Category: Department News and Events

November 2018
Associate Professor Frances Clarke gave radio interviews on November 4, 2018 on ABC’s Nightlife on American feminist icon Susan B. Anthony, and on November 20, 2019 on 2SER’s breakfast show on the myths surrounding Thanksgiving.
Senior Lecturer Thomas Adams wrote an essay on birthright citizenship for the ABC.
October 2018
PhD student Pamela Maddock wrote an essay on gender segregation in Australian schools for ABC Religion and Ethics
Dr. David Brophy wrote an opinion piece on the Ramsay Centre controversy that was published in the New York Times
September 2018
Senior Lecturer Thomas Adams contributed an essay on judicial politics in the midst of the Kavanaugh controversy to the ABC.
PhD Student Marama Whyte published an op-ed in the Washington Post, entitled: “The media’s #MeToo problems will continue until its culture changes.”
August 2018
Professor Dirk Moses wrote a piece entitled: “Nazism, Socialism, and the Falsification of History in ABC Religion and Ethics
June 2018
Professor Penny Russell reviewed two new books focused on early Aboriginal-European relations in the Sydney region in the Sydney Morning Herald: The Sydney Wars by Stephen Gapps, The Quiet Invasion by Tim Ailwood.
Several Sydney Uni historians weighed in to the controversy surrounding the Ramsay Centre’s plan for a new Western Civilization degree. These included responses by Dirk Moses in the Sydney Morning Herald and in the ABC’s Ethics and Religion, and Warwick Anderson in the Sydney Morning Herald. Many joined a petition denouncing the Ramsay Centre’s overtures to Sydney University, reported on in the Guardian.
Historians also responded to related criticism of the History Curriculum at the University by the IPA’s Bella d’Abrera, including Chris Hilliard in the ABC’s Religion and Ethics, and one of James Dunk’s students – Hamish Wood – in his Imperialism course, who wrote in Overland.https://overland.org.au/2018/06/okay-lets-talk-about-the-west-a-students-response-to-bella-dabrera/ about his experiences.
May 2018
Clean out our own home before we cast aspersions on others, wrote recent PhD recipient Dr. Lizzie Ingleson,in an essay on political donations and foreign influence in the ABC.
Sky News interviewed Professor James Curran from the United States Studies Centre and the Department of History about current politics in North Korea and the US. News.com.au also quoted Professor Curran about payments made by US President Donald Trump to Stormy Daniels. The article was syndicated across News Corp Australia online.
NITV Online quoted Professor Mark McKenna in the Department of History about a proposed monument at Botany Bay to mark the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s landing in 2020.
April 2018
ABC Radio National replayed a talk by Professor Mark McKenna in the Department of History on his Quarterly Essay: Moment of Truth, History and Australia’s Future. APN News Media’s regional newspaper network and an AAP article syndicated across Yahoo!7, SBS News and Daily Mail Australia also quoted Professor McKenna about a proposed monument at Botany Bay to mark the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s landing in 2020.
Sky News interviewed Professor James Curran from the United States Studies Centre and the Department of History about the US’s actions towards Syria and the Trans Pacific Partnership, and more recently Sky News Live interviewed James about the historic meeting between the two Korean leaders as well as US President Trump’s potential meeting with Kim Jong Un in June.
The Conversation published an article by Dr Meredith Lake, Honorary Associate in the Department of History, about Australia’s declining biblical literacy, while ABC Radio Adelaide interviewed Dr Lake about the same subject.
Sky News interviewed Professor James Curran from the United States Studies Centre and the Department of History about the US imposing additional tariffs on Chinese goods.
Emeritus Professor Richard Waterhouse from the Department of History was interviewed on ABC Radio (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Gippsland) about how Easter traditions have changed in Australia.
March 2018
ABC Radio Brisbane’s Focus interviewed Professor Mark McKenna from the Department of History about the Uluru Statement and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution, and ABC Radio Sydney and 2SER Sydney interviewed Mark about his new Quarterly Essay, Moment of Truth: History and Australia’s Future, while the Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times published an edited extract of the essay. Both articles were syndicated across Fairfax Media online.
Straits Times (Singapore) mentioned Dr David Brophy from the Department of History and China Studies Centre led a submission to the Senate inquiry into the federal government’s foreign interference legislation by a group of academics with research expertise in China, as did SBS Online.
Dr David Brophy reviewed Clive Anderson’s new book Silent Invasion for the Australian Book Review, and follows up with an op-ed in the Sydney Morning Herald. In addition, 网易新闻 (China) quoted David on the same topic.
News.com.au quoted Professor James Curran from the Department of History about the resignation of White House communications director Hope Hicks. The article was syndicated across News Corp Australia online. While Sky News Live also interviewed James Curran about US gun laws and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to the US, and the New York Times quoted James US and Australia’s relationship with China.

