A study of the scholarship on Indonesia in Australia and its implications for foreign policy. This project explores Australia's scholarly engagement with Indonesia and the impact of disciplinary, political and moral influences on their interpretations and knowledge. The importance of Indonesia for Australia has never been more acute. The impact of instability in Indonesia on Australia's own security and place in the region cannot be understated. It is essential that we have the tools for interpr ....A study of the scholarship on Indonesia in Australia and its implications for foreign policy. This project explores Australia's scholarly engagement with Indonesia and the impact of disciplinary, political and moral influences on their interpretations and knowledge. The importance of Indonesia for Australia has never been more acute. The impact of instability in Indonesia on Australia's own security and place in the region cannot be understated. It is essential that we have the tools for interpreting and understanding cultural, religious and political differences. Australian scholars have a deep and lasting engagement with Indonesia. Investigation of the debates within the field of Indonesian studies will help us to interpret better the perceptions and politics informing our study.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
The human elements: a cultural history of Australian weather. This project will study the experience of weather in Australia from the 1880s to the 1980s. Drawing upon environmental history, history of science and cultural history, we aim to go beyond a catalogue of weather events or climatic obsessions, to explore how the meanings of weather and climate are themselves constructed through the interaction of science, nature and society. This project uses a series of case studies to explore what is ....The human elements: a cultural history of Australian weather. This project will study the experience of weather in Australia from the 1880s to the 1980s. Drawing upon environmental history, history of science and cultural history, we aim to go beyond a catalogue of weather events or climatic obsessions, to explore how the meanings of weather and climate are themselves constructed through the interaction of science, nature and society. This project uses a series of case studies to explore what is human in the elements. The outcomes will include a book, two Metarch publications, collection development and an exhibition brief for the NMA, and web-materials for both industry partners.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 British Diaspora in the Modern World: A Social History of British Migration and Transnational Networks since the 1960s. As a migrant nation Australia has a vital interest in maintaining informed discussion of the diverse and overlapping historical threads that contribute to national make-up and identity. The substantial British contribution to this process in the later 20th century, and the wider shift in migration processes it illuminates, has been significantly understated in migration re ....The British Diaspora in the Modern World: A Social History of British Migration and Transnational Networks since the 1960s. As a migrant nation Australia has a vital interest in maintaining informed discussion of the diverse and overlapping historical threads that contribute to national make-up and identity. The substantial British contribution to this process in the later 20th century, and the wider shift in migration processes it illuminates, has been significantly understated in migration research. This project undertakes a timely exploration of British-Australians' experience, and their wider mobility, as many migrants adopt a more continuous pattern of movement. Understanding the complex threads of different migrant cultures' adaptation and 'belonging' will be valuable for policy-makers and for public and academic debate.Read moreRead less
Family and community in the central Victorian goldfields region, 1851-1933. This project reformulates Australian gold-mining history by offering a blueprint that applies new perspectives and data. It explains historical change systemically across an entire region, through comparative analysis of four key centres (Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maldon, Creswick) in central Victoria. It teases out this analysis by focusing upon domestic and neighbourhood life. It considers how these communities evolved aft ....Family and community in the central Victorian goldfields region, 1851-1933. This project reformulates Australian gold-mining history by offering a blueprint that applies new perspectives and data. It explains historical change systemically across an entire region, through comparative analysis of four key centres (Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maldon, Creswick) in central Victoria. It teases out this analysis by focusing upon domestic and neighbourhood life. It considers how these communities evolved after the ?gold rush? years. It applies demographic analysis and family-reconstitution methods to overlooked archival records. The project promotes collaboration between two universities, provides training for one PhD student, and delivers practical outcomes to heritage and tourist managers, and the general community.Read moreRead less
Settler colonialism: a global history. Australia is usually defined as a 'settler society', but this term, while often being politically charged, is vaguely defined. This project seeks to place the Australian experience in its international context. In doing this, it will offer new insights into the past and future development of Australian political institutions and traditions. It will promote an appreciation of how Australian history fits within global developments and how a comparative and gl ....Settler colonialism: a global history. Australia is usually defined as a 'settler society', but this term, while often being politically charged, is vaguely defined. This project seeks to place the Australian experience in its international context. In doing this, it will offer new insights into the past and future development of Australian political institutions and traditions. It will promote an appreciation of how Australian history fits within global developments and how a comparative and global perspective generates new possibilities and insights for the writing, reading and teaching of Australian history. It will also stress Australia's important role in the development of this globally significant phenomenon.Read moreRead less
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
The culture of war: private life and sentiment in Australia 1914-18. This study has the potential to place Australia at the forefront of a new theoretical approach to civilian agency in total war, and enhance the national reputation for important scholarship in a field dominated by international scholars. Also, while war has been central to Australian notions of identity, our sense of 'war' is intimately connected to the front-line, and not to the homefront. This study will help reorient academi ....The culture of war: private life and sentiment in Australia 1914-18. This study has the potential to place Australia at the forefront of a new theoretical approach to civilian agency in total war, and enhance the national reputation for important scholarship in a field dominated by international scholars. Also, while war has been central to Australian notions of identity, our sense of 'war' is intimately connected to the front-line, and not to the homefront. This study will help reorient academic and popular attention back to the importance of the homefront in Australia's experience of 1914-18. At a time when Australians are increasingly interested in family links with the war, this project will provide a greater appreciation of the war's effects on Australia nationally and on the most personal levels.Read moreRead less
The British Colonization of New South Wales: The Documentary Record, 1779-1792. My aim is to gather and publish all extant records relating to the British decision in 1786 to colonize New South Wales, and to the despatch of the First Fleet in 1787. As well, I intend to include a selection of documents showing the colony's progress in its first five years, and the Government response to reports of that progress (or the lack of it). Given that so many records remain but are still mostly unpublishe ....The British Colonization of New South Wales: The Documentary Record, 1779-1792. My aim is to gather and publish all extant records relating to the British decision in 1786 to colonize New South Wales, and to the despatch of the First Fleet in 1787. As well, I intend to include a selection of documents showing the colony's progress in its first five years, and the Government response to reports of that progress (or the lack of it). Given that so many records remain but are still mostly unpublished, and that they are central to an accurate understanding of the development of modern Australia, this is a unique opportunity to document the origins of the nation for all posterity. I expect publication in book form, but anticipate also CD-Rom or Web publication (hopefully in conjunction with either the NLA or the SLNSW - or with both).Read moreRead less