Category: History
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Jessie Matheson
Jessie Matheson (PhD in History, 2021), ‘Countryminded Conforming Femininity: A Cultural History of Rural Womanhood in Australia, 1920–1997′ This thesis explores the cultural and political history of Australian rural women between 1920 and 1997. Using a diverse range of archival collections this research finds that for rural women cultural constructions of idealised rural womanhood had […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/11/05/jessie-matheson
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Joseph Parro
Joseph Parro (MA in History, 2021) ‘P.R. Stephensen and Transnational Fascism: From Interwar Adoption to Postwar Survival and Transmission’ This thesis examines Percy Reginald ‘Inky’ Stephensen (1901–1965), Australian author, publisher, authors’ agent, and political activist, in relation to the transnational fascist phenomena of the twentieth century. It challenges previous characterisations of Stephensen as an Australian […] -
Greg Dening (1931–2008)
On the occasion of the forthcoming Greg Dening lecture, we thought it timely to republish an obituary for Greg Dening by his former colleague, Emeritus Professor Chips Sowerwine. This obituary first appeared in the Journal of Australasian Irish Studies 7 (2007) and has been reprinted by permission of the journal’s editor. Greg Dening died on 13 […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/10/27/greg-dening-1931-2008
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Susan Reidy
Susan Reidy (PhD in History, 2021) ‘Glorious Gardens and Exuberant Grounds: The History of Urban Public Parks in Australia’ From the colonial period until the present day, Australia’s urban public parks, botanic gardens, and its sports and recreation grounds have been places of special value, considerable cultural and environmental significance and complex social use. In […] -
Donna Merwick Dening (1932–2021)
On 23 August SHAPS received the sad news that Donna Merwick Dening had passed away overnight. Donna was an Associate Professor in the History Department from 1969 to 1995 and taught American History. She was teacher, mentor and colleague to many and we mourn the passing of a great historian. Donna was proud of the […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/10/24/donna-merwick-dening-1932-2021
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The 2021 International Summer School in Transnational History, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Since 2018, the Universitas Gadjah Mada has hosted an annual International Summer School in Transnational History, bringing together students from across Southeast Asia to live and study together in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In 2018 and 2019 SHAPS was able to send small groups of students, together with Associate Professor Katharine McGregor, to participate in person in […] -
The Symbolism of Australia’s Southern Cross
Australia’s Southern Cross has been used on flags and coats of arms since the early colonial period but, despite its endurance, it’s a very difficult emblem for many Australians. Dr Martin Bush, Research Fellow in SHAPS, researches the cultural history of astronomy in colonial- and Federation-era Australia. He tells us more in this article, republished […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/09/29/the-symbolism-of-australias-southern-cross
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An Interview with Associate Professor Catherine Kovesi
Catherine Kovesi researches discourses surrounding luxury and consumption in early modern Italy; Florentine and Venetian family history; and Australian religious history. She is Chair of the Australasian Centre for Italian Studies and in recent years has worked with the Australian Council for the Arts at the Venice Biennale Arte. To celebrate Catherine’s promotion to Associate […] -
Discovering the ‘Mess and Stink’ of Romeo Lane
A video recording of Professor Janet McCalman's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates Seminar (July 2021). -
Welcome Dr Julia Bowes, New Hansen Lecturer in US History
Dr Julia Bowes joined SHAPS as Hansen Lecturer in US History on 1 July 2021 and will be teaching HIST20071 American History: 1945 to Now in Semester 2/2021. Originally from Sydney, Julia completed her PhD at Rutgers University in 2018 and her doctoral thesis, Invading the Home: Children, State Power, and the Gendered Origins of Modern Conservatism, […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/07/26/welcome-julia-bowes
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Peter Yule on Vietnam Veterans and the Victorian Bar
A video recording of Peter Yule's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates seminar (June 2021).blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/07/13/peter-yule-on-vietnam-veterans-and-the-victorian-bar
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Editing the Adams Family Papers: An Interview with Sara Martin
After completing her PhD in History at the University of Melbourne, Sara Martin went on to pursue a career in Public History and is currently Editor in Chief of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston. In a conversation with History PhD candidate Jonathan Tehusijarana, Sara shared her reflections on the importance […] -
Beyond ‘Statue Shaming’: Grappling with Australia’s Legacies of Slavery
