history project aims to demonstrate the importance of collective convict protest to the early development of democracy in colonial Australia. It generates new knowledge about Australian convict history, documenting for the first time the extent and character of convict activism 1788-1850 and offers fresh perspectives on the role of ‘political’ transportees in the mobilisation of the wider convict and free population for reform. Expected project outcomes include building international and interdisciplinary HASS/STEM/industry collaborations in digital methods for archive research and communication, delivering significant benefits, notably innovative media ensuring impact with domestic and international audiences.Read moreRead less
Witnesses to War: Australian War Correspondents from the Boer to the Gulf War. This national project will be the first study to examine the collective history of Australian journalists and photojournalists who have covered major wars and international conflicts from the Boer War to the 'war on terror'. It will be a timely and path breaking contribution to history, offering a new understanding of key issues including the journalists' experiences; the discourses that defined Australian national id ....Witnesses to War: Australian War Correspondents from the Boer to the Gulf War. This national project will be the first study to examine the collective history of Australian journalists and photojournalists who have covered major wars and international conflicts from the Boer War to the 'war on terror'. It will be a timely and path breaking contribution to history, offering a new understanding of key issues including the journalists' experiences; the discourses that defined Australian national identity; truth and mythmaking; war correspondents' influence on public commemoration and how they shaped attitudes to war, allies, enemies and race; how reporting changed; and the role of political and military censorship. Read moreRead less
A History of Public Conversation in the USA. The quality of public conversation is a subject of continuing concern in Australia as in the US. This study of the history of public conversation in the US will offer a longer historical perspective on current political and social concerns about declining social capital and civility in public discourse. Americans have always sought more and better public discussion, but for quite different reasons at different times. The research will illuminate the v ....A History of Public Conversation in the USA. The quality of public conversation is a subject of continuing concern in Australia as in the US. This study of the history of public conversation in the US will offer a longer historical perspective on current political and social concerns about declining social capital and civility in public discourse. Americans have always sought more and better public discussion, but for quite different reasons at different times. The research will illuminate the very rich history of public conversation in the US and shed some comparative light on Australian conditions.Read moreRead less
A multi-media history of the Westrail Workshops at Midland. The project will produce histories in two formats, a book and a CD-ROM featuring a virtual walk-through of the Workshops. These outcomes will reflect a variety of views and concepts of the Workshops and the community, gathered from the interviews, photographs, documentary and ephemeral material of past employees of the Workshops (collected from 1998-2001). This material will have a wide range of applications including scholarly resear ....A multi-media history of the Westrail Workshops at Midland. The project will produce histories in two formats, a book and a CD-ROM featuring a virtual walk-through of the Workshops. These outcomes will reflect a variety of views and concepts of the Workshops and the community, gathered from the interviews, photographs, documentary and ephemeral material of past employees of the Workshops (collected from 1998-2001). This material will have a wide range of applications including scholarly research, educational material, and public information and will assist in the interpretation and re-development of the Workshops site. The project will be a significant and innovative approach to history writing.Read moreRead less
History of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, 1930-2003. This project will research and write the history of the Melbourne based Anglican welfare organisation, the Brotherhood of St Laurence since its foundation. It will be a multi-focussed history, which will reassess the Brotherhood's origins in the social divisions of the depression, examine its culture, including the interaction between its religious and secular missions, investigate its record of innovative social policy and service delivery, ....History of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, 1930-2003. This project will research and write the history of the Melbourne based Anglican welfare organisation, the Brotherhood of St Laurence since its foundation. It will be a multi-focussed history, which will reassess the Brotherhood's origins in the social divisions of the depression, examine its culture, including the interaction between its religious and secular missions, investigate its record of innovative social policy and service delivery, and interrogate its changing relationship with the local communities where it has a physical presence. The research will include interviews with present and former staff. The age of some of these makes this aspect of the research urgent.Read moreRead less
Life after care: the life-histories of those who left institutional and other forms of out-of-home care, 1945-1989. This project, developed in close collaboration with the Industry Partner, MacKillop Family Services, will examine the impact of having been in out-of-home care for the subsequent identities and life histories of successive generations of care leavers. While focused on Catholic institutions in Victoria, it will provide more general insights into the role of church-based children's h ....Life after care: the life-histories of those who left institutional and other forms of out-of-home care, 1945-1989. This project, developed in close collaboration with the Industry Partner, MacKillop Family Services, will examine the impact of having been in out-of-home care for the subsequent identities and life histories of successive generations of care leavers. While focused on Catholic institutions in Victoria, it will provide more general insights into the role of church-based children's homes. Based on archival and oral history methods, it will also be an opportunity for those who experienced care to tell the story of life after leaving care.Read moreRead less
The search for family: A history of adoption in Australia. How has Australia cared for its children? This study will fill a significant gap in the nation's self-understanding by explaining the historical factors driving the changing place, meaning and significance of adoption. Whilst participants and practitioners debate its social worth, the policy pendulum is swinging back to an acceptance of adoption. Australian society is in urgent need of an open hearing of the contesting voices, and a bala ....The search for family: A history of adoption in Australia. How has Australia cared for its children? This study will fill a significant gap in the nation's self-understanding by explaining the historical factors driving the changing place, meaning and significance of adoption. Whilst participants and practitioners debate its social worth, the policy pendulum is swinging back to an acceptance of adoption. Australian society is in urgent need of an open hearing of the contesting voices, and a balanced account of the historical impact of adoption. Our project promises both, thus 'understanding and strengthening (a) key element of Australia's social fabric' - the family.Read moreRead less
A history of press photography in Australia. Press photography has long influenced how Australians have understood themselves and their world. In collaboration with the National Library of Australia and the Walkley Foundation, the project explores the evolving role of photographs in breaking news, and historical shifts in photographic technologies, media practices and ethics.
The Two Frank Thrings. A study of two lives in the context of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia. This dual biography of F.W.Thring (1882-1936), stage and cinema entrepreneur, and his actor son Frank (1926-94), will explore two remarkable lives in relation to their performance culture and society. It will provide the first scholarly biography of both men, and through them will illuminate the history of Australian cinema and musical theatre, investigate issues of distinctively n ....The Two Frank Thrings. A study of two lives in the context of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia. This dual biography of F.W.Thring (1882-1936), stage and cinema entrepreneur, and his actor son Frank (1926-94), will explore two remarkable lives in relation to their performance culture and society. It will provide the first scholarly biography of both men, and through them will illuminate the history of Australian cinema and musical theatre, investigate issues of distinctively national iconography and voice, and examine the complex interactions between industrial/economic forces and artistic vision. Its principal outcome will be a book that should add significantly to our knowledge of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia, and to continuing debates in the arts.Read moreRead less
Enriching digital history: new approaches to content development and delivery using the Dictionary of Sydney. The project will maximise the value of public investment in digital history resources by developing new methods of sharing and re-using content between systems and inviting and managing community participation. It will develop methods of preserving the community's investment in history exhibitions after they are taken down, and promote engagement with Sydney's history through delivery of ....Enriching digital history: new approaches to content development and delivery using the Dictionary of Sydney. The project will maximise the value of public investment in digital history resources by developing new methods of sharing and re-using content between systems and inviting and managing community participation. It will develop methods of preserving the community's investment in history exhibitions after they are taken down, and promote engagement with Sydney's history through delivery of historical information on “smartphones” in situ within the city. It will generate new content for, and reduce content development costs for a major public resource, the Dictionary of Sydney, and showcase Australian Humanities eResearch by delivering new approaches to content creation and delivery which will be of value to the international research community.Read moreRead less