Emma Hayles, one of our recent graduates, is now working as an archaeological conservator, looking after items uncovered during the Metro Tunnel Project excavations. After doing an undergraduate degree in Archaeology, Emma Hayles went on to complete a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation in 2017. Since 2018, she has been working on the Metro Tunnel Project as an archaeological conservator. In …

After completing her PhD in History and Social Theory, Nicola Nixon has spent the last fifteen years working in international development, in a range of posts across Europe, Asia and Australia. She's worked for the United Nations Development Programme, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a range of international NGOs. Currently, she is Director of Governance at the …

Staff and students from Melbourne University’s archaeology fieldwork intensive subject in Georgia were pleasantly surprised when the Australian Ambassador to Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Marc Innes-Brown, and Second Secretary, Andrew Cooper, visited the site during the 2019 excavation season. The Ambassador shared his impressions of the visit with Larissa Tittl. The Ambassador was struck by both the beauty of the …

Archaeology PhD candidate Maddi Harris-Schober is one of a number of SHAPS students and alumni who have taken part in the archaeological digs in Melbourne’s CBD as part of the Metro Tunnel Project. In this interview, she talks about being an archaeologist, and about her experiences working on the state’s biggest ever public transport infrastructure project. As part of the Victorian …

In the midst of her relocation from Canada to commence her appointment as the new Head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies (SHAPS), Professor Margaret Cameron took some time out to chat to SHAPS Forum’s Carley Tonoli about her love of philosophy, her academic career, and her excitement about heading up the SHAPS team. What sparked your love of …

Trains and railroads hold a curious appeal for many of us, and they make compelling subjects for historical research. In 2018, History major Tim Lilley chose to produce his third-year capstone research project on the history of the Melbourne-Geelong railway. We showcase his outstanding project here, in the first of a series of posts spotlighting some of the best work …

What happens when an artwork is produced using technologies that later become obsolete? What special skills are needed by conservators working with old media? Tate conservator Patricia Falcão recently delivered a masterclass on this subject for Master of Cultural Materials Conservation students at the Grimwade Centre. Ashley Hayes, one of the postgraduate students who organised the masterclass, reports and reflects …

From second semester 2019, undergraduates at the University of Melbourne will be able to study Soviet history, with the launch of the second-year subject 'Red Empire: The Soviet Union and After'. This brand-new subject is part of the History program's curriculum revamp, led by Hansen Chair Professor Mark Edele. It also marks a revitalisation of Russian studies at the University …

On the back of her new book, Not in Their Name: Are Citizens Culpable for Their States' Actions?, SHAPS Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy, Dr Holly Lawford-Smith sat down for Q&A with Forum’s Carley Tonoli. What sparked your initial interest in philosophy? My initial interest in philosophy came during my undergrad. I took a course just out of curiosity; I was actually …

Graduate students from the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation have been helping the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) to do the difficult but crucial work involved in reorganising their collection.

In 1944, the Bretton Woods conference started the task of rebuilding a multilateral world economy that had been fractured by the Great Depression and war - and the multilateral institutions that emerged are now challenged by President Donald Trump.

A degree in history is ideal training for a career in the media. ABC journalist Bindi Bryce spoke to Sofie Onorato about how her History major at the University of Melbourne.

PhD candidate Dang Nguyen has been awarded a prestigious Fox International Fellowship, which will see her spend the 2019-2020 academic year at Yale University Graduate School. She spoke with Nicole Davis about her work.

In October 2018 the inimitable Associate Professor Frederik Vervaet presented a riveting public lecture entitled "'Monarch by Universal Consent’: Revisiting Augustus' Alternative Truth", as part of the 2018 Truth SHAPS Public Lecture series

In 2018 Ross Barham completed his Philosophy PhD, investigating the relationship between human language and the way we understand the concept of objectivity. He chatted to Carley Tonoli about how it feels to be on the other side of the finish line.