January-February 2018
KPFA Radio (US) interviewed Dr Chin Jou from the Department of History and the Charles Perkins Centre about the role of the American government in creating an abundance of fast food restaurants in low incomes areas of the US.
In early February, ABC Online quoted Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson from the Department of History about China now allowing citizens of foreign countries with Chinese heritage to apply for a special five-year multiple entry visa.
Professor Shane White reviewed the latest book from Ta-Nehisi Coates, on America’s racism, in the Sydney Morning Herald on Australia Day. The article was syndicated across Fairfax Media online.
“What does justice mean in a settler-colonial society?” In January, Senior Lecturer Miranda Johnson weighed in on the debate over Australia Day on Ozy. Dr. Johnson also talked about the symbolism of Jacinda Ardern’s pregnancy announcement with The Age.
Weekend Australian published an article by Professor James Curran from the Department of History and the United States Studies Centre about a new biography of former Prime Minister John Curtin, John Curtin’s War Volume 1: The Coming of War in the Pacific, and Reinventing Australia by John Edwards. Australian Financial Review also published an article by Professor Curran about the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue” that brings together the United States, Japan, India and Australia. ABC NewsRadio also interviewed Professor Curran about US President Donald Trump’s first year in office while Sky News interviewed him about US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address.
SBS World News, News.com.au, Mamamia, Central News, Yahoo!7 News quoted Dr Ben Silverstein from the Department of Indigenous Studies about the impact of changing the date of Australia Day in the light of Mark Latham’s ad to save the date.

The Department is very pleased to note that two more of our colleagues received Teaching Commendations for their outstanding work last semester – including one of our most senior Professors in the Department, as well as one of our most recent PhD recipients.
Professor Penny Russell received a Dean’s commendation for her work on Convicts and Capitalists.
Dr. Ben Vine received one for his outstanding teaching on the unit, HSTY 2666: American Revolutions.
It should be noted that this was the first time Ben coordinated and taught a full unit, and he started the course about three days after he submitted his PhD!
Like Sophie Loy-Wilson’s recent commendation, both Ben and Penny’s Unit of Study Survey (USS) data showed that their score on the USS item relating directly to student satisfaction of teaching effectiveness was in the top quartile of the School’s performance. In addition, Ben and Penny’s focus on student feedback and engagement was also in the top quartile.
As the Dean, Annamarie Jagose, notes:
“This very positive student perception of teaching impact places your unit in the upper tier of units of study offered by the School and indeed Faculty. Given the high standards we set for ourselves, this is an outstanding achievement.”
“Just as we celebrate excellence in scholarship and research, so should we acknowledge the commitment, expertise and outcomes of our foremost teachers. On behalf of all our colleagues, please accept my personal congratulations and thanks for your exemplary contribution to the Faculty’s educational mission. Your success in fostering a positive learning environment within and beyond the classroom is critical to our success as a Faculty and University.”
Well done, Ben and Penny. Terrific work.