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains distressing images and names and/or images of people who have passed away. As countries around the globe struggle to come to terms with the legacies of their imperial and colonial pasts, much debate about truth-telling focuses on how we remember individuals. The statues and […] -
Stalin in the Summer of 1941: A Drama in Three Acts
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.blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/06/22/stalin-in-the-summer-of-1941
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Reflections on the Last Two Decades of Indigenous Histories
A video-recording of the 2021 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Lecture, delivered by Professor Lynette Russell. -
Exploring the History of Piracy
In 2019 Dr Sarah Craze completed a PhD on the history of the 2008–2012 Somali piracy epidemic. Her study of this topic also explored historical connections to piracy in the Caribbean and the East Indies centuries earlier. In this interview with Dr Henry Reese, she discusses her work on this fascinating category of historical actors. […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/04/22/exploring-the-history-of-piracy
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The Life Stories of Gippsland Lakes Fishers
An oral history project involving SHAPS Fellow Nikki Henningham is preserving the memories of the people who fished the Gippsland Lakes before commercial fishing was shutdown. This article, authored by Nikki and republished from Pursuit, explores the project. With little fanfare or attention, commercial fishing in the Gippsland Lakes in eastern Victoria ceased on 1 […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/04/02/the-life-stories-of-gippsland-lakes-fishers
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Gita Yoga: Interview with Dr Fay Woodhouse
In October 2020, SHAPS Fellow Fay Woodhouse released her new book, Gita: Melbourne’s First Yoga School – 65 Years of History, exploring the different phases of Melbourne’s first full-time permanent yoga school, founded in 1954. Nicole Davis chatted to Fay about the book, the history of Gita Yoga, and its place in Melbourne’s and Australia’s […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/03/25/gita-yoga-interview-with-dr-fay-woodhouse
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The Truth Behind A Pirate Legend
Benito de Soto was a ruthless and violent pirate, but his story has been rewritten (and reimagined) over 200 years to create his modern rebel reputation. Dr Sarah Craze and Associate Professor Richard Pennell from SHAPS explore his story in this article, republished from Pursuit. You may have already heard of the pirate Benito de Soto […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/03/23/the-truth-behind-a-pirate-legend
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Charlotte-Rose Millar on Urban Ghosts in Early Modern London
A video recording of Charlotte-Rose Millar's presentation to the Early Modern Circle seminar (March 2021). -
Fifty Years of French Revolution: A Celebration of Peter McPhee
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 […] -
Is This the End of the ‘American Century’?
Is the United States’ time in the sun as the world’s superpower coming to an end? While American exceptionalism reigns supreme, the Capitol Hill riots revealed a truth. Hansen Lecturer in Global History Dr Sarah Walsh explores the history of how American foreign policy has been imagined and mythologised in this article, republished from Pursuit. […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/03/07/is-this-the-end-of-the-american-century
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Charles Coppel on Elias Godfrey Coppel CMG QC LLD on the Supreme Court of Victoria
A video recording of Charles Coppel's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates seminar (February 2021). -
Welcome Dr Richard Lee, New Lecturer in Chinese History
In February 2021 Dr Richard Lee commenced his appointment as Lecturer in Chinese History in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies. He will be teaching Modern China in Global History (Semester One) and Cold War Cultures in Asia (Semester Two), as well as supervising Honours students. In this interview, Dr Lee responds to a […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/02/22/welcome-dr-richard-lee
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Introducing New Lecturer in Gender History, Dr Annabelle Baldwin
Newly appointed Lecturer in Gender History, Dr Annabelle Baldwin, is a specialist in twentieth-century European and global history, with a particular interest in Holocaust studies, focusing on Jewish women’s and girls’ experience of sexual violence during the Holocaust. Annabelle will be teaching two brand-new undergraduate subjects: the first-year subject Gender Rights and Leadership in History […] -
Meet the 2021 Hansen PhD Scholar, Georgia Comte
Since 2016, an annual Hansen PhD scholarship in History has been awarded to support an outstanding researcher with a commitment to promoting History to the wider community. This year’s Hansen PhD scholar is Georgia Comte, who will be investigating gender and sexuality in late eighteenth- to early nineteenth-century French art. Georgia embarks on this project […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/02/05/meet-the-2021-hansen-phd-scholar-georgia-comte
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Darius von Güttner on Bona Sforza and Polish Foreign Policy (1518–1548)