Pineapples as a status symbol in early modern Europe and nineteenth-century Sydney restaurants were the topics of papers presented by the two gastronomes from SHAPS at the 22nd Symposium of Australian Gastronomy in November 2018 in western Sydney.

Advances in robotics raise all kinds of questions about how humans will relate to this new technology... In her recent PhD, Dr Tessa Leach explored an especially controversial aspect of this topic: the human-like sex robots that may soon be among us.

Our annual newsletter celebrates the achievements of our students, past and present, and shares news about the research, teaching and other activities happening in the History program.

SHAPS Classics & Archaeology lecturer Dr Brent Davis was recently awarded the prestigious Michael Ventris Award for Mycenaean Studies. He spoke with Nicole Davis about his research.

In 2018 Professor Antonia Finnane retired after 33 years working for the History program at the University of Melbourne. We present here excerpts from the speeches and tributes delivered at Antonia's farewell in November 2018.

Professor Tim Parkin’s reflections on his first year as Tatoulis Chair in Classics The reason the Greeks and Romans remain fascinating and significant to us in the modern world is because their influence is omnipresent and also because in studying them we constantly learn more about ourselves. In January 2018, Professor Tim Parkin arrived in Melbourne to take up a new position …

Free-threshing wheat, a small piece of inscribed banded agate, the myth of Jason and Medea... are all elements in the stories told by presenters at a recent Classics and Archaeology symposium devoted to the legacy of the late Emeritus Professor Antonio (Tony) Sagona.

Incoming Lecturer in European History Ángel Alcalde brings expertise on the social and cultural history of war, transnational history and the history of fascism. He discusses his inspirations with Ross Karavis.

Fallon Mody recently caught up with an interdisciplinary group of Melbourne-based researchers - including our own Associate Professor Mike Arnold - who think about death for a living.

In 2018 Brigid Evans completed her Masters by research in the areas of political philosophy and philosophy of education. On a recent trip home from her new base in the UK, she chatted to Carley Tonoli about reflections on her research.

Reunion (2018) is a short animation by VCA Animation students Jackson Cook and Jenn Tran, in collaboration with History PhD candidate Anh Nguyen.

In 2018 Sadra completed a PhD at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation. He talked to Georgia Garvey-Hawke from the SHAPS Engagement team about how his passion for conservation has taken him around the world...

Research into glass and faience objects from Cyprus in the late Bronze Age involves more than digging into the ancient past. Kellie Youngs reflects on her research and time in Greece.

Eight SHAPS graduate philosophers recently headed out to Monash to present their work at a major event for Australian philosophy postgraduates, the annual Australasian Postgraduate Philosophy Conference (APPC).

The undergraduate History Major at the University of Melbourne culminates in the capstone subject, Making History (HIST30060). In this subject, students are given the chance to design and produce an independent historical research project on a topic of their own choice.

Emma Hayles, one of our recent graduates, is now working as an archaeological conservator, looking after items uncovered during the Metro Tunnel Project excavations. After doing an undergraduate degree in Archaeology, Emma Hayles went on to complete a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation in 2017. Since 2018, she has been working on the Metro Tunnel Project as an archaeological conservator. In …

After completing her PhD in History and Social Theory, Nicola Nixon has spent the last fifteen years working in international development, in a range of posts across Europe, Asia and Australia. She's worked for the United Nations Development Programme, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a range of international NGOs. Currently, she is Director of Governance at the …

Staff and students from Melbourne University’s archaeology fieldwork intensive subject in Georgia were pleasantly surprised when the Australian Ambassador to Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Marc Innes-Brown, and Second Secretary, Andrew Cooper, visited the site during the 2019 excavation season. The Ambassador shared his impressions of the visit with Larissa Tittl. The Ambassador was struck by both the beauty of the …

Archaeology PhD candidate Maddi Harris-Schober is one of a number of SHAPS students and alumni who have taken part in the archaeological digs in Melbourne’s CBD as part of the Metro Tunnel Project. In this interview, she talks about being an archaeologist, and about her experiences working on the state’s biggest ever public transport infrastructure project. As part of the Victorian …