Many congratulations to Sophie Loy-Wilson who earned a Dean’s Commendation for her outstanding teaching in her Semester 1 2018 unit, HSTY2701 – Spies in the Archive, based on student evaluations.
Sophie’s Unit of Study Survey (USS) data showed that her score on the USS item relating directly to student satisfaction of teaching effectiveness was in the top quartile of the School’s performance. In addition, Sophie’s focus on student feedback and engagement was also in the top quartile.
As the Dean, Annamarie Jagose, notes:
“This very positive student perception of teaching impact places your unit in the upper tier of units of study offered by the School and indeed Faculty. Given the high standards we set for ourselves, this is an outstanding achievement.”
“Just as we celebrate excellence in scholarship and research, so should we acknowledge the commitment, expertise and outcomes of our foremost teachers. On behalf of all our colleagues, please accept my personal congratulations and thanks for your exemplary contribution to the Faculty’s educational mission. Your success in fostering a positive learning environment within and beyond the classroom is critical to our success as a Faculty and University.”
Many congratulations, Sophie!
Mike M.

In West Papua and New Caledonia, the struggle for decolonisation is ongoing. Recently, however, independence movements in both of these territories have pushed referendums for independence onto the national agenda, though these initiatives are not well-known to outsiders. Women have played critical roles in these struggles. The Sydney Pacific Studies Network (USYD) along with the Oceania network (WSU) will be holding a public lecture with four women leaders from West Papua and New Caledonia. This lecture aims to draw attention to their work and, in particular, debate the constraints under which they labour and the possibilities they have created for themselves and others in pushing for independence.
The event
Please join us for a discussion about how events are progressing on the ground and across the world. This public lecture will feature Nancy Jouwe, Rosy Makalu, Florenda Nirkani, and Annette Boemara discussing their involvement in the campaign for decolonisation and the role of women in this struggle.
The event is from 5 pm Wednesday, 23 May 2018, in the Metcalfe Auditorium, State Library of NSW. The event is free; all you need to do is register on the Eventbrite page here. If you have any questions about the event or need more information, please email C.Webb-Gannon@westernsydney.edu.au or miranda.johnson@sydney.edu.au.
If you’re interested in learning more about these struggles continue reading for a brief history of the independence movements in both territories.
Historical background
West Papua
West Papua, a territory in the western Pacific, is in the midst of an ongoing, sometimes violent, and complex struggle for its independence. The territory occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea, bordering the independent country of Papua New Guinea and was held by the Dutch from the early 19th century as Netherlands New Guinea, alongside the Netherlands colony in Indonesia then known as the Dutch East Indies. After Indonesia officially gained its independence in 1949, it began a campaign to include for West Papua within its republic. West Papuan leaders gained access to education and positions within the Dutch colonial administration in the 1950s, and they used this platform to campaign for an independent West Papuan state which could take its place alongside other soon-to-be independent Pacific nations in Melanesia. Despite this campaign, the territory of West Papua was transferred from the control of the Dutch colonial administration to the Indonesian Republic in 1962 under United Nations supervision, without consultating the West Papuan peoples.
In 1969 the so-called ‘Act of Free Choice’ was conducted by Indonesia, as an act of self-determination to allow West Papuans to decide whether or not to remain within the Indonesian Republic. The referendum was to include a small portion of the Papuan population who were hand-picked by the Indonesian administration and conducted according to the musywarah consultative method of decision making. Indonesia claimed West Papuans were too primitive to take part in a democratic vote. West Papuans petitioned the UN to allow for all men and women to participate in the plebiscite, yet the United Nations calls ignored their calls, and the vote went ahead with only 1,022 participants. These participants voted in favour of becoming part of the Indonesian Republic. The vote was then ratified by the UN General Assembly despite concerns over its legitimacy.
Once Indonesia officially gained control of the territory, many West Papuans were forced out as refugees. These refugees continued the campaign for independence around the world, particularly in Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Netherlands. West Papuans within the territory continued to wage military and political struggles against the Indonesian Republic. Under President Suharto’s New Order regime, West Papuan nationalism was violently suppressed and the independence movement fractured. Human rights groups consistently recorded human rights abuses against indigenous West Papