Understanding Australia in The Age of Humans: Localising the Anthropocene. The project aims to undertake a comprehensive investigation of Australia as a distinctive locality within the global idea of the new epoch of humanity known as the Anthropocene. It aims to analyse and narrate how human interventions have come to transform Australian environments in fundamental and enduring ways, showing the history, impact and implications of human-influenced biophysical planetary change within our distin ....Understanding Australia in The Age of Humans: Localising the Anthropocene. The project aims to undertake a comprehensive investigation of Australia as a distinctive locality within the global idea of the new epoch of humanity known as the Anthropocene. It aims to analyse and narrate how human interventions have come to transform Australian environments in fundamental and enduring ways, showing the history, impact and implications of human-influenced biophysical planetary change within our distinctive and vulnerable continental and ocean environments. It also plans to use both print and museum environments to develop new understandings of the cultural dimensions of the ‘Age of Humans’.Read moreRead less
Origins and distributions of intraplate earthquakes. This project aims to investigate the behaviour and origin of intraplate earthquakes in Australia by developing a multi-million-year record of earthquakes using geological, geochronological, geospatial, seismological, statistical and numerical modelling data. It will use maximum credible magnitudes, maximum shaking intensities of intraplate earthquakes and spatiotemporal relationships between large prehistoric and contemporary earthquakes to im ....Origins and distributions of intraplate earthquakes. This project aims to investigate the behaviour and origin of intraplate earthquakes in Australia by developing a multi-million-year record of earthquakes using geological, geochronological, geospatial, seismological, statistical and numerical modelling data. It will use maximum credible magnitudes, maximum shaking intensities of intraplate earthquakes and spatiotemporal relationships between large prehistoric and contemporary earthquakes to improve models of future seismic hazard in Australia and globally. This will lead to improved predictions of future earthquake impacts in urban and natural environments and development of new paleoseismic techniques.Read moreRead less
Settler society in the Australian colonies: The political and cultural changes of the 1830s - 1860s in imperial context. This project directly addresses issues identified as central by the national summit on the Australian history curriculum convened by the Federal Minister for Education in August 2006. Professor John Hirst reported in The Sydney Morning Herald on 21 August that the summit had agreed on a list of 'big questions' for school history curricula. The list includes the transition from ....Settler society in the Australian colonies: The political and cultural changes of the 1830s - 1860s in imperial context. This project directly addresses issues identified as central by the national summit on the Australian history curriculum convened by the Federal Minister for Education in August 2006. Professor John Hirst reported in The Sydney Morning Herald on 21 August that the summit had agreed on a list of 'big questions' for school history curricula. The list includes the transition from a convict to a free society, and relations between men and women. Current knowledge of these topics and their interconnection is limited. This project will advance our understanding of a key historical period, and the formation of Australian national identity.Read moreRead less
Rethinking Impartial Humanitarianism: Lessons from the Recent History of the Asia-Pacific Region. Australia today is increasingly involved in complex international humanitarian missions, involving cooperation with other nations and with international non-government organizations. These actions have profound implications for relationships between Australia and other countries. Through an investigation of key case studies from the Asia-Pacific region, this project will create a deeper understandin ....Rethinking Impartial Humanitarianism: Lessons from the Recent History of the Asia-Pacific Region. Australia today is increasingly involved in complex international humanitarian missions, involving cooperation with other nations and with international non-government organizations. These actions have profound implications for relationships between Australia and other countries. Through an investigation of key case studies from the Asia-Pacific region, this project will create a deeper understanding of the long-term experiences, possibilities and limitations of impartial humanitarian action. It will thus contribute to global debates about humanitarianism, and to better-informed Australian engagement in responding to humanitarian crises in our region and the wider world.Read moreRead less
Kuwae 1452 AD: multi-disciplinary perspectives on a Pacific super-eruption. This project seeks to resolve the question of whether the mid-15th century eruption of Kuwae in Vanuatu can be confirmed as one of the largest global volcanic and climatic events of the last 2000 years. Through archival, field and laboratory research, an experienced transdisciplinary team from archaeology, volcanology and history aims to conduct collaborative research over three seasons in central Vanuatu. Project goals ....Kuwae 1452 AD: multi-disciplinary perspectives on a Pacific super-eruption. This project seeks to resolve the question of whether the mid-15th century eruption of Kuwae in Vanuatu can be confirmed as one of the largest global volcanic and climatic events of the last 2000 years. Through archival, field and laboratory research, an experienced transdisciplinary team from archaeology, volcanology and history aims to conduct collaborative research over three seasons in central Vanuatu. Project goals include dating the eruptive event, defining its scale, reconstructing Kuwae’s local social and environmental conditions prior to and after the eruption, and developing practical volcanic risk reduction strategies together with local communities and authorities in Vanuatu.Read moreRead less
New observational constraints on 2004-2007 rupture of the Sumatra megathrust. This project will develop innovative methods and generate new data for studying the rupture of giant subduction zone earthquakes and the generation of destructive tsunamis. This will lead to a better understanding of these phenomena that will enhance our ability to forecast, warn and map the hazards associated with them.
