Memory, notebooks and archives: making early modern science. What information should be memorized? To what extent should we rely on looking things up? Striking the proper balance between what we retain in memory and what is best checked in books, databases or archives is a preoccupation in public discussion. The project gives this issue an historical perspective, showing how priorities have changed from an emphasis on memory and personal notebooks to an acceptance of retrieval from external sour ....Memory, notebooks and archives: making early modern science. What information should be memorized? To what extent should we rely on looking things up? Striking the proper balance between what we retain in memory and what is best checked in books, databases or archives is a preoccupation in public discussion. The project gives this issue an historical perspective, showing how priorities have changed from an emphasis on memory and personal notebooks to an acceptance of retrieval from external sources. Focussing on the period of the Scientific Revolution, it contributes to the understanding of our early modern European heritage - a field in which Australian scholars have a strong reputation.
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Archiving Social Movements & Building Historical Literacy for a Digital Age. This project aims to investigate how the history of social movements has been collected, catalogued and curated by archives and museums. It is significant because it will make these histories available to form an equitable and inclusive civic culture. An expected outcome is an interdisciplinary approach producing new knowledge about citizens’ roles in shaping private and public collections, and about the use of these co ....Archiving Social Movements & Building Historical Literacy for a Digital Age. This project aims to investigate how the history of social movements has been collected, catalogued and curated by archives and museums. It is significant because it will make these histories available to form an equitable and inclusive civic culture. An expected outcome is an interdisciplinary approach producing new knowledge about citizens’ roles in shaping private and public collections, and about the use of these collections to shape memory and generate wider historical literacy. Benefits include providing insight into inclusive physical and digital collecting practices, which enables the project to address UNESCO’s goal of achieving greater access to decision-making about culture, heritage and the formation of social identities.Read moreRead less
The Devonian Gogo Fauna: Diversity, Palaeoecology and Global Significance. The late Devonian Gogo Formation (380 million years old) is undoubtedly one of the richest and best-preserved assemblages of fossil fishes and invertebrates from this age anywhere on Earth. This project will use CT scanning for stomach contents, plus use biomechanical and morphometric analyses to reconstruct tropic relationships of reef-dwelling organisms and test the resilience of the reef ecosystem. Several new species .... The Devonian Gogo Fauna: Diversity, Palaeoecology and Global Significance. The late Devonian Gogo Formation (380 million years old) is undoubtedly one of the richest and best-preserved assemblages of fossil fishes and invertebrates from this age anywhere on Earth. This project will use CT scanning for stomach contents, plus use biomechanical and morphometric analyses to reconstruct tropic relationships of reef-dwelling organisms and test the resilience of the reef ecosystem. Several new species will be published and the heritage significance of the site will be assessed. Working with local indigenous stakeholders, the scientific findings will feed into developing a long-term management plan to protect and conserve the site for future research work and to grow tourism in the region.Read moreRead less
Excavating MacGregor: re-connecting a colonial museum collection. Sensing the impacts of colonisation, the first Administrator of British New Guinea William MacGregor made a significant collection of objects specifically for its future citizens. This comprehensive legacy of 13 000 objects did not remain in the country but was dispersed to three Australian and six overseas museums. Our aim is to re-assemble and re-connect this material by 'excavating' its private and official components. This res ....Excavating MacGregor: re-connecting a colonial museum collection. Sensing the impacts of colonisation, the first Administrator of British New Guinea William MacGregor made a significant collection of objects specifically for its future citizens. This comprehensive legacy of 13 000 objects did not remain in the country but was dispersed to three Australian and six overseas museums. Our aim is to re-assemble and re-connect this material by 'excavating' its private and official components. This research aims to focus on the makers and traders to disentangle the social relationships embedded in the objects. Using material-centred, assemblage-based archaeological approaches, we aim to investigate how indigenous groups used objects to negotiate with the new colonial government.Read moreRead less