On May 31, a new SHAPS contribution to public outreach and engagement was released. The HPS Podcast shares fascinating contemporary research in History and Philosophy of Science with those outside the discipline. Each episode is designed to be short, engaging and entertaining. Covering a wide range of topics, this is a podcast for anyone with a fascination for history, philosophy, …

Mark Edele, SHAPS Hansen Professor in History and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts, explores this question in his review of Serhii Plokhy's new book, The Russo-Ukrainian War (Allen Lane), republished here from The Conversation. A year after Russia’s all-out attack against its neighbour on 24 February 2022, volumes trying to explain the conflict to the public begin to accumulate on my …

In this article, republished from The Conversation, Peter Prince (affiliate, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney), discusses Western Australia's long history of discriminatory practices against Aboriginal people with regard to citizenship. The article's reviewer, Julia Hurst, is Lecturer in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander History in SHAPS and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre in the Faculty of Arts. Note of …

SHAPS Honorary Tamara Lewit explores the celebration of Mother's Day in ancient Rome, in this article, republished from Pursuit. Although the words 'ancient Rome' might evoke marching armies or gladiatorial combats, those armies and gladiators would never have existed without their mothers. Like us, the Romans celebrated a Mother’s Day. But never mind breakfast in bed and a bouquet, on Roman Mother’s …

In April, students and staff from the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies came together to celebrate the rich diversity of research undertaken across the School over the last three years.  The inaugural SHAPS Research Celebration, held in the Forum Theatre on the evening of 20 April 2023, provided a unique opportunity to recognise the achievements of SHAPS staff and postgraduate …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

The conservation of performance-based art is an intriguing and relatively new area of conservation. The presentation of live works has become more prominent in museums and galleries as these institutions strive to become more participatory and relational spaces. Works based on live performance are being increasingly acquired by major collecting institutions around the globe and this has prompted conservators to …

By reckoning with its past, Australia can finally help improve our future. In this article from The Conversation, SHAPS Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow, Indigenous and Settler Relations Collaboration, Julia Hurst, together with Sarah Maddison from School of Social and Political Sciences discusses the perspective of truth-telling in the third article in a series discussing these topics. The other articles can be found …

In February 2023, Dr Caroline Tully, archaeologist and honorary fellow in SHAPS, and Dr Stephanie Budin, ancient historian and independent scholar, hosted the international conference Shaking the Tree, Breaking the Bough. Designed to interrogate the influence of Sir James G Frazer’s (1854–1941) magnum opus, The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion, first published in 1890, on the study of …

A series of Australian Federal Police (AFP) raids on Australian journalists in 2019 stimulated numerous reviews into press freedom and the impact of Australia’s secrecy laws on public interest journalism. One of the proposals that was subsequently put forward by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security in 2020 with a view to ensuring journalists could investigate classified information …

SHAPS Honorary Fellow Tamara Lewit explores the rivers of the Roman Empire and their river craft in this article, republished from Pursuit. The expression 'All roads lead to Rome' encapsulates the might of the Roman Empire, but the arteries which carried its lifeblood – food, fuel, livestock and luxuries – were not roads, but rivers. My interest in Roman river transport was …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

For Australian Jews in the 1940s and 1950s, remembering the Holocaust meant fighting racism and colonialism. Max Kaiser (PhD in History, 2019) (@maxyka), looks at the histories of Jewish antifascism and its broader implications in post-World War Two Australia in this article, republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readers are advised this piece contains some racist terminology. Today, the …

Janet McCalman reviews Lucy Frost's new book, "Determined Survival, Desperate Poverty and Fractured Families: The Stories of Australia’s Convict Orphans".

A video-recording of the fifth instalment in this series, featuring Uilleam Blacker, Yuliya Musakovska, Lesyk Panasiuk, Iryna Shuvalova (14 October 2022).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

There is a long and rich tradition of textile weaving in the Philippines. In October 2022 Dr Ana Labrador, currently Honorary Senior Fellow at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, gave a talk exploring different approaches to Filipino weaving practices and the challenges that they pose for conservators and for craft researchers. Her wideranging talk highlighted the gender dimensions …

"There are uncanny parallels between the public health challenges posed by gambling advertising today and tobacco advertising 50 years ago." Thomas Kehoe, Honorary Fellow, SHAPS and Historian, Cancer Council Victoria, together with Carolyn Holbrook, Senior Lecturer in History, Deakin University, explore the history of tobacco advertising and its demise, as well as the connection to today's gambling industry in this …

Speculation over US President Joe Biden’s intention to run for office again is reaching fever pitch. Biden is, reportedly, on the verge of announcing he will indeed seek reelection. Opinion pieces are being churned out at a rapid clip. Polls are being commissioned with a feverish intensity. Liam Byrne (Honorary Fellow in SHAPS) and Emma Shortis (RMIT University), explore Joe Biden's …

In this article, republished from the Conversation, SHAPS Hansen Professor in History and Deputy Dean, Mark Edele, reviews Keir Giles's Russia’s War on Everybody and the long historical context of Russia's war on Ukraine.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video-recording of a roundtable held in October 2022.

