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!
Seminar Series
Final CCH Seminar of Trimester One
Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Location: Deakin Downtown
Time: 11–1pm
Join us at Deakin Downtown for a special, end-of-trimester seminar showcasing several of our talented PhD candidates!
Kate Davis: ‘Out of Place: Representations of Historical Figures in Anachronistic Popular Media’
Catherine Stuart: ‘Making of Community Housing in New South Wales’
Tonia Sellers: ‘WWII Memory and Popular Culture: Remembering Australian-American Home Front Relationships and the Floozy-Predator Myth’
Our three speakers will present and discuss their work from 11am–12 (AEST), leaving time afterwards for CCH members to catch up and discuss their current projects in a more social setting.
We hope to see as many of you there as possible!
New Catering Stipulations
CCH members are advised that new stipulations regarding events catering, under the Managing to Budget initiative, have now come into effect.
Catering is now only permitted for events lasting 4 hours or more. This rule applies to all fund sources. Meetings lasting less than 4 hours are not eligible.
Members are also advised that, as a result of these new rules, there will be no catering provided for our 20 May seminar at Deakin Downtown.
CCH Support for Research Projects
We now have the forms available to faculty members applying to CCH for research support, for both Collaborative Projects (Scaling Up Grants) and Engagement and Impact Initiatives (Research in Practice). Please bookmark the links, which are here:
Events
We invite editors of journals, editorial assistants and editorial board members for journals and monograph series in Australian history (or adjacent fields) to a conversation about AI and publishing. We will be hearing from AHA president, Michelle Arrow, about the AHA’s work in this area and its developing approach for History Australia. We will also hear from Journal of Pacific History editorial Assistant, Deborah Lee-Talbot, and the editors of History Australia, Laura Rademaker, Yves Rees and Alecia Simmonds. This will be an opportunity to share ideas and work towards a common approach to AI, in the interest of the discipline as a whole.
This online sesson will be hosted on Zoom, Tuesday 2nd June, 10am AEST.
Seminar – Australia, Korea, and the Korean War: The deepening bilateral relationship
Date: 26 May 2026
Location: Deakin Downtown
Time: 10am–4:45pm
This seminar explores how and why the Korean War is remembered so differently in Australia and the Republic of Korea.
Koreans remember the war as a catastrophic event that divided the nation, leaving a legacy felt keenly to the present day. For Australians, it is a largely unknown conflict that was fought decades ago in an unfamiliar place and is now remembered less completely than other wars. Yet, since the war, Australia–Korea relations have grown in multidimensional and highly productive ways.
In the first part of the seminar, the organisers will recount their recently completed project, which has used an online exhibition, public forums, publications, and surveys to explore these different memories of the war (and changing practices of remembering) and how these memories have contributed to a deepening multidimensional relationship.
In the second part of the seminar, we will invite practitioners to reflect on the roles of Australia and Korea in the conflict and the significance of the Korean War for the development of bilateral relations from multiple vantage points.
The final part of the seminar is devoted to scholarly reflection on what the case of Australia and Korea can tell us about the wider phenomenon and practice of remembering war in comparative context.
Speakers include CCH members Andrea Witcomb, David Lowe, Andrew Singleton, Bart Ziino, Joan Beaumont, and Danielle Chubb.
Public Lecture – Direct action and democracy: a controversial present, a contentious history
Date: 23 May 2026
Time: 6:30–7:30pm
Location: Forum Theatre, Arts West Building, Parkville VIC
Across the globe, many polities are currently marked by the eruption of “direct action” campaigns: for environmental protection; for peace; and against racial, gender and class inequality. People march, demonstrate, disrupt, occupy and boycott. They typically justify these actions as a legitimate response to the failures of political authorities. They also present their actions as an authentic form of “direct” or “participatory” democracy. Political elites sometimes tolerate these campaigns and selectively incorporate their demands. Increasingly, however, they seek to restrict the scope for “direct action”, and to portray “direct action” as a threat to legitimate order, and as a violent assertion of minority interests.