In the midst of her relocation from Canada to commence her appointment as the new Head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies (SHAPS), Professor Margaret Cameron took some time out to chat to SHAPS Forum’s Carley Tonoli about her love of philosophy, her academic career, and her excitement about heading up the SHAPS team. What sparked your love of …

In October 2018 the inimitable Associate Professor Frederik Vervaet presented a riveting public lecture entitled "'Monarch by Universal Consent’: Revisiting Augustus' Alternative Truth", as part of the 2018 Truth SHAPS Public Lecture series

In 2018 Ross Barham completed his Philosophy PhD, investigating the relationship between human language and the way we understand the concept of objectivity. He chatted to Carley Tonoli about how it feels to be on the other side of the finish line.

Pineapples as a status symbol in early modern Europe and nineteenth-century Sydney restaurants were the topics of papers presented by the two gastronomes from SHAPS at the 22nd Symposium of Australian Gastronomy in November 2018 in western Sydney.

Staff and students from Melbourne University’s archaeology fieldwork intensive subject in Georgia were pleasantly surprised when the Australian Ambassador to Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Marc Innes-Brown, and Second Secretary, Andrew Cooper, visited the site during the 2019 excavation season. The Ambassador shared his impressions of the visit with Larissa Tittl. The Ambassador was struck by both the beauty of the …

Trains and railroads hold a curious appeal for many of us, and they make compelling subjects for historical research. In 2018, History major Tim Lilley chose to produce his third-year capstone research project on the history of the Melbourne-Geelong railway. We showcase his outstanding project here, in the first of a series of posts spotlighting some of the best work …

What happens when an artwork is produced using technologies that later become obsolete? What special skills are needed by conservators working with old media? Tate conservator Patricia Falcão recently delivered a masterclass on this subject for Master of Cultural Materials Conservation students at the Grimwade Centre. Ashley Hayes, one of the postgraduate students who organised the masterclass, reports and reflects …

From second semester 2019, undergraduates at the University of Melbourne will be able to study Soviet history, with the launch of the second-year subject 'Red Empire: The Soviet Union and After'. This brand-new subject is part of the History program's curriculum revamp, led by Hansen Chair Professor Mark Edele. It also marks a revitalisation of Russian studies at the University …

Our annual newsletter celebrates the achievements of our students, past and present, and shares news about the research, teaching and other activities happening in the History program.

In 2018 Professor Antonia Finnane retired after 33 years working for the History program at the University of Melbourne. We present here excerpts from the speeches and tributes delivered at Antonia's farewell in November 2018.

Professor Tim Parkin’s reflections on his first year as Tatoulis Chair in Classics The reason the Greeks and Romans remain fascinating and significant to us in the modern world is because their influence is omnipresent and also because in studying them we constantly learn more about ourselves. In January 2018, Professor Tim Parkin arrived in Melbourne to take up a new position …

Incoming Lecturer in European History Ángel Alcalde brings expertise on the social and cultural history of war, transnational history and the history of fascism. He discusses his inspirations with Ross Karavis.

Nicole Davis is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne and a member of the Melbourne History Workshop based at the university. Her thesis examines the social history of the shopping arcade in nineteenth-century Australia from a transnational perspective. She works on diverse research projects about the history of the Australian city, which have included the My Marvellous Melbourne …

Anton is a PhD student in History, with his thesis research examining Australian remembrance of the Second World War in the 1940s and 1950s. Currently co-President of the History Postgraduate Association (2019/2020) and a former editor of Melbourne Historical Journal, Anton is passionate about fostering collegiality and creating a mutually supportive environment.