A video-recording of the 2022 Greg Dening Memorial Lecture, delivered by Dr Hilary Howes.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

The Rabati project is part of the long-running GAIA (Georgian-Australian Investigations in Archaeology) initiative, founded by Tony and Claudia Sagona of the University of Melbourne with collaborators from the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi. In June and July 2022, GAIA conducted its fourth season of excavations at Rabati in the historically important and visually stunning Samtskhe-Javakheti region of southwest Georgia. Here, …

On 2 December 1972, after 23 years in opposition, Gough Whitlam led the Labor party back to government. What followed was three tumultuous years of crisis and transformation, after which Australia would never be the same again. In our own era, when many have lost faith in the ability of the parliamentary system to deliver transformative reform, there is much the …

In 2020 Kelly Herbison was the recipient of a Hastie Scholarship, awarded annually to the highest achieving students in Honours Philosophy. In this article, Kelly shares some of the findings from her Honours thesis project, which used the philosophy of language and social norms to examine the practices of ‘calling-out’ and ‘calling-in’ as methods for changing people’s behaviour.   Hang around long …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Dr Matthew Champion, appointed to a Senior Lectureship in History in 2022, is a historian of medieval and early modern Europe, with a particular focus on the experience of time and temporality during periods of intense change. In this interview for the SHAPS Forum podcast, Dr Henry Reese talks with Matthew about his research, including his latest project, The Sounds …

For the last year, Grimwade Conservation Services has been conserving Loong 龍, the oldest intact Imperial processional dragon in the world. Dr Holly Jones-Amin, Senior Conservator at Grimwade Conservation Services, and Leigh McKinnon from Bendigo's Golden Dragon Museum tell us more in this article, republished from Pursuit. Loong is a 40-metre long, five-clawed (or imperial) dragon who is now more than …

Frank Bongiorno’s Political History of Australia is a grand synthesis, but takes a narrow view of its subject. Read Marilyn Lake's (Professorial Fellow, History) review, republished from The Conversation of Bongiorno's latest book. Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia [La Trobe University Press] by Frank Bongiorno is a comprehensive account of the history of Australian parliamentary politics. It examines …

A video-recording of the fourth instalment in this series, featuring HE Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand; HE Nina Obermaier, Ambassador of the European Union to New Zealand; Dr Olesya Khromeychuk (Ukrainian Institute London); Prof. Michèle Knodt (TU Darmstadt), and Prof. Zdisław Mach (Jagiellonian University, Kraków), speaking on the theme of 'Solidarity' (16 September 2022).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

If you can identify your per se from your id est, or rattle off the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, test your wits against our Classics knowledge experts, Roslynne Bell and Tim Parkin from SHAPS, and get your brain warmed up for the real-life Classics Quiz on 23 November. Republished from Pursuit. Answers are at the bottom of the page …

This week marks one year since the passing of Dr Don Kennedy, who taught History at the University of Melbourne from 1958 until his retirement in 1993, and later retained a strong connection to the University as Principal Fellow. His former students and colleagues Dolly MacKinnon, Alexandra Walsham, Amanda Whiting, and Wilf Prest look back on his life and legacy …

A videorecording of the 2022 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Lecture, delivered by Professor Mark Edele on 19 May 2022.

The Hansen Trust, established to advance the study of History at University of Melbourne, includes an annual PhD scholarship to the doctoral program in History in SHAPS. The 2022 recipient, Ines Jahudka, is researching the role of the layperson in the early modern English postmortem process. She is interested in the cultural histories of medicine, sickness and death, particularly the role of poisons. …

A historical reckoning with Gillard’s misogyny speech forces us to acknowledge there are no heroes – and that’s okay. SHAPS Hansen Lecturer in US History, Julia Bowes, explores in this article, republished from Pursuit. This week marks 10 years since former Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered her famous misogyny speech. Now synonymous with her legacy, it vaulted Gillard into the stratosphere of …

SHAPS belatedly, if most cordially, congratulates James Chong-Gossard on his promotion to Associate Professor of Classics. James Harvey Kim On Chong-Gossard (affectionately known as K.O.) was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, went to grad school at the renowned University of Michigan and taught at Kalamazoo College, before migrating to Melbourne a little over twenty years ago. In addition …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Last week, the US government released six principles for reforming Big Tech. It’s the latest example of growing efforts to regulate the handful of companies with enormous influence over the internet. But while there’s a growing appetite for a new, better kind of internet, it’s hard to imagine what that might look like. In this article, republished from The Conversation, Kate …

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) is famous for his contribution to Baroque Roman architecture and sculpture. Less well known is the fact that multiple bronze duplicates of his work were cast from his models. These have been generally neglected by art historians and conservators, partly under the influence of enduring myths about artistic genius and authorship. The Grimwade Centre’s Jonathan Kemp …

Early modern English culture displayed an obsession with women's infidelity and anxieties around the shame this brought on their husbands. History major Joseph Moorhead explored this topic for the subject A History of Sexualities (HIST30004) in 2020, and was awarded the 2020 Laurie R Gardiner Prize for the best undergraduate essay in early modern British history (1400–1700). This article is …

