The Formation and Development of Chinese Philosophy as an Academic Discipline in Twentieth Century China. It is in Australia's national interest to pay close attention to the orientation of intellectual and political currents in China and to how these currents are increasingly merging and interacting. This project will enhance our capacity to interpret and engage with our regional environment by contributing to a clearer understanding of the changing relationship between Chinese intellectual tra ....The Formation and Development of Chinese Philosophy as an Academic Discipline in Twentieth Century China. It is in Australia's national interest to pay close attention to the orientation of intellectual and political currents in China and to how these currents are increasingly merging and interacting. This project will enhance our capacity to interpret and engage with our regional environment by contributing to a clearer understanding of the changing relationship between Chinese intellectual traditions and cultural identity. A commitment to understanding what Chinese philosophy means to China's educated elite also demonstrates a willingness to foster dialogue and communication that is sensitive to the intellectual and cultural traditions which are a source of pride and identity for several of our major regional partners. Read moreRead less
Revolutionary Voyaging? Science, Politics and Discovery During the French Revolution (1789-1804). Despite the turmoil of the French Revolution, several state-sponsored scientific voyages were sent to various parts of the globe between 1789 and 1804, notably to Australia and the Pacific. This project is the first to examine these expeditions as a collective group. It seeks to determine whether they represented a new form of scientific voyaging, shaped by the radical changes of the time. It will ....Revolutionary Voyaging? Science, Politics and Discovery During the French Revolution (1789-1804). Despite the turmoil of the French Revolution, several state-sponsored scientific voyages were sent to various parts of the globe between 1789 and 1804, notably to Australia and the Pacific. This project is the first to examine these expeditions as a collective group. It seeks to determine whether they represented a new form of scientific voyaging, shaped by the radical changes of the time. It will also highlight the influence these voyages had, in return, on French debates regarding the nature of Man and human societies, our relationship with the natural world, and French understandings of Australia’s place in the world.Read moreRead less
Locating LGBTIQ+ youth in the archive: Telling new stories for belonging. This project aims to produce the first study of LGBTIQ+ youth in Australia’s past and investigate what these histories mean to LGBTIQ+ youth today. We will generate new knowledge of Australian LGBTIQ+ history and links between historical knowledge and wellbeing in relation to LGBTIQ+ youth. Working with LGBTIQ+ youth we will also develop new archival storytelling techniques, theorising archives as ‘laboratories of belongin ....Locating LGBTIQ+ youth in the archive: Telling new stories for belonging. This project aims to produce the first study of LGBTIQ+ youth in Australia’s past and investigate what these histories mean to LGBTIQ+ youth today. We will generate new knowledge of Australian LGBTIQ+ history and links between historical knowledge and wellbeing in relation to LGBTIQ+ youth. Working with LGBTIQ+ youth we will also develop new archival storytelling techniques, theorising archives as ‘laboratories of belonging’. In doing so, the project forges links between cultural studies of storytelling, LGBTIQ+ youth studies and Australian history. Benefits include innovations in reparative historical methodologies, new resources for the GLAM, youth and education sectors and improvements in LGBTIQ+ youth wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Resilient humanitarianism: the League of Red Cross Societies, 1919-1991. This project aims to advance the concept of resilient humanitarianism through a historical investigation of one humanitarian body, the League of Red Cross Societies, from its inception to the end of the Cold War. Global humanitarian crises abound due to ongoing conflict and natural disasters but nation states, bodies such as the United Nations and humanitarian organisations seem incapable of offering lasting solutions to in ....Resilient humanitarianism: the League of Red Cross Societies, 1919-1991. This project aims to advance the concept of resilient humanitarianism through a historical investigation of one humanitarian body, the League of Red Cross Societies, from its inception to the end of the Cold War. Global humanitarian crises abound due to ongoing conflict and natural disasters but nation states, bodies such as the United Nations and humanitarian organisations seem incapable of offering lasting solutions to intractable situations. This project will use rarely accessed archives and an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the evolution of humanitarianism, voluntary action and global civil society during the 20th century. This historical analysis can inform humanitarian policy, debates and practice of the present and future.Read moreRead less
Water and the making of urban Australia since 1900. This project aims to produce new understandings of both the historical drivers of today’s urban water systems, and how these systems have impacted on human and ecological welfare. This will be achieved through the first integrated and comparative historical study of the provision, use and cultures of water in Australia’s five largest cities from 1900 to the present. Such historical knowledge is critical at a time when the water systems of Austr ....Water and the making of urban Australia since 1900. This project aims to produce new understandings of both the historical drivers of today’s urban water systems, and how these systems have impacted on human and ecological welfare. This will be achieved through the first integrated and comparative historical study of the provision, use and cultures of water in Australia’s five largest cities from 1900 to the present. Such historical knowledge is critical at a time when the water systems of Australia’s largest cities are under growing pressure from environmental change and population growth. Project findings will inform the development of policies and practices that produce sustainable, equitable urban water systems.Read moreRead less