Georgia Garvey-Hawke is an emerging historian and conservator, currently completing a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre. In 2016 she earned a BH-Arts Degree with First-Class Honours, with a double major in History and English and Theatre Studies, at the University of Melbourne. The remarkable tale of survival of the John Henry Austral vinyl records, which Georgia …

Ashley Hayes is an artist and emerging conservator. She is currently completing a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre. Her minor thesis is exploring the post-acquisition strategies for performance artworks within Australian art institutions. She completed a Bachelor of Visual Art specialising in sculpture and installation in 2015, receiving First-Class Honours, at the University of South Australia.

Argyris (Ross) Karavis is a Doctoral candidate in History at the University of Melbourne researching the impact of French gastronomic taste on Australian food culture between 1850 and 1914. He has previously undertaken research on the 1901 Federation Dinners and on the emergence of yum cha in Australia in the 1990s as part of the Master of Arts in Food …

Dang Nguyen is a second-year PhD candidate in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies (SHAPS) at the University of Melbourne. She is working under the supervision of Associate Professor Michael Arnold (SHAPS) and Associate Professor Richard Chenhall (MSPGH). Her PhD project investigates the performance of non-biomedical knowledge on the internet. The aim is to understand how digital technologies influence the propagation of knowledge …

Sofie Onorato is a PhD candidate in History at the University of Melbourne. Her thesis examines the nineteenth-century English newspaper and its development, specifically in relation to the Franco-Prussian War. She is interested in how technology, politics, genre and commercial considerations create intersections between media and society. Currently, Sofie is a member of the editorial team for the Melbourne Historical …

Larissa Tittl is a PhD candidate in the Classics and Archaeology Program. Her research focuses on human-landscape interactions in Late Bronze Age Crete. In particular, she is examining how votive objects deposited in caves were used as agents of manipulation and negotiation within an animistic world in which human and non-human entities engaged with and related to one another. Larissa …

Carley Tonoli is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, based in the Philosophy Program. Her research focuses on the ethics of emerging technologies, and her current work looking at emerging military technologies, their ethical implications, and potential consequences for humanity and the future of war. Carley's research is informed by her previous work and studies in the …

Fallon Mody is a PhD candidate in the History and Philosophy of Science Program, researching European medical migrants in twentieth-century Australia. Her research has been published in international academic journals, including Women's History Review and Social History of Medicine. Fallon also works as a research assistant for the Centre for Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis in an interdisciplinary team of scientists, …

The 2019 SHAPS theme is "Walls" — walls we build to exclude and contain the Other, to control the movement of people, bodies, information, capital, ideas. Speakers will approach the theme from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, we look at the historical rise and fall of walls; we examine …

In 2018 speakers in included David Christian (Macquarie), Philip Pettit (ANU/Princeton), Harry Collins (Cardiff), and Greg Restall, Robyn Sloggett and Frederik Vervaet (SHAPS), who delivered public lectures on the subject of Truth. Professor David Christian Big History & Truth: Knowledge as Mapping (co-hosted with the History Council of Victoria, this was also the 2018 Kathleen Fitzpatrick lecture) (19 April) Professor Philip Pettit …

The theme for the 2017 SHAPS Public Lecture Series was “Love”. This was part of a broader series of events on this theme, in particular, the ARC Centre for the History of Emotions’ flagship collaborative exhibition, Love: Art of Emotion 1400-1820 at the National Gallery Victoria Each of the School’s five disciplines presented a lecture in the series, approaching the theme of love from a range of …

Who am I? What does it mean to be human? Where do I belong? These have always been central and urgent questions for the humanities. The 2016 SHAPS flagship public lecture series explored such questions under the broad theme of “Identities”. The concept of identity, both individual and collective, is fraught with complexity. There has always existed a multiform universe …

Videos and audio from the 2015 Conflict series are available where linked. We will be loading more as they become available. Program Dr David M. Pritchard War and Military Spending in the Ancient Athenian Democracy Professor Guoqi Xu The First World War and China’s Great Awakening Rodric Braithwaite Managing Putin Image: riots-14, 2012. Photograph © Thanasis Troboukis via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0