In May 2022, the History & Philosophy of Science (HPS) program hosted Nicole Nelson, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who uses ethnographic and historical methods to study methods development and uncertainty in the biomedical sciences. During her visit, she delivered a public lecture, ‘Controlling the Interpretation of Replication Experiments’. In the lecture, Nicole Nelson discusses how common reactions …

Our new Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diaspora Studies, Andonis Piperoglou (History), delivered a talk as part of the Greek Community of Melbourne's Greek History & Culture Seminar series, on the topic ' "My kids are still called dagoes": Historical Responses to an Irksome Racial Slur'. Racial slurs permeate our public vernacular. Throughout the United States and Australia people from the …

A video-recording of the third instalment in this series, featuring Professor Natalia Chaban (University of Canterbury), Dr Julie Fedor (University of Melbourne), Dr Robert Horvath (La Trobe University), and Dr Volodymyr Kulyk (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), speaking on the theme of 'Propaganda' (27 May 2022).

Tristan Grøtvedt Haze joined the University of Melbourne in 2022 as a Lecturer (Teaching Specialist) in Philosophy. His first book, Meaning and Metaphysical Necessity, was recently published by Routledge. Tristan specialises in metaphysics and logic, and teaches across a number of undergraduate Philosophy subjects. He also enjoys some rather funny extracurricular activities, which he explores together with current PhD candidate …

This winter, SHAPS undergraduate student societies came together to embark on an ambitious and rewarding undertaking. Abigail Banister-Jones, Co-Consul/President of MUCLASS (Melbourne University Classics & Archaeology Student Society), reports on the inaugural SHAPS Ball below. Where else does one throw a ball for classics, history and philosophy students but the Hellenic Museum? Surrounded by artefacts from the ancient world, and modern …

A videorecording of the two-day symposium honouring and celebrating Stuart Macintyre (24–25 February 2022).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

On May 31, a new SHAPS contribution to public outreach and engagement was released. The HPS Podcast shares fascinating contemporary research in History and Philosophy of Science with those outside the discipline. Each episode is designed to be short, engaging and entertaining. Covering a wide range of topics, this is a podcast for anyone with a fascination for history, philosophy, …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video-recording of a roundtable held in October 2022.

A video-recording of the 2022 Greg Dening Memorial Lecture, delivered by Dr Hilary Howes.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Dr Matthew Champion, appointed to a Senior Lectureship in History in 2022, is a historian of medieval and early modern Europe, with a particular focus on the experience of time and temporality during periods of intense change. In this interview for the SHAPS Forum podcast, Dr Henry Reese talks with Matthew about his research, including his latest project, The Sounds …

A video-recording of the fourth instalment in this series, featuring HE Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand; HE Nina Obermaier, Ambassador of the European Union to New Zealand; Dr Olesya Khromeychuk (Ukrainian Institute London); Prof. Michèle Knodt (TU Darmstadt), and Prof. Zdisław Mach (Jagiellonian University, Kraków), speaking on the theme of 'Solidarity' (16 September 2022).

A videorecording of the 2022 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Lecture, delivered by Professor Mark Edele on 19 May 2022.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

In May 2022, the History & Philosophy of Science (HPS) program hosted Nicole Nelson, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who uses ethnographic and historical methods to study methods development and uncertainty in the biomedical sciences. During her visit, she delivered a public lecture, ‘Controlling the Interpretation of Replication Experiments’. In the lecture, Nicole Nelson discusses how common reactions …

Our new Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diaspora Studies, Andonis Piperoglou (History), delivered a talk as part of the Greek Community of Melbourne's Greek History & Culture Seminar series, on the topic ' "My kids are still called dagoes": Historical Responses to an Irksome Racial Slur'. Racial slurs permeate our public vernacular. Throughout the United States and Australia people from the …

A video-recording of the third instalment in this series, featuring Professor Natalia Chaban (University of Canterbury), Dr Julie Fedor (University of Melbourne), Dr Robert Horvath (La Trobe University), and Dr Volodymyr Kulyk (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), speaking on the theme of 'Propaganda' (27 May 2022).

A videorecording of the two-day symposium honouring and celebrating Stuart Macintyre (24–25 February 2022).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video-recording of the second instalment in this series, featuring Associate Professor Olga Bertelsen (Tiffin University), Associate Professor Oxana Shevel (Tufts University) and Professor Serhy Yekelchyk (University of Victoria), speaking on the theme of 'History' (29 April 2022).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video-recording of the first instalment in this special series of talks, featuring Dr Olga Boichak (Sydney), Dr Roman Horbyk (Lviv/Södertörn), and Professor Marko Pavlyshyn (Monash), speaking on the theme of 'Resistance' (8 April 2022).

