Newsletter – 23 March 2026

Welcome to our fortnightly newsletter. If you have things you’d like to share with the CCH community, please email Scott over the coming fortnight. We will also share news and updates on LinkedIn. Please tag us in the news you post on LinkedIn so we can share it!

News from Members and Associates

Klaus Neumann has published a new review article with Inside Story – To the barricades! Congratulations, Klaus!

Grace Bennett has been named the recipient of the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria (HTAV) Award for Excellence in History Teaching by a Graduate (Pre-Service) Teacher! This is a tremendous achievement and the product of support by our colleagues in History education, including Will King and CCH members Rebecca Cairns and Kerri Garrard. Congratulations to Grace, and to all involved!

Jennifer Martin has won the 2026 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship for their biography of Eva Sommer, who, in 1956, beat a field of men to win Australia’s first national prize for journalism – the Walkley Award. Congratulations, Jennifer! Find more details on the award here.

And a brief word from the worthy winner: “I’m honoured to have been chosen as the 2026 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship in what is the last year of this wonderful prize for biography. This award is all the more special as Hazel Rowley taught Writing and Literature at Deakin University in the late 90s through to 2005 when she left for the United States to write full time. My own work on the life of Eva Sommer, who, at the age of 22 won Australia’s first national prize for journalism, would not have been possible without the support of Deakin for my project which has allowed me to travel to Europe for research. The Hazel Rowley Fellowship prize will allow me to travel to Austria, Germany and Poland and ensure Eva’s story – and that of the Holocaust survivor she wrote about – is returned to the place where it began.”

Kasey Symons has published a new article in the International Journal of the History of Sport: ‘Strong Willed Women: Ten Seasons of the Australian Women’s Football League and the Fans Who Have Shaped It.‘ The article reflects on the first 10 seasons of the AFLW competition and the fandom and storytelling that has contributed to its development. Congratulations, Kasey!

Seminar Series

Events

Book Launch – Deakin Distinguished Professor David Lowe’s The Colombo Plan: Development Internationalism in Cold War Asia

Date: Thursday, 30 April 2026
Location: Deakin Downtown
Time: 4:30–6pm

Please join us for the launch of David Lowe’s The Colombo Plan: Development Internationalism in Cold War Asia (CUP, 2025)!

Conceived in 1950, the Colombo Plan for Co-operative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia was a unique experiment in foreign relations. Meeting annually across what we now know as ’the Indo-Pacific’, talented administrators facilitated foreign aid provision and promoted development fuelled state-making, internationalism and experimental regionalism across postwar Asia.

David Lowe argues that this new setting and dynamic international cast created an unusually productive diplomatic environment of what he calls ‘development internationalism’. The Colombo Plan did not escape power politics or Cold War divisions. However, it did run according to its own rhythm and offers instructive lessons for Australia in its region today.

Launching the book will be Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) University of Melbourne, expert on world affairs and Australia and Asia, and author of many works on these subjects including the most recent Quarterly Essay, no. 101, Blind Spot: Southeast Asia and Australia’s Future, Black Inc, March 2026.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Reserve your spot!

CCH Shut Up and Write

Every Monday, 9am-12pm, on Zoom. 

Start the week strong with a Shut Up and Write! We run 3 x 50 minute blocks of writing/focus, with breaks in between to chat and grab coffee. All CCH colleagues welcome, especially ECRs, HDRs, and those who work remotely. Feel free to join at any time.

The zoom link is here (Meeting ID: 879 3895 9029, Password: 97747034). If you would like a recurring invite in your calendar, or you have any trouble joining, email Mia at mia.martinhobbs@deakin.edu.au

Call for Papers

ANZUS, Menzies and America: The political, strategic, and cultural impact of the USA across Australian history

2026 marks 75 years since the Menzies Government signed the ANZUS Treaty with the United States and New Zealand in 1951. ANZUS has come to be understood as the bedrock of the Australian-American alliance and the cornerstone of Australia’s national security. At a time when, despite urgent geo-security concerns, Australian-American relations appear to be more fraught than they have been for some decades, this anniversary provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the history and depth of the relationship. Exploring how it has evolved beyond mere geostrategic calculus to encompass both shared values and an enriching exchange of ideas. But also its limitations; including historical criticisms of American cultural influence, overriding of Australian sovereignty, and willingness to defend Australian interests when these do not directly align with those of the United States.

In this open call for papers, we encourage submissions interpretating the conference theme in a broad fashion. Covering such matters as geopolitics, institutional development, intellectual trends, comparative histories, economic policy, the adaptation of American ideas to an Australian context, and more. Proposals can be submitted for panels, linking three interconnected topics, or individual papers. Both require a title and an abstract of 300 words. Proposals should be emailed to the Institute historian Dr Zachary Gorman at zachary@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au by Friday 1 May.