A video recording of Darius von Güttner's presentation to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates Seminar (January 2021). -
A Shipwreck and a Song: Isabel Hollingdale on Family History, Creativity and the Women of World War Two
In the third-year History capstone subject, students are encouraged to experiment with presenting historical research in creative formats. One student in the 2020 cohort, Isabel Hollingdale, an accomplished musician and singer-songwriter, wrote and recorded a song. In the latest of the Forum podcast series, Henry Reese spoke with Isabel about her work, which brings together […] -
History Capstone 2020 Showcase
Making History is the capstone subject for our History majors — for many of our students this is their last academic unit of History. The subject gives students an opportunity to focus on History in the world as well as History in the academy. We always end the semester with a Closing Conference as an […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/01/22/history-capstone-2020-showcase
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Encounters, Agency, and Race in Oceania
A video-recording of the 2020 Greg Dening Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Bronwen Douglas.blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/01/15/encounters-agency-and-race-in-oceania
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Stuart Macintyre in Conversation with History Honours Students
As part of the Honours subject The Writing of Australian History (HIST90023), students have the unique opportunity to meet with distinguished historian Professor Emeritus Stuart Macintyre and to engage him in conversation about his work and about Australian historiography more broadly. We share below a videorecording and transcript of one of these sessions, from April […] -
David Palmer on Korean Forced Laborers in Wartime Japan
During World War II, Imperial Japan relied on hundreds of thousands of Koreans for its economy. Authorities transported almost 800,000 Koreans from their homeland by force from 1939 to 1945 in the largest migration of non-Japanese into Japan in the country’s history. SHAPS Associate in History Dr David Palmer presented his research on this topic to the SHAPS Fellows & Associates seminar in October 2020. -
Scientist and Killer: A Split Life
How does an urbane chemist become a Nazi, then go back to being a respected researcher? And what does it say about the extent of the humanity in all of us? Dr Oleg Beyda explores the story of Hans Beutelspacher in this article, originally published in Pursuit. In his diaries and letters, the World War […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2021/01/04/scientist-and-killer-a-split-life
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The Queen who Defied the Holy Roman Emperor
An Italian-born princess and sole heir to the Sforza dukedom, the life of Bona Sforza helps us understand how elite Renaissance women acquired, maintained and negotiated power. In this article, republished from Pursuit, SHAPS Fellow Darius von Güttner-Sporzynski explores the life of Queen Bona and her legacy. Among the women of the European Renaissance, Bona Sforza […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/12/20/the-queen-who-defied-the-holy-roman-emperor
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Looking Back at the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic in Colonial Indonesia
Colonial Indonesia was hit especially hard by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918–1919, with the highest death rate in Asia after India. History PhD candidate Ravando recently published a book (in Bahasa Indonesia) on this subject, drawing upon archives of the Dutch colonial Civil Medical Service and the contemporary Chinese-Indonesian press. In this blogpost, Ravando […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/12/15/1918-spanish-flu-colonial-indonesia
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Documenting the History of Worco Crafts Co-operative
After completing her PhD in History in 2019, Molly Mckew was commissioned to write the history of the Preston-based Worco crafts co-operative, to mark the fortieth anniversary of its founding. The project offered Molly the opportunity to build on her knowledge of the history of Melbourne inner-urban lifestyle experiments of the 1960s–1970s, and to apply […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/12/11/documenting-the-history-of-worco-crafts-co-operative
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World AIDS Day: Interview with History Graduate Timothy Krulic
Timothy Krulic is an Honours graduate from the University of Melbourne, having undertaken a combined degree in History and English and Theatre Studies. Since 2015, he has worked at Living Positive Victoria, where he is currently a Health Promotion Officer. Forum’s Nicole Davis interviewed him recently about his current work and how his studies influenced […] -
‘Narratives & Power’: Melbourne Historical Journal Volume 47 Launch
Melbourne Historical Journal (MHJ), our very own postgraduate History journal, launched its much-anticipated Volume 47 on 5 November 2020. Themed Narratives and Power, the 2019/2020 edition features a range of research articles, reviews, lectures, and interviews. Each asks different questions of ‘narratives and power’, exploring themes of justice, representation, heritage, memory and honour. This piece […] -
Historians Working for Justice at the Waitangi Tribunal