A video-recording of the 2021 Ernest Scott Lecture, Part II, delivered by Dr Hirini Kaa (October 2021).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

On 3–5 February 2022, scholars from sixteen countries around the world – 179 participants in all – gathered online for a Ukrainian Studies conference marking the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. Since 24 February, we have followed with grief and horror the unfolding catastrophe in Ukraine after the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and illegal invasion. The members of the Conference Organising Committee …

A video-recording of Professor Tim Parkin's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates Seminar (October 2021)

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

In this interview, four of our recent graduates share their insights and advice on how to go about building a career in archaeology. Current PhD candidate Tom Keep spoke with Monique Corbett, an archaeologist working with Heritage Insight; Rachel Slocombe, a subcontracting archaeologist who is currently working with Australia Cultural Heritage Management; Gemma Lee, a Melbourne-based field archaeologist; and Jarrad …

A video-recording of the 2021 Greg Dening Memorial Lecture, delivered by Dr Jenny Bulstrode.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video recording of Mary Sheehan's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates Seminar (September 2021).

Jenny Spinks is a historian of the early modern world, with a particular interest in visual and material culture as historical sources for research and for teaching. To celebrate her recent promotion to Associate Professor, we feature Jenny's work here in this interview with recent graduate Jen McFarland. You can watch the video and/or read the transcript below. https://youtu.be/2d-kbjY5Pkc Transcript Hi, my name is …

In October 2021, Student Conservators @ Melbourne, the student group for the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation program at the Grimwade Centre, held a webinar, 'Introduction to Textile Conservation'. Hosted by Victoria Thomas of Artlab (a graduate of the Masters and former Grimwade Conservation Services employee), the program introduced the types of objects commonly cared for by textile conservators. It …

A video recording of Professor Grace Karskens' 2021 Ernest Scott Lecture Part I (September 2021).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

In mid-2021 a group of alumni of the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation co-organised the Bali Art & Heritage Conservation Internship Program (#BAHCIP). Developed by Saiful Bakhri, Masters of Cultural Conservation 2018 and winner of a Rising Star Alumni Award in 2020, together with Gadis Fitriana Putri, Lia Sumichan and Laila Nurul Fitrani, the program included an immersive, in-country …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

A video recording of Professor Janet McCalman's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates Seminar (July 2021).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

In early 2021 Jesse Dyer was the recipient of the first Time-Based Media Conservation Fellowship, offered in partnership by the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). This new fellowship supports graduate research in the dynamic field of Time-Based Media Conservation. Samantha Rogers spoke with Jesse about his fellowship. The Tate Modern website …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications and projects, and other news from across the School community.

A video recording of Peter Yule's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates seminar (June 2021).

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications and projects, and other news from across the School community.

Episode 1 in the 2021 SHAPS 'Control' Podcast Series: Dr Roslynne Bell (Classics & Archaeology).

A video recording of a special lecture by Professor Mark Edele to mark the 80th anniversary of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941.

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications and projects, and other news from across the School community.

A video-recording of the 2021 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Lecture, delivered by Professor Lynette Russell.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Monique Webber as Teaching Specialist in Ancient World Studies. In this role, Dr Webber will coordinate a suite of subjects: Myth, Art and Empire: Greece and Rome (ANCW10002); Classical Mythology (ANCW20015); and Underworld and Afterlife (ANCW30011). Specialising in Object-Based Learning and Digital Humanities, Monique is a skilled and dedicated educator who brings …

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications and projects, and other news from across the School community.

A video recording of Charlotte-Rose Millar's presentation to the Early Modern Circle seminar (March 2021).

In October 2020, Professor Peter McPhee delivered his final lecture for the undergraduate History subject The French Revolution, rounding off an astonishing fifty years of teaching this subject. To mark this occasion, SHAPS hosted an online celebration in honour of Peter’s outstanding career as an extraordinarily gifted, inspiring and dedicated teacher. Below you can watch the video tributes produced by Peter’s …

The Ancient World Seminar Series, hosted by the Classics & Archaeology Program, is aimed at a broad audience, from academics to students to members of the public. The seminars are based on current research done in the School, and everyone is welcome to attend. Speakers are asked to present on topics having to do with the ancient world or archaeology …

The History Brown Bag Seminar Series brings together a lively variety of history papers on any region of the world and on periods from the Early Modern era to present, with a diversity of methodologies including historians from outside the History discipline (eg, Economics, Law and Medicine). The program includes postgraduate completion seminars, research presentations by visiting scholars, academics returning from …

The History and Philosophy of Science program runs a weekly seminar series at 12 noon on Tuesdays during semester. All are welcome to attend. The seminars feature talks on the full range of the discipline, including historical studies, philosophical insights, social and cultural analyses of science, and metaresearch into scientific practices. Presenters include local, interstate and international scholars ranging from postgraduate …

The Philosophy Thursday Seminar Series features presentations by SHAPS Philosophy staff and collaborators in Melbourne, and from across Australia and the world. The range of issues covered in the seminar — from formal epistemology to the history of philosophy — reflects the variety of work done in the School. Enquiries about subscribing to the mailing list and for seminar details …

Initiated in 2014 in the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, the Textiles and Fashion Research Group (formerly the Textiles Reading Group) draws together academics, curators, textile experts and fashion creatives working across a varied range of fields, from Renaissance modes of luxury, dress in China, Islamic textiles, and early modern undergarments, to Australian colonial and twentieth-century dress. Founded by …