Successful applicants will hear back no later than Monday 18 May. Conference papers take the form of a presentation plus Q&A. Papers will later be published as a chapter of up to 4,000 words in a Melbourne University Publishing volume, which will be due by Monday 4 January 2027. Financial assistance is available for a limited number of presenters who would not otherwise be able to attend the conference.

Find out more here.

Call for applications – Journal of Pacific History Publication Incentive Grants

The Journal of Pacific History Inc. invites qualified persons to apply for a Publication Incentive grant. These competitive grants are offered to help support early career Pacific historians to prepare manuscripts for submission to the Journal of Pacific History for peer review. See https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjph for the journal’s Aims and scope, Journal information, and Instructions for authors. Applicants must follow the Instructions scrupulously in preparing their manuscript.

Prospective applicants should note that the journal is ‘dedicated to historical research concerning the Pacific Islands, their peoples, and their pasts. Its core geographical focus includes all of New Guinea and adjacent islands. Its chronological remit is broad: from prehistory to the present. It publishes articles in social, cultural, religious, political, economic, geographical, and environmental history and the history of science’. Where difficult choices have to be made in the selection process, historical projects with such a focus are likely to be preferred.

Qualifications:
Anyone who has completed a PhD or thesis-based MA relevant to Pacific history, or who is currently enrolled for a doctorate in a relevant field, can apply for a grant of AU$3,000 to prepare a manuscript for submission to peer review by the Journal of Pacific History. In the case of co-authored proposals, all cited authors must meet these guidelines. For multiple authors, the total grant will be AU$4,000, divided equally.

Successful applicants will receive their grants in three tranches:

• AU$500 upfront;
• AU$1,000 if and when the Journal’s Editors decide to send a submitted manuscript for peer review. Manuscripts must be submitted through the Journal of Pacific History Taylor & Francis web portal before 15 December 2027. It will be the Editors’ decision whether to send them directly for peer review; to request revisions before they are sent for peer review; or to reject them. In the latter case, no further grant payments will be made.
• AU$1,500 when an accepted final article is sent for production by the publishers ofthe Journal of Pacific History.

Application process:
Candidates should submit a recent CV, letters of support from two referees, and a proposal of up to 1,000 words by 30 September 2026 to the Secretary of JPH Inc (bronwen.douglas@anu.edu.au). It is not acceptable to use generative AI tools to prepare a proposal.

Article proposals should include the following:
Title and 200-word abstract
Outline: rationale of the topic and a brief historiography demonstrating the candidate’s familiarity with relevant historical literature, including primary materials
Timeline: to submission via the JPH online portal before 15 December 2027.

Applications will be assessed by the Prizes & Grants sub-committee of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Pacific History. A mentor will be appointed to assist successful applicants, who are strongly encouraged to take regular advantage of their mentor.

Helen Gardner
Chair, Prizes and Grants sub-committee, JPH Inc.

Contributions to forthcoming collection on Migration and the British World: Peoples, Flows, and Connections

It has been nearly a decade since the last edited collection about migration and the British World. Migration was one of the key themes that led to the creation of the British World model of history. Since then, there has been a new wave of academics carrying out new research on the subject in fascinating ways. This new collection aims to showcase that research, adopting a broad geographical and temporal perspective. The use of plurals of people, flow, and connection is very much intentional as the collection aims to look at not only people of British descent, but non-White people; the flow of people not just from the United Kingdom to other parts of the British World but in the opposite direction also, as well as between other parts of the British World themselves; and various connections – both individual and collective.

The collection is anticipated to be published in the ‘Studies in Transnationalism’ book series with Peter Lang Publishing (subject to a successful peer review), under the auspices of the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand Studies Network. Submissions due 30 April 2026.

Find out more here

Australian and New Zealand Legal History Society Seminar Series

The Australian and New Zealand Legal History Society are organising four seminar series that will be held from March to October 2026. These sessions will bring together a diverse group of scholars and members of the public to workshop a pre-circulated paper. Our definition of law is expansive and pluralistic; we encourage papers that focus on legal culture and laws beyond western courts as well as more traditional legal history. After brief remarks from the author and an assigned commentator, the discussion will be opened to the floor. All are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback on the circulated essay, and discuss the topic at hand. Sessions are free and open to everyone.

If you would like to present a paper in either mid-March, mid-May, mid-August, or mid-October, please send an abstract and a list of possible commentators (they do not need to be from Australia or New Zealand).

Submissions due to alecia.simmonds@uts.edu.au

Reflections on the Art of Writing History

The Australian Historical Association’s HDR co-representatives are compiling a celebratory collection of photographs of the membership, accompanied by brief captions, celebrating the art of writing. All Association members are invited to submit a photograph of themselves at their desk—cats on laps, steaming coffee in hand, messy piles of papers and books unconcealed—for inclusion in an upcoming collection entitled “Some Reflections on the Art of Writing History”. All photographs should be accompanied by a brief (not more than 250 words) caption. Submissions due 31 March 2026.

