The Laboratory of Modernity: Knowledge Formation and the Australian Settler Colonies (1788-1900). Colonial Australia was a laboratory in which European ideas could be tested, raw data collected, and social experiments trialled, especially in managing settler, convict, and Aboriginal populations. This literary historical project will analyse the production and circulation of colonial knowledge, by focusing on texts and print culture, and will map their influence on European thought and modern soc ....The Laboratory of Modernity: Knowledge Formation and the Australian Settler Colonies (1788-1900). Colonial Australia was a laboratory in which European ideas could be tested, raw data collected, and social experiments trialled, especially in managing settler, convict, and Aboriginal populations. This literary historical project will analyse the production and circulation of colonial knowledge, by focusing on texts and print culture, and will map their influence on European thought and modern social theory. Grounded in meticulous archival and textual analysis, this project will trace the ways in which knowledge created in the settler colonies was produced by individuals and circulated by correspondence, institutions, and publication through imperial networks. This project will produce new insights into Australia’s literary and cultural history.Read moreRead less
Migration, Cultural Diversity and Television: Reflecting Modern Australia. This project seeks to document the evolving history of popular television and its contribution to national discussions about migration, cultural diversity and citizenship. The project will endeavour to examine selected television programs that depict the contemporary nation and their representations of cultural diversity across six decades. The project intends to take a cross-disciplinary approach that will combine the cr ....Migration, Cultural Diversity and Television: Reflecting Modern Australia. This project seeks to document the evolving history of popular television and its contribution to national discussions about migration, cultural diversity and citizenship. The project will endeavour to examine selected television programs that depict the contemporary nation and their representations of cultural diversity across six decades. The project intends to take a cross-disciplinary approach that will combine the critical examination of production processes and program content with the personal perspectives of inter-generational migrant communities, youth and key industry figures. In association with Museum Victoria and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, outcomes are expected to include scholarly publications, exhibitions and public programs.Read moreRead less
Genre worlds: Australian popular fiction in the 21st century. This project intends to conduct a systematic examination of 21st-century Australian popular fiction, the most significant growth area in Australian trade publishing since the turn of the century. Its three areas of investigation are the publishing of Australian popular fiction; the interrelationships between Australian popular fiction and Australian genre communities; and the textual distinctiveness of Australian popular novels in rel ....Genre worlds: Australian popular fiction in the 21st century. This project intends to conduct a systematic examination of 21st-century Australian popular fiction, the most significant growth area in Australian trade publishing since the turn of the century. Its three areas of investigation are the publishing of Australian popular fiction; the interrelationships between Australian popular fiction and Australian genre communities; and the textual distinctiveness of Australian popular novels in relation to genre. Research is designed to centre on 30 novels across three genres, building a comprehensive picture of the practices and processes of Australian popular fiction through detailed examination of trade data, close reading of texts, and interviews with industry figures.Read moreRead less