The Early Modern Circle is an informal, interdisciplinary seminar group open to interested students, academics and researchers. Seminars are presented by scholars, both established and emerging, national and international, working in the field of Early Modern Studies broadly conceived, whether in History, Art History, Literature, Music, and so on. Its activities are linked to the Early Modern Studies Research Hub …

Melbourne Eurasianist Seminar Series (MESS) is an interdisciplinary seminar series and research network for scholars working in Soviet/post-Soviet/Slavic studies, convened by Dr Oleg Beyda, Professor Mark Edele, Dr Julie Fedor and Dr Natasha Wilson. MESS meets roughly once a month during semester time. For more information or to be added to our mailing list, email Felicity Hodgson: felicity.hodgson@unimelb.edu.au. You can also find out more via …

The Melbourne Logic Seminar meets on Zoom on scheduled days from 11am to 1pm as of March 2020. It’s an active research seminar in logic and related fields, with active participants from universities across Melbourne. The seminar is currently convened by Dr Shawn Standefer. Information about the talks, including the zoom meeting room URL, is sent around on the mailing list several …

The HPS Podcast shares fascinating contemporary research in History and Philosophy of Science with those outside the discipline. Each episode is designed to be short, engaging and entertaining. Covering a wide range of topics, this is a podcast for anyone with a fascination for history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, human inquiry and those who simply wish to broaden their minds. The podcast is …

The Classics and Archaeology Postgraduate Society is a social and academic hub for postgraduate students studying everything from Near Eastern prehistoric archaeology to the army of the late Roman Empire. Postgraduate research is inherently solitary, so the Society attempts to break the idea that a postgraduate must be a lone student in a library carrel obscured by piles of monographs …

Melbourne University Classics & Archaeology Students Society (MUCLASS) is a club for anyone interested in ancient history, mythology, archaeology or the Classics. We run a broad range of social and academic events, including trivia nights, museum visits, board game sessions, and film screenings. Our committee structure is based on the ancient Roman cursus honorum, or ‘path of offices’ in which ambitious …

Student Conservators at Melbourne (SC@M) is the student group for the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation program at the Grimwade Centre, University of Melbourne. Our members are national and international student conservators and alumni from a variety of backgrounds including the Arts, Humanities and Sciences. We act as a liaison between students and the academic faculty and organise workshops, excursions and …

Konservaction is an Indonesian/Australian alliance focusing on the conservation of Indonesian heritage. Established in 2017 by students from the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation program at The University of Melbourne, the initiative provides an international platform for skills development in project management, workshop delivery, and cross-cultural teaching. Our first project – launched in response to the 2017 Mt Agung volcano activity …

Led by a committee elected annually in June by the History postgraduate cohort, the History Postgraduate Association (HPA) is committed to improving the experience of History students. We build solidarity and cohesion through events and activities, represent the voice of History postgraduate students, and provide avenues of communication between History students and our colleagues in SHAPS, the Faculty of Arts, and the Graduate Student Association. Every semester the HPA convenes a seminar series, as well as organising the Snifters dinner, and …

Since its establishment in 2017, the History Society has been tirelessly dedicated to upholding its central mission of promoting the study of history at the University of Melbourne, and creating an inclusive and welcoming community for students who have an interest in history. To this end, we run a number of educational and social events. From Indigenous heritage walks to …

The Indonesia Postgraduate Network (IPN) aims to support mutual understanding and cultivate support networks between postgraduate students in Australia in Indonesia, bringing together and encouraging collaboration between postgraduate students from the University of Melbourne, Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Gadjah Mada. We plan to have our first series of Peer Support Group discussions within the next couple of months. These discussions will …

The Philosophy Postgraduate Group (PPG) is a student society dedicated to the promotion of philosophy at the postgraduate level at the University of Melbourne. The main function of the PPG is to administer the Tuesday afternoon colloquium series – a forum where students can get feedback on their work, enhance their professional development and contribute to a sense of community …

The Melbourne University Philosophy Society (MUPS) is a student society focused on promoting and building the philosophy community at the University. We run weekly events that are open to all year levels with the aim of providing a safe and encouraging environment for people to discuss and debate the great philosophical questions. We are always accepting ideas for event topics; …

MAP Melb Uni is a chapter of the international organisation Minorities and Philosophy, which aims to examine and address issues of minority participation in academic philosophy. MAP’s role is to foster a sense of community and solidarity between students and staff who come from minority backgrounds. To do so, we host events such as reading groups, lectures and work-in-progress series, which …

The SHAPS Fellows & Associates Group was formed in 2005, when a group of retired academics, historians, classicists and archaeologists met monthly to discuss their current research. Fellows and Associates have not retired from their work. We all continue to publish books, chapters of books, journal articles, book reviews and entries in the Australian and international dictionaries of biography as …

Historical research is published across the globe in a number of languages other than English, and one must be able to read these works. Postgraduate students take different approaches to these languages, often taking classes offered by the University or seeking outside private instruction. But some likeminded students decided that coming together to read works in different languages and offer …