Find out more here

Opportunities

Job opportunity (!): Associate Research Fellow (0.4 FTE)

There is currently an internal advertisement active for a 3 year (2026–2029) Associate Research Fellow (0.4FTE), to be employed at Deakin Geelong, as part of the ARC Discovery Project Making Histories: Young People as Visual Historians of Changing Cities (RMIT and Deakin).

Part of this role will involve supporting 5x Geelong-based (18–25 years old) young Visual Historians to develop their own visual counter-historical inquiries with their communities in Geelong, towards public exhibition in Geelong cultural institutions.

While the selection criteria are detailed in the full job advertisement, project investigators are hoping to find someone with:

• Experience in interdisciplinary research involving education, history, creative practice, museum studies, and/or decolonial theory.
• Experience working with young people aged 18-25, whether in a cultural institutional, educational and/ or community setting.
• Strong project management skills – to work with a large team including younger researchers, PhD candidates, experienced academics, and industry partners.
• A background as an artist, curator and/ or educator.

Ideally, the applicant will be based in the Geelong region.

Applications are due 31 March.

Australian Historical Association Prizes

HDR and ECR members of the AHA should note that applications are being accepted for the following prizes:

• AHA Postgraduate and ECR Conference Awards (applications due 31 March 2026)
• Jill Roe Prize (applications due 31 March 2026)
• Ken and Amirah Inglis AHA Conference Grants (applications due 31 March 2026)
• Patrick Wolfe ECR Conference Bursary (applications due 31 March 2026)
• National Archives of Australia / AHA Postgraduate Scholarships (applications due 31 March 2026)
• Ann Curthoys Prize (applications due 1 May 2026)

2027 Visting Professor of Australian Studies at Seoul National University

The Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF) welcomes applications for the 2027 Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Seoul National University (SNU). This is a funded 11-month visiting academic position at SNU’s Graduate School of International Studies commencing in February 2027.

The position aims to foster collaboration between academic, research institutions and industry to promote bilateral research and exchange of Australian and Korean research, technical, and policy expertise.

This initiative is in its third year, following the successful tenure of Melissa Bellanta as the first Visiting Professor in 2025 and commencement of Constantinos Yiallourides as the second Visiting Professor in 2026. Interested applicants are welcome to contact Melissa or Constantinos for further information on the role.

Applications are welcome from Australian experts from a range of disciplines. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents; hold a Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, or Professor position at a recognised tertiary education institution; and must not be personnel of any government.

More information on the position can be found here. Please direct all queries to Professor Anna Johnston (anna.johnston@uq.edu.au).

Applications close on 13 April 2026.   

National Library of Australia Fellowships

Applications are now open for the 2027 Fellowships offered by the National Library of Australia. Up to 7 of these fellowships are on offer, available to researchers who require onsite access to our uniquely held or extensive collections to advance their research towards publication or other public outcomes. Of the 7 fellowships available for application, 4 are for research on any subject while 3 are for the fields of Asian studies and Australian literature.

The Creative Arts Fellowship for Australian Writing is open to creative writers, working in any literary genre, to develop creative works inspired by the Library’s collections.  This may include writing for performance, poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, personal essays or graphic novels.

Learn more about the National Library of Australia Fellowships and Creative Arts Fellowship, including information on eligibility, information on previous projects and online application forms. Applications for National Library of Australia Fellowships and the Creative Arts Fellowship will close on 7 April 2026.

PhD Scholarship, Race, Gender, and Violence in Western Militaries in the War on Terror

Dr Mia Martin Hobbs seeks a PhD candidate for her DECRA project ‘Race, Gender, and Violence in Western militaries in the War on Terror’. In the wake of 9/11, Western militaries agreed that force alone would not defeat global terrorism. The US, UK, and Australian militaries set forth new doctrine outlining the need to build trust with local populations, and a core element of this doctrine was the diversity of their armed forces. Leaders were explicit about the necessity of diversity among the ranks, while rhetorical justifications for the War on Terror framed it as defending values of pluralism and equality. Military recruitment materials heavily promoted diversity, tying the individual empowerment of the soldier to the ‘liberating’ mission of the War on Terror. Yet the War on Terror was characterised by the weaponisation of race and gender by Western militaries, and the soldiers who diversified Western forces faced widespread sexual violence and racism within military institutions.

The PhD candidate will conduct their own research on perceptions of gender and race in the wider ADF in the 21st century, or on a related issue, and coauthor comparative research with Mia.

For further information, please contact mia.martinhobbs@deakin.edu.au

Postgraduate Essay Prize, Irish Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand

The editors of the interdisciplinary Australasian Journal of Irish Studies (AJIS) and the Irish Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand are pleased to announce that the 2026 ISAANZ Irish Studies Postgraduate Essay Prize competition is now open for entries. The prize includes publication of the winning essay; a year’s membership of the Association, and a $300 lump sum. Entry is open to anyone enrolled in an MA or PhD programme between June 2025 and June 2026. Applications due 30 March.

Find out more here

Cover Photo

Australian military official passes an Iraqi woman outside the former Australian embassy residence in Baghdad, 2003.