Five History graduates from the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies have ended up working for New Zealand’s Waitangi Tribunal Unit at the Ministry of Justice. The Waitangi Tribunal is one of the key institutions engaged in protecting Māori rights under the 1840 Waitangi Treaty. At a time when the ‘job-readiness’ of Arts graduates has […] -
‘Donkey Work’ and the History of Labour
Kathryn Smithies, Associate in History, recently published the book Introducing the Medieval Ass, on the cultural and socio-economic history of the donkey (previously known as the ass) in the Middle Ages and beyond. She also blogs about all things donkey at bloggingdonkeys.com. In this piece, she explores the history of the phrase “working like a donkey”, […] -
Rebuilding Life after Mass Violence: Lessons from the Chilean Truth Commission
History PhD candidate Amy Hodgson was recently awarded a prestigious Yale Fox International Fellowship. This graduate exchange scheme supports students who are committed to harnessing scholarly knowledge to respond to urgent global challenges. The Fellowship will support Amy’s research into the history of Chile’s post-dictatorship truth commissions. For her project, Amy has carried out a […] -
The Uncounted Death Toll of Coronavirus in Aged Care
Associate in History Marama Whyte reflects on the acute crisis in the aged care sector that has been revealed so tragically by the pandemic.blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/11/04/the-uncounted-death-toll-of-coronavirus-in-aged-care
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Meet the New History Society Office-Holders
The History Society is a student-led club for people who are studying or interested in history. Headed by a committee of passionate history buffs, our aims include promoting the study of history, providing a social network for fellow history buffs on campus and beyond, and running history-themed events such as trivia nights, film screenings, and […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/10/23/meet-the-new-history-society-office-holders
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Introducing Dr Julia Hurst, Lecturer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Julia Hurst as Lecturer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History. Dr Hurst’s appointment will open up new opportunities for our students to take subjects in Indigenous history. To welcome Dr Hurst and to introduce her research to the School community, we invited Dr Henry Reese […] -
The 1970s and the Making of Modern Australia
The 2020 Ernest Scott Lecture was delivered by Professor Michelle Arrow (Macquarie University). In a rich and thought-provoking lecture, Professor Arrow explored the 1970s as the era when the ‘personal became political’. You can watch a recording of the lecture below; listen to an audio-recording via ABC Radio National; or read a transcript, published on […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/10/07/the-1970s-and-the-making-of-modern-australia
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The Sands of Time: Histories of the Medieval and Early Modern Hourglass
Sandglasses were part of the variegated ecology of time measurement in the premodern world. This was a world attentive to time, where knowledge of the temporal rhythms of the environment reached from the movements of the stars to the fall of granules of lead. Among human-made instruments for time measurement, the sandglass was one of […] -
Other Awful Years in History
Around the world, people can’t wait for 2020 to end. COVID-19 has killed close to a million people globally over the course of the pandemic. On top of the coronavirus, there’s been significant floods in Uganda, Kenya, Pakistan and the UK, Australia has experienced devastating bush fires, storms have battered the Americas, and locusts have […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/09/21/other-awful-years-in-history
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Pirates or Partners?
Famed as the home of the dreaded Barbary pirates, the ‘scourge of Christendom’, for many early modern Europeans and Britons, the Maghreb was a distant and terrifying place. Some, however, saw the corsairing states as legitimate military rivals, potential trading partners or allies, and even attractive places for migration and personal advancement. Recently, History PhD […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/09/08/pirates-or-partners
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Exploring the History of Whales and Whaling
A number of our graduates go on to pursue careers in the GLAM sector – that is, Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums. Charlotte Colding Smith completed a PhD in History in 2010, and has gone on to work at a number of institutions and museums internationally. She is a Senior Expert Fellow at the German […]blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/09/04/exploring-the-history-of-whales-and-whaling
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Body-makers and Farthingale-makers in Seventeenth-century London
By 1700 tailors no longer dominated England’s garment marketplace, as stay-makers, mantua-makers and seamstresses began to produce key items of female dress previously made by tailors. The demise of the tailoring monopoly was a complex process that involved many factors. On 3 September, our McKenzie Fellow, Sarah Bendall, presented the weekly Brown Bag talk, which […]
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