An informal group that meets on Wednesdays at 5:15pm in a friendly and supportive environment to read medieval (Byzantine) Greek texts. Anyone with any knowledge of Greek is welcome. Currently we are working on producing the first ever translation of the late eleventh-century Greek Chronicle of Kedrenos which 'covers' (perhaps the wrong word) the period from Creation to 811 CE …

Emporium is a research hub based at the University of Melbourne, dedicated to the long and rich histories of consumption, production, and consumer practices across time and space. It is premised on the understanding that all economic activity is culturally embedded. The hub is focused around four core research areas: Luxury, Advertising, Food, and Textiles. All are interrelated, but each also has …

Emporium is a research network by and for postgraduates in the field of Roman studies, led by Ash Finn and Giovanni Piccolo at University of Melbourne. Our primary aim is to create a safe and friendly space to bring together postgraduates around Australasia who want to share their research with one another in a way they might not have been …

Melbourne History Workshop is a studio-based research collaboratory in the History Program at the University of Melbourne under the direction of Professor Andrew May. It taps the pooled expertise of staff, research higher degree students and affiliates in order to provide innovative and rigorously-applied historical research, postgraduate training, industry collaboration and community-facing projects. The Workshop’s focus is the exciting synergy …

This summer (2020–2021), we are offering a special series of free workshops for students who have studied some Russian and would like to improve their skills in reading and interpreting Russian texts. The workshops are tailored for those with an interest in going on to pursue research on Russian history, at the undergraduate or postgraduate level; but non-historians are also …

Hansen Senior Lecturer in History Dr Una McIlvenna is one of the founding members of a new international research network in the field of song studies. The network brings together researchers and performers working on song in a range of areas and time periods. The network launched 'digitally' on Twitter, Thursday 10 June, with a stream of tweets over 24 …

The AICCM Bulletin encourages the submission of original and quality papers, including research reports, discussion papers, literature surveys, thematic bibliographies, summaries of research papers and dissertations. The AICCM Bulletin is a hard copy and online peer reviewed journal produced by the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) since 1975 and is now published by Taylor & Francis Publishing. The journal …

Amphora is an independent, open-access peer-reviewed journal that welcomes contributions from researchers working in a diverse range of fields including Classical Studies, Ancient History, Reception Studies, Digital Humanities, Egyptology, and Archaeology. The journal is run by a voluntary Editorial Collective of postgraduate students and early career researchers with members from across Australia and New Zealand. For further information about the journal, …

The Classics & Archaeology discipline within SHAPS has a unique resource for its researchers: our Classics & Archaeology Library. Housed mainly in Arts West 511 West Wing (the Classics Reading Room), the Library is a boutique non-lending research library for academic staff, honorary fellows, postgraduates, Honours students, and academic visitors. The C&A Library collection began in the 1970s as a combination …

Ancient Near Eastern Studies (formerly Abr-Nahrain) is a refereed journal with original articles devoted to the languages and cultures of the ancient Near East. The geographical area on which it primarily focuses includes the modern lands of Egypt, Israel, West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Sheikhdoms. Manuscripts on related languages …

Australian Historical Studies is the oldest historical journal in Australia. It was first published in 1940 in the Department of History at the University of Melbourne. The journal deals with all aspects of the Australian past in all its forms – heritage and conservation, archaeology, visual display in museums and galleries, oral history, family history and histories of place. A …

Chariot is an undergraduate history journal at the University of Melbourne, created by and for students. The journal provides a space for students to engage with history in their own way, publishing online and in print. Online submissions are always open. We consider essays, commentaries, reviews, and creative pieces (including short fiction, poetry and visual art) written by undergraduate students of the …

Iris is the journal of the Classical Association of Victoria (CAV). Founded in 1912, the CAV operates for the propagation and wellbeing of Classics and Ancient World Studies in the state of Victoria in Australia. The new series of the journal was founded in 1988. The current journal Editor is Dr Andrew J. Turner, Honorary Fellow in SHAPS. The Honorary …

Published since 1977 the Journal of the Institute of Conservation is the peer reviewed publication of the UK's Institute of Conservation (ICON) and is edited by Dr Jonathan Kemp, Grimwade Centre Associate Lecturer. The aims of the Journal are to: promote research, knowledge and understanding of cultural heritage conservation through its history, practice and theory; provide an international forum to enable …

The Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society (JSPPS) is a bi-annual interdisciplinary journal that was launched in 2015 as a companion journal to the Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society book series (founded 2004 and edited by Andreas Umland). Like the book series, the journal provides an interdisciplinary forum for new original research on the Soviet and post-Soviet world. All …

Published since 1961, the Melbourne Historical Journal (MHJ) is a refereed journal that aims to promote and publish new work by postgraduate and early career researchers. MHJ is usually published once a year. We also publish the occasional MHJ Research Series. The 2019 theme, Narratives and Power, was chosen to turn attention towards the ethical and social impact of historical practice, …

The Melbourne Journal of Technical Studies in Art is an essential tool for conservators, curators, art dealers and art historians. The journal is a unique reference in Australia, publishing valuable first generation research in technical and conservation studies in Australia. It provides access to important research being carried out in conservation, art history and the scientific analysis of artworks. The Melbourne …