The silent wilderness speaks: the long history of Gallipoli and the Dardanelles. When Charles Bean, with his Classical education, wrote about Gallipoli, he imagined it in the context of three millennia of wars and human lives. Bean's historical vision has been lost. Gallipoli has become increasingly important to Australians as a site of national memory and pilgrimage, yet the events of 1915 exist in a bubble, divorced from the historical landscape that spawned them. We will give back to Australi ....The silent wilderness speaks: the long history of Gallipoli and the Dardanelles. When Charles Bean, with his Classical education, wrote about Gallipoli, he imagined it in the context of three millennia of wars and human lives. Bean's historical vision has been lost. Gallipoli has become increasingly important to Australians as a site of national memory and pilgrimage, yet the events of 1915 exist in a bubble, divorced from the historical landscape that spawned them. We will give back to Australians the long history of Gallipoli and the Dardanelles, placing a key part of Australia's history in its true geographical context: an area which has been lived in and regularly fought over for thousands of years. Given the significance attached to Gallipoli, the project will also enhance Australian-Turkish relations.Read moreRead less
Water and the making of urban Australia since 1900. This project aims to produce new understandings of both the historical drivers of today’s urban water systems, and how these systems have impacted on human and ecological welfare. This will be achieved through the first integrated and comparative historical study of the provision, use and cultures of water in Australia’s five largest cities from 1900 to the present. Such historical knowledge is critical at a time when the water systems of Austr ....Water and the making of urban Australia since 1900. This project aims to produce new understandings of both the historical drivers of today’s urban water systems, and how these systems have impacted on human and ecological welfare. This will be achieved through the first integrated and comparative historical study of the provision, use and cultures of water in Australia’s five largest cities from 1900 to the present. Such historical knowledge is critical at a time when the water systems of Australia’s largest cities are under growing pressure from environmental change and population growth. Project findings will inform the development of policies and practices that produce sustainable, equitable urban water systems.Read moreRead less
Australia and the Antarctic Treaty System - A historical investigation. The legitimacy of Australia's Antarctic claim rests not only on scientific work and a continuing physical presence, but on the level of Australia's cultural and political engagement with Antarctica. This research project will contribute, in a profound way, to the nation's international responsibilities to Antarctica. It will also contribute to a key policy priority of the Australian government, which is to strengthen its inf ....Australia and the Antarctic Treaty System - A historical investigation. The legitimacy of Australia's Antarctic claim rests not only on scientific work and a continuing physical presence, but on the level of Australia's cultural and political engagement with Antarctica. This research project will contribute, in a profound way, to the nation's international responsibilities to Antarctica. It will also contribute to a key policy priority of the Australian government, which is to strengthen its influence in the Antarctic Treaty System. In a very specific sense, the research will consolidate Australia's political, scientific and scholarly leadership in the international Antarctic community by contributing to the hosting of the 2012 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting through a significant publication to be made available to all delegates.Read moreRead less
The two lakes project: a research history of Lakes Mungo and Gregory. This project investigates the history of research relations between scientists and Traditional Owners at Lakes Mungo and Gregory. Connecting recent histories of agency and reconciliation with deep time, it will produce a publicly accessible narrative that increases national understanding of significant stories in the peopling of our continent.