Discrimination and Gaslighting in the 2018 ARC Controversy

I was pleased to contribute to this collective response to the ministerial intervention into 2018's Australian Research Council grants. My bit below; published in the November issue of the Australian Book Review: "In the ongoing furore around revelations of ministerial research grant vetoes, two things are in danger of slipping from view. One is that … Continue reading Discrimination and Gaslighting in the 2018 ARC Controversy

The Humanities and 20 Years of Australian Political Culture

Just over a year ago I launched my personal website with a brief commentary on two media pieces that struck me as especially important and succinct. They focussed on the value of the humanities and other neglected forms of labour in our increasingly automated age. With it, I solidified one friendship and made another, and … Continue reading The Humanities and 20 Years of Australian Political Culture

Cherokees in the Revolutionary Era

In November 2017 I was delighted to be a part of an online roundtable blog on 'Native American Revolutions' hosted by the innovative Age of Revolutions historioblog. It begins: The usual story told of the Cherokees in the revolutionary era is a dire one. Starting with the catastrophic Anglo-Cherokee War of 1760-61, this story traces … Continue reading Cherokees in the Revolutionary Era

Historians on the Automated Future

Consequences for higher education, work, and the care of bodies.  That’s a rather grandiose title for this post, which spruiks just two pieces recently uploaded by historians. But I think they are among the best short things I’ve read this year; and they speak unusually well to each other. The first is by Frances Flanagan, an … Continue reading Historians on the Automated Future

Bennelong’s Contested History

My first foray into the mainstream press was both stimulating and disconcerting.  A version of the article appeared here in The Guardian on 8 July. But my original is pasted below... Bangarra’s current production Bennelong opened last week, and tells the first contact story of the Aboriginal warrior. It is exquisite, captivating, quick-paced and deeply moving. But … Continue reading Bennelong’s Contested History

Comparative Portrait Project

Until late 2021, I am the Lead Chief Investigator in a large collaborative project called "Facing New Worlds." This project is generously funded by the Australian Research Council's Linkage Scheme and housed in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. It involves researchers from Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and the Australian National University, and turns around … Continue reading Comparative Portrait Project