Meraki – pronounced /mera-key/ (/meɹəki/) – is a Greek word denoting the soul and passion that you put into what you love. We provide an accessible, independent, online platform for creators to produce and collaborate on academic, non-academic and creative literary writing. Our content is wide-ranging, exploring commentaries on language, film, culture, politics, ethics, epistemology, and much more. We are …

Grimwade Conservation Services specialises in all areas of art restoration and museum standard conservation to institutions and private clients. Programs include: conservation treatments and restoration of all types of materials; collection surveys; conservation strategy plans; disaster preparedness plans; research; and technical analysis. Our client base includes: national, state, regional and rural public collection and cultural organisations; amateur collecting societies and museums; …

Scroll is a journal published by students of the Grimwade Centre of Cultural Materials Conservation (Student Conservators at Melbourne SC@M). They publish under a range of categories, including essays, reviews, interviews, reports, and other creative outputs. Contributions are welcome from current and recent graduates of the Grimwade Centre, as well as from graduates in Art Curatorship, and Arts and Cultural Management, …

Since its founding in 1962 by Max Charlesworth and Graeme De Graaff in the then Department of Philosophy at the University of Melbourne, Sophia has provided a forum for discussions in philosophy and religion, focusing on the interstices between metaphysics and critical theological thinking. The discussions encompass the wider ambience of the sciences ('natural' philosophy and human/social sciences), ethical and …

Nicole Davis (PhD in History, 2023) 'Nineteenth-century Arcades in Australia: History, Heritage & Representation' This thesis explores the social and spatial histories of Australia’s nineteenth-century arcades from their beginning in Melbourne in 1853, with an emphasis on their first half century of development. It explores the retail, leisure and business activities they hosted and the lived experiences of the people who worked and …

Leonard D'Cruz (PhD in Philosophy, 2023) 'Foucault and Normative Political Philosophy' This thesis brings Michel Foucault’s work into dialogue with the tradition of normative political philosophy inaugurated by John Rawls. More specifically, it draws on Foucault’s ideas to develop an original approach to normative theorising that emphasises the importance of situated insights in reconstructing our normative political concepts. With this goal …

Diana Tay (PhD in Cultural Materials Conservation, 2023) 'Building a Conservation Material Record: A Study of Paintings by Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen' Despite the growing visibility of prominent figures in modern Singaporean art history, there is limited material knowledge of the art practices of paintings from Nanyang artists such as Georgette Chen (1906–1993) and Cheong Soo Pieng (1917–1983). Scholarly …

Giovanni Piccolo (PhD in Classics & Archaeology, 2022), 'The Collectanea Rerum Memorabilium by Gaius Julius Solinus: A Roman Geography for a Changing World' The Collectanea Rerum Memorabilium is a collection of wondrous facts from various areas of natural science presented within the geographical framework of a description of the known world. Little is known of its author Gaius Julius Solinus, possibly …

From the Brexit campaign with its call to ‘take back control’, to cultural fashions like the Marie Kondo phenomenon, through to criminological and sociological theories on self-control and socialisation, or political discourses around borders and immigration – everywhere we look, we find evidence of an intense preoccupation with ‘control’. A desire for and a drive to control can be identified …

In 2020, we will be sharing a series of podcasts and texts reflecting on the ongoing planetary crisis that we are all living through. How can the humanities help us to understand what is happening, to generate responses, and to imagine new approaches and solutions to the unprecedented challenges that face us in the days ahead? We invite you to think …

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 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 Truth, …

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 …

Selected content from the 2015 SHAPS public lecture series on 'Conflict': Dr David M. Pritchard (University of Queensland), War and Military Spending in the Ancient Athenian Democracy Professor Guoqi Xu (University of Hong Kong), The First World War and China’s Great Awakening Rodric Braithwaite (British ambassador to the USSR under Gorbachev and award-winning writer and historian), Managing Putin Image: riots-14, 2012. Photograph © Thanasis …

Nicole Davis received her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2023. Her thesis examined the social history of the shopping arcade in nineteenth-century Australia from a transnational perspective. She is a member of the Melbourne History Workshop based at the university, and a Research Fellow in history and sociology of education and qualitative data archiving at Melbourne Graduate School …

Madeline (she/her) is communications professional and emerging conservator currently completing the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre. In 2019 she completed a BA at Monash University with a double major in Media and Communications, and Film and Screen Studies, and in 2021 completed the Executive Master of Arts at the University of Melbourne. At present Madeline is …

Hailing from Lancaster, UK, Ash Finn completed both a BA and an MA in Manchester before relocating to Melbourne to start a PhD in 2019. Approaching legal history through social history, Ash's thesis examines Roman social attitudes towards violence and revenge, and how these influenced the development of the penal system: arenas, lions, beatings and burnings. Ash was awarded the …

Elena Heran is a PhD Candidate in Classics & Archaeology. Her thesis centres around the treatment of male and female characters in Ovid's Metamorphoses, examining the ways in which the poet's fascination with Roman male anxieties, such as fatherhood, desire, reputation, and the transition from boy to man, leads to the oversimplification and marginalisation of the poem's female characters. She …

James is a PhD student in History, with his thesis examining Australian anti-fascism from the 1920s into the post World War Two period. He is currently treasurer of the History Postgraduate Association (2021–present), editor of the Melbourne Historical Journal and volunteer at the New International Bookstore.