Conflicts around “direct action” and “democracy” have a long history, seldom referenced in contemporary political argument. In this lecture, Professor Sean Scalmer traces that history, from the 1890s until the present. This helps to establish that the tension between insurgent protest and formal authority is not new. It also establishes that the prevailing meanings of “direct action” and “democracy” have changed over time, as each has shaped the other. A historical perspective also suggests a practical conclusion: attempts to limit and restrict protest threaten the vitality of democracy, along with its capacity for renewal.
History Council of Victoria VCE Roadshow 2026
The HCV History Roadshow program has run in one form or another since the 1970s and makes it possible for VCE History students in regional Victoria to experience enriching lectures on their VCE subjects from academic specialists.
The day-long seminar is entirely free and is open to expressions of interest from schools who offer VCE History units and are interested in attending at the following dates/locations:
14 August – Warrnambool
28 August – Traralgon
For more details, and to register your interest, click here!
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
Calls for Papers
Religious History Association Conference Bursary Scheme
The Religious History Association is pleased to offer a limited number of bursaries to support members presenting papers on religious history topics at national or international academic conferences. Each successful applicant may receive up to AUD $1,000. The closing date for applications is June 30, 2026.
See further application details here!
Australian Historical Association’s Guardian Column
CCH members may be interested in the opportunity to propose their work for inclusion in The Guardian‘s ‘Past/Present’ column. Written by AHA members, the column aims to provide a historical perspective on recent events, showcase the important work that historians in Australia do, and demonstrate the value of history and historical thinking to a wide audience.
If you’d like to contribute to “Past/Present”, please send a short pitch to the Executive Officer of the AHA, following the pitch guidelines outlined here.
History Week 2026: Keeping Stories, History Council NSW
Date: 5–13 September 2026
The History Council of NSW is pleased to announce the theme of History Week for 2026: Keeping Stories. Australians are renowned for spinning a good yarn but how do stories keep history alive and what do they tell us about ourselves? We are living in a rapidly changing world, of global conflict and heightened security concerns, at the same time we are facing a crisis in university education and the domestic pressure to develop our cities and towns to create more housing. How do we keep the stories that matter to our communities? We invite our members to engage with this theme during this year’s History Week.
Registrations close 3 August 2026.
Publish in the Australian Policy and History Network
This is an open invitation for CCH members to contribute opinion pieces, policy briefs, and book reviews for publication inAustralian Policy and History. Drafts will be workshopped with APH editors, so if you have an idea but are unsure if it fits, please do get in touch!
Email australianpolicyandhistory@gmail.com with pitches, book requests, or questions.
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 here 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.
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
Opportunities
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Paul Bourke Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Paul Bourke Awards. The Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research honour Australians in the early part of their career who have achieved excellence in scholarship in one or more fields of the social sciences. Four Paul Bourke Award recipients are selected each year by members of the Academy’s Panel Committees. The awards are presented to social science researchers within five years of receiving their doctorate (with allowances for career interruptions). Anyone can submit a nomination; however, each nomination must be supported by two Academy Fellows: one named as proposer and one as seconder.
Applications due 12 June 2026.
Academy of International Affairs NRW Fellowship Call 2027/28: Project Proposals on Global Security and Resilience
This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to explore pressing global challenges in security and resilience within a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. By bringing together academics and practitioners, the programme fosters innovative thinking and bridges the gap between theory and practice. Participants gain the chance to develop impactful research, contribute to policy discussions, and engage with a network of experts working on the future of international security.
The call focuses on the theme “Comprehensive Security for a Changing World: Building Strategic and Technological Resilience,” reflecting the urgent need to rethink how security is defined and addressed in today’s rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
With Europe experiencing profound transformations—ranging from open conflicts to intensifying global competition and evolving alliances this fellowship offers a platform for critical inquiry, collaboration, and policy-relevant research.
Selected fellows are expected to reside in Bonn, Germany, for the duration of the programme, which runs from April 2027 to March 2028.
Applications will close on 31 May 2026. Find out more here!
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
Cover Photo
The Australian Museum, initially known as the ‘Sydney Museum’ or ‘Colonial Museum’, c. 1860.
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