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
A warm CCH welcome to new PhD candidates John Reeves and Izzi Morgan! John, who commenced his candidature in October 2025, is researching how the people living in and around Rabaul in New Guinea – Indigenous New Guineans, Japanese occupiers, Chinese people, and Australians, Americans, Indians, British and others who were held as captives by the Japanese – experienced nearly four years of war, bombing, and privation. Izzi, who is commencing this week, will already be known to many CCH members as an enthusiastic and committed historian who completed her BA(Hons) in 2025. She will be researching the Frederick Godson photograph collection, recently acquired by the Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library, with images from the Solomon Islands from the early 20thcentury taken during Godson’s time there working for Lever’s Pacific Plantations.
Congratulations to a number of CCH members on the publication of The Cambridge History of Australian Poetry! The volume is co-edited by Ann Vickery, and features chapters by Cassandra Atherton, Ann Vickery, Kristine Moruzi, Jonathan Dunk, graduate researcher Kyle Kohinga, and Emeritus Professor Lyn McCredden.
Klaus Neumann published a new piece in Inside Story over the break – Democracy on the Ropes?
Roy Hay has a forthcoming review for the new edition of Richard Holt’s Sport and the British: A Modern History (Oxford, 2025). The following excerpt should recommend the text to CCH members: “When Richard Holt published the first edition of Sport and the British in 1989 it was immediately recognised as the best single vol ume coverage of the field as it was then. The new edition covers a hugely extended corpus of work published since, but it still ranks as the best around. The clarity of the writing and the choice of topics help set it apart. The author was the Director of the International Centre for Sports History at De Montfort University in Leicester, a key location for British scholars and overseas visitors. I was lucky enough to spend some time there during a year-long sabbatical and exchange in the United Kingdom in 2002–3. At that time Wray Vamplew was the Director and he and I had known each other since we were junior academics in Glasgow and Edinburgh in the 1960s. Later Wray spent several years at Flinders University in Adelaide. His own Games People Play is a very well received coverage of much of the same ground as Dick Holt’s work but more explicitly directed at a popular rather than an academic readership.”
Deakin PNG Workshop: On Monday, 2 February, members of the informal group of CCH members with research interests in and about Papua New Guinea got together at Deakin Downtown, to share what they are working on (and want to work on), as well as to begin planning for future research activities. Attending the workshop were Helen Gardner, Deb Lee-Talbot, Anna Kent, Jon Ritchie, Tori Stead, David Lowe, Bronwyn Shepherd, Jarrod Hodgson, and new PhD students (and new CCH members) John Reeves and Izzi Morgan (see related news item). Others with strong PNG interests – Brad Underhill, Nick Oates, and Joycelyn Pipike-Kama – were unable to attend.
Seminar Series
11 March, 11am Victoria Stead – The Places Labour Makes: Forging a Horticultural Landscape in Shepparton at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
18 March, 11am John Soniega – Monastic-Mission Domain: Spatio-Cultural History of the New Norcia Mission in the Nineteenth Century
25 March, 12am Carolyn Holbrook – How Anzac evolved and why it endures: An interdisciplinary approach to understanding national communities
1 April, 11am Max Billington – The Limits of Sacrifice: Locating the nuclear “veteran” in Australian military mythology
Events
The Irish in 19th century North Melbourne
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 6–7pm AEST
North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol Street North, Melbourne VIC 3051
Get your (free) tickets here
North Melbourne housed an unusually high number of Irish immigrants in the 19th century. To celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2026, CCH member Fiona Gatt will deliver a special talk to highlight and unravel their collective history and the story of some well- and lesser- known individuals.
Double Book Launch
CCH members are invited to the double launch of The Cambridge History of Australian Poetry and The Cambridge History of the Australian Novel at Balam Balam Place, 15 Phoenix Street Brunswick, on Thursday 26 March at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. The Histories will be launched by Tony Birch, eminent writer and Boisbouvier Chair of Australian Literature at University of Melbourne.
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
Special issue of Settler Colonial Studies, ‘Patrick Wolfe’s Settler Colonial Theory, 20 Years On’
This special issue of Settler Colonial Studies aims to collaboratively examine the residual impacts of Patrick Wolfe’s influential essay, “Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native,” first published in 2006 in Journal of Genocide Research. In the twenty years since the essay’s publication, it has become a staple of settler colonial studies, being cited thousands of times and quoted and read even more. The Taylor and Francis Journal of Genocide Research has the citation number at 3,800 and views at over 700,000, metrics that do not capture book and untracked publications.
The editors aim to curate a special issue by inviting a mix of scholars from across the globe, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, established and newer voices, to comment on the essay in 2026 as a way to examine the current state of the field. We seek research article contributions of 5,000 words that will undergo double-blind peer-review and also encourage reflective essays and creative responses to “Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native.” Abstracts due 15 March.
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
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
Research Grant, Malcolm Fraser Research Grant
The University of Melbourne Archives and Special Collections invites applications for the Malcolm Fraser Research Grant 2026, supporting original research that interrogates, reframes, and advances understanding of liberal traditions in Australia. This grant seeks scholars willing to move beyond inherited narratives—to examine liberalism not as a fixed doctrine, but as a living, contrary drive embedded in policy, practice, and power.
The grant promotes research that advances rigorous, contemporary scholarship on liberal traditions in Australia, contributes meaningfully to public debate and historical understanding, and engages deeply with archival collections held by the University of Melbourne Archives and Special Collections.
The successful applicant will receive $25,000 to support their research project for up to 12 months. Applications due 15 March 2026.
Find out more here
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
International Women’s Day March, Melbourne, April 1979.
Share