Tom is an PhD candidate in archaeology researching the applications of digital representations of heritage in fostering public engagement with the past. He works as a practicing commercial archaeologist and photogrammetrist in Victoria, with experience on research projects in Italy and Israel. He has worked as a research assistant with the Melbourne-based VR heritage creator Lithodomos and is currently working …

Gen is an emerging conservator studying at the Grimwade Centre. She has an interest in the application of conservation to archaeology and studies of provenance and is currently writing her thesis on the investigation of metrology within the University of Melbourne’s Middle Eastern Manuscript Collection. By understanding how and with what units of measurements these manuscripts were scaled during their …

Carl Joseph Sciglitano is a graduate student in the History & Philosophy of Science program. After completing his Master's degree in Science (Astronomy) at Swinburne University in 2018, Carl became interested in how scientists extend their epistemic gaze through technology, be it a telescope or a complex computer algorithm. It is this broad area that Carl is currently hoping to …

Jonathan is a PhD student in History, researching the role of militarised student organisations in the development of post-independence Indonesia. He is interested in histories of student activism and the role of youth in national development, within both militarised and non-militarised settings. Jonathan is also a current member of the Melbourne Historical Journal collective.

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 …

Sam Watts is a PhD Candidate in History, researching Black American daily life in the post-Emancipation Deep South. His research details the experiences and achievements of formerly enslaved and free Black Americans during Reconstruction and examines the connections between freedom, mobility, citizenship and urban space. Sam writes occasionally for the Australian Book Review and co-founded ANZASA Online, an American studies …

Jiyuan (Luke) Yin is a PhD candidate in History. His doctoral research concentrates on the urban history of treaty ports and everyday life in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century China, specifically in relation to social and cultural interactions between foreigners and Chinese. Luke is interested in historical topics around gender and sex, global immigration and travelling. Luke is a member …

Becky Clifton completed her PhD in Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne in 2019. Her research centred diverse expressions of identity in the art and literature of the Amarna Period in Egypt and she has a particular interest in how modern Western cultural expectations surrounding gender and sexuality impact the histories we write of non-conforming figures in the …

Henry Dobson is a current PhD candidate in Philosophy. After completing his Master's degree at Monash University in 2016, he moved to the UK where he lived for two years while working in the technology industry. It was during this time that he learnt about the increasing concerns with AI technology and the possible negative impacts it can have on …

Samara Greenwood is a PhD candidate in the History and Philosophy of Science program. Her thesis explores how changes in social context affect scientific work. The project involves analysing varied historical episodes to establish the multiple ways contextual changes have come to impact science. In particular, Samara is interested in how the rising social status of lower-valued groups, such as …

Nayree’s research concerns twentieth-century Middle Eastern and US diplomatic history. Post-war Lebanon is also a subject of interest, especially memory and reconciliation practices that have occurred since the end of the country’s second civil war (1975–1990). Nayree’s MA focused specifically on apologies given for civil war atrocities in Lebanon and she has published issues concerning this topic in the ANU …

Hailing from Narbolia (Italy), Laura Pisanu completed her BA, MA, and Scuola di Specializzazione in Beni Archeologici (8 level in the European Qualification Framework) at the University of Cagliari before starting a PhD in Melbourne in 2021. Focusing on the Bronze and Iron Age, Laura’s thesis examines factors that might have influenced the human occupation of the southern Montiferru and …

Henry Reese is a historian and musician based in Melbourne. He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2019. He is currently writing the first cultural history of sound recording in Australia and working as a tutor and research assistant at various universities. Henry produces and mixes the audio, and writes the original soundtrack music, for Forum's 'Disaster …

Samantha Rogers is a student of the Grimwade Centre's Master of Cultural Materials Conservation. She has an interest in paper and object conservation and community heritage advocacy and engagement. She has a Master of Ancient History from Macquarie University and a BA (Hons) in History from Monash University. Samantha is a qualified secondary teacher specialising in History and Humanities and …

Paul Coleman is studying a Masters of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre. He is currently writing a thesis on documentation methodologies and pre-acquisition strategies for the preservation of interactive digital-based artworks. He completed a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Adelaide before completing his honours year in English …

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 …

Jennifer is an MA graduate in History at the University of Melbourne. Her thesis research focused on the identity, social status and activities of pizzochere (lay religious women) in sixteenth-century Venice. Her previous research on the relic cult of Saint Catherine of Siena in fifteenth-century Venice has been published in Renaissance Studies. She was 2019 ACIS-Save Venice Research Fellow and was also a …

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, …

Dang Nguyen is a 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 that …

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 …

Isabella Walker is an emerging paintings conservator currently completing a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre. In 2015 she completed a Bachelor of Arts with First-Class Honours at the University of Melbourne, majoring in English and Art History. She is currently completing a minor thesis that examines the links that can be drawn between the history of …