Talking fish: researching oral history and local knowledge in building community participation in Murray-Darling Basin river rehabilitation. Collecting oral histories of fishing in the Murray-Darling Basin reflects an appreciation of the environmental knowledge of local communities who are on-the-spot custodians of the rivers. Researching everyday fishing will enhance community engagement for river rehabilitation activities, and contribute to international scholarship on inland rivers.
Australia and the Antarctic Treaty System - A historical investigation. The legitimacy of Australia's Antarctic claim rests not only on scientific work and a continuing physical presence, but on the level of Australia's cultural and political engagement with Antarctica. This research project will contribute, in a profound way, to the nation's international responsibilities to Antarctica. It will also contribute to a key policy priority of the Australian government, which is to strengthen its inf ....Australia and the Antarctic Treaty System - A historical investigation. The legitimacy of Australia's Antarctic claim rests not only on scientific work and a continuing physical presence, but on the level of Australia's cultural and political engagement with Antarctica. This research project will contribute, in a profound way, to the nation's international responsibilities to Antarctica. It will also contribute to a key policy priority of the Australian government, which is to strengthen its influence in the Antarctic Treaty System. In a very specific sense, the research will consolidate Australia's political, scientific and scholarly leadership in the international Antarctic community by contributing to the hosting of the 2012 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting through a significant publication to be made available to all delegates.Read moreRead less
European Naturalists and the Constitution of Human Difference in Oceania: Crosscultural Encounters and the Science of Race, 1768-1888. This research will promote better understanding of the historical antecedents to contemporary Australian regional interventions, relations with our neighbours and conceptions of racial or ethnic differences. It thus directly addresses current debates on the politics of history. The assumptions about regional differences which underpin current Australian attitudes ....European Naturalists and the Constitution of Human Difference in Oceania: Crosscultural Encounters and the Science of Race, 1768-1888. This research will promote better understanding of the historical antecedents to contemporary Australian regional interventions, relations with our neighbours and conceptions of racial or ethnic differences. It thus directly addresses current debates on the politics of history. The assumptions about regional differences which underpin current Australian attitudes and policies stem from much earlier debates on the racial histories and collective physical variations of Oceanian people and from beliefs about natural European dominance over indigenous populations. This project will produce an accessible history of the genesis of such ideas and demonstrate the historical embeddedness of Australia within the wider context of Oceania.Read moreRead less
Naming Oceania: geography, raciology and local knowledge in the 'fifth part of the world', 1511-1920. A history of the marriage of space and race in our region restores Australia to regional histories and wider Oceania to global histories. It offers a grounded basis to grasp how regional, national and local nomenclatures and identities mutated over 400 years, in contexts of European exploration, imperialism, colonisation, emergence of the science of race and intensifying face-to-face encounters. ....Naming Oceania: geography, raciology and local knowledge in the 'fifth part of the world', 1511-1920. A history of the marriage of space and race in our region restores Australia to regional histories and wider Oceania to global histories. It offers a grounded basis to grasp how regional, national and local nomenclatures and identities mutated over 400 years, in contexts of European exploration, imperialism, colonisation, emergence of the science of race and intensifying face-to-face encounters. By uncovering traces of past naming systems, Indigenous and foreign, the research will show how present names and boundaries of states, places and people are constructs rather than eternal truths. It will cast light on the antecedents to modern Australian regional interventions, neighbourly relations and conceptions of racial or ethnic differences.Read moreRead less
Historical Conflict and Reconciliation in East Asia: Media, History Wars and the Search for Regional Understanding. The relationship between Japan, China and Korea is of central importance to the future stability of our region, and of particular political and economic importance to Australia. This project will promote a deeper understanding of current tensions in the relationship between these countries, and will contribute to the practical search for resolutions to cultural and ideological dime ....Historical Conflict and Reconciliation in East Asia: Media, History Wars and the Search for Regional Understanding. The relationship between Japan, China and Korea is of central importance to the future stability of our region, and of particular political and economic importance to Australia. This project will promote a deeper understanding of current tensions in the relationship between these countries, and will contribute to the practical search for resolutions to cultural and ideological dimensions of this conflict. By addressing the relationship between changing methods of communication and contrasting images of history, the project will also contribute to the development of new theoretical approaches to the communication of historical knowledge in the twenty-first century. Read moreRead less
Southeast Asia's global economy, climate and the impact of natural hazards from the 10th to 21st centuries. This project's scope is uniquely broad and multidisciplinary, comprising collaborations between historians, archaeologists, seismologists and others. The aim is to analyse the development of south east Asia's vast and sophisticated economic system within the context of human-environment interactions, over a scale and time period which has been inadequately investigated.
