Jim Davidson: Editorial Beginnings
Workshop
Jim Davidson is a fellow of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. He edited Meanjin from 1974 to 1982, and his books include Holiday Business: Tourism in Australia Since 1870 (with Peter Spearritt). His biography Lyrebird Rising: Louise Hanson-Dyer of…
Marvels and Meanings in the Mélusine Romances
Seminar
At their core, the late fourteenth-century French Mélusine romances projected the memory of the mythic foundation of the illustrious Lusignan dynasty. Recounting the lengthy crusading adventures of Mélusine’s numerous progeny and their conquest of lands across Europe, the tales enjoyed wide…
Australian Officials and Asian Decolonisation, 1945-1950
Seminar
Between 1945 and 1950 five representatives of the Australian government were tasked with formulating responses to the seismic transformations in Asia heralded by the end of European colonialism. Operating in an inchoate, still-professionalising period in Australian foreign policy and a time when…
Re-visiting the 1850s: The Australian Colonies' contribution to Women's Mid-century Momentum
Seminar
From July 1858 to January 1859, the reading public in Sydney and to a lesser extent Melbourne was able to subscribe to The Spectator, which described itself as a Journal of Literature and Art For the Cultivation of the Memorable and the Beautiful. Edited by the enterprising but transient Cora Anna…
'Temptations': Australia's emergent youth market and the rituals of public courtship, 1870-1914
Seminar
This paper locates the rise of the discerning adolescent consumer over half a century before the discovery of the Australian teenager. Assessing often overlooked sites such as Melbourne’s Eastern Market and episodes including the shop assistant ‘riots’ of 1886, I chart young people’s demands for…
Weekly Seminar Series: The Andaman "Local Born"
Seminar
The Andaman" Local Born": a history of ex-convicts and their descendants in a penal colony in the Bay of Bengal, 1858 to the present day.This paper explores the history of ex-convicts and their descendants in the penal colony of the Andaman Islands, once part of British India, and now a union…
School of History Seminar Series
Seminar
The School of History weekly seminar series will commence on 31 July. The semester 2 program is now available.