A 140,000 year insight into the imprint of climate and humans on Australia. Before the arrival of Europeans, two events shaped Australia's current landscapes and biota more than any others: climate change during the glacial cycle and the arrival of humans on the continent. However, the full scale of these events is not well understood. High resolution analyses of two continuous 140 000 year old sediment deposits will be used in this project to fill this void and answer fundamental questions abou ....A 140,000 year insight into the imprint of climate and humans on Australia. Before the arrival of Europeans, two events shaped Australia's current landscapes and biota more than any others: climate change during the glacial cycle and the arrival of humans on the continent. However, the full scale of these events is not well understood. High resolution analyses of two continuous 140 000 year old sediment deposits will be used in this project to fill this void and answer fundamental questions about how current Australian environments came to be.Read moreRead less
Evolution in tooth and claw: exploring the relationship between the radiation of marsupial herbivores and late Cenozoic climate change. Establishing how animals responded to past environmental changes is essential for understanding the ecology of modern species and managing them in light of contemporary climatic trends. By applying several novel analytical methods this project will unravel the links between the radiation of Australian marsupials and key stages in climatic evolution.
Tracking the development of agricultural lifestyles in island Southeast Asia through modern and prehistoric rodent communities. The emergence of agriculture, a key transformational event in human history, seems to have occurred significantly later in island SE Asia than surrounding regions. However, the early stages of agriculture may be archaeologically ‘invisible’ in the tropics due to simple material culture and housing. This project proposes to use the recent evolutionary history of agricult ....Tracking the development of agricultural lifestyles in island Southeast Asia through modern and prehistoric rodent communities. The emergence of agriculture, a key transformational event in human history, seems to have occurred significantly later in island SE Asia than surrounding regions. However, the early stages of agriculture may be archaeologically ‘invisible’ in the tropics due to simple material culture and housing. This project proposes to use the recent evolutionary history of agricultural rodent pests, all of which emerged in situ from among a native rodent fauna, as a proxy for the origins and spread of agriculture, and its subsequent intensification. This project will use phylogeography and population genetics to infer the history of contemporary rodent populations, combined with archaeozoological and ancient DNA analyses of prehistoric samples to test our inferences.Read moreRead less
The Intellectual Construction of Confucianism in Contemporary China and Taiwan. Since the 1980s China and Taiwan have witnessed the most sustained resurgence of intellectual interest in Confucianism of the twentieth century. This project will provide the first critical analysis of that revival by addressing the complex interaction of institutional, philosophical and ideological factors, rather than study one or the other in isolation. This will enable us to understand the processes by which Chi ....The Intellectual Construction of Confucianism in Contemporary China and Taiwan. Since the 1980s China and Taiwan have witnessed the most sustained resurgence of intellectual interest in Confucianism of the twentieth century. This project will provide the first critical analysis of that revival by addressing the complex interaction of institutional, philosophical and ideological factors, rather than study one or the other in isolation. This will enable us to understand the processes by which Chinese intellectuals have sought to make Confucianism a viable philosophical and cultural resource in the modern world; and to evaluate how successful they have been in achieving these goals.
Results: One monograph; one edited volume; several essays.
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Engaging the global legacy and impact of the Aboriginal Artists Agency. The Aboriginal Artists Agency (AAA) was a driving force for change in the Australian arts industry. Founded in 1976, it was the first national body to administer copyrights for indigenous artists, create international demand for Australian culture and pioneer ways for Indigenous artists to reach audiences and markets worldwide. This project aims to investigate the seminal work of the AAA, secure and analyse its exclusive pri ....Engaging the global legacy and impact of the Aboriginal Artists Agency. The Aboriginal Artists Agency (AAA) was a driving force for change in the Australian arts industry. Founded in 1976, it was the first national body to administer copyrights for indigenous artists, create international demand for Australian culture and pioneer ways for Indigenous artists to reach audiences and markets worldwide. This project aims to investigate the seminal work of the AAA, secure and analyse its exclusive primary collection and assess the vast corporate knowledge of its personnel through new interviews. New frameworks for assessing Indigenous arts initiatives, it is hoped, will be generated through this unprecedented analysis of the AAA's role in reshaping attitudes towards Australian identities.Read moreRead less