Economics, politics and culture in early post-independence Indonesia. Recent events in East Timor have highlighted the problems faced by new states after the initial honeymoon following independence is over. By examining the experience of Indonesia in the 1950s from the longer perspective of the 21st century, this project aims to better understand the significance of apparently simple but highly significant decisions made in the first years after decolonization and comparable major regime chang ....Economics, politics and culture in early post-independence Indonesia. Recent events in East Timor have highlighted the problems faced by new states after the initial honeymoon following independence is over. By examining the experience of Indonesia in the 1950s from the longer perspective of the 21st century, this project aims to better understand the significance of apparently simple but highly significant decisions made in the first years after decolonization and comparable major regime changes.Read moreRead less
Understanding the World: Domei Tsushin (United News Agency), the Japanese State and International Politics 1936 - 52. Domei tsushin (United News Agency) was arguably the most important source of overseas events for the Japanese public during the war time. A rigorous scholarly examination, however, has been yet to come. Using new materials, this project will first examine Domei's role and its relations with the state during the war, and assesses its over all impact in international politics. ....Understanding the World: Domei Tsushin (United News Agency), the Japanese State and International Politics 1936 - 52. Domei tsushin (United News Agency) was arguably the most important source of overseas events for the Japanese public during the war time. A rigorous scholarly examination, however, has been yet to come. Using new materials, this project will first examine Domei's role and its relations with the state during the war, and assesses its over all impact in international politics. Secondly, it will explore how its role, structure and relations with the state and the public changed (or unchanged) in the post-war peace time. I intend to produce a book manuscript at the end of the project.Read moreRead less
A Great and Crying Need: A History of Kew Residential Services, 1887-2007, through Innovative Textual, Oral, Aural and Experiential Media. This original history of Kew Residential Services (KRS), formerly known as Kew Cottages, will trace the lives of its residents from 1887, analysing the changing discourses, policies and practices for people with intellectual disability. It will analyse the history of Kew Residential Services in terms of a modern society's shifting response to difference. Th ....A Great and Crying Need: A History of Kew Residential Services, 1887-2007, through Innovative Textual, Oral, Aural and Experiential Media. This original history of Kew Residential Services (KRS), formerly known as Kew Cottages, will trace the lives of its residents from 1887, analysing the changing discourses, policies and practices for people with intellectual disability. It will analyse the history of Kew Residential Services in terms of a modern society's shifting response to difference. The Project is internationally innovative, researching with and for people with intellectual disability and giving voice to their experiences. It will produce an academic monograph and scholarly articles, a unique non-verbal representation of residents' experiences, an oral history, radio documentary and photographic research.Read moreRead less
The Changing Nature of China's Enterprise Culture. China is one of Australia's most important trading partners. Understanding the transformation now underway in the enterprise culture of China's industrial system is essential in safeguarding Australia's future economic interests. Through in-depth research inside a representative sample of Chinese enterprises with different forms of ownership, this project will provide much needed insights. The findings will be of interest to Australia's academic ....The Changing Nature of China's Enterprise Culture. China is one of Australia's most important trading partners. Understanding the transformation now underway in the enterprise culture of China's industrial system is essential in safeguarding Australia's future economic interests. Through in-depth research inside a representative sample of Chinese enterprises with different forms of ownership, this project will provide much needed insights. The findings will be of interest to Australia's academic community, our government, NGOs and trade unions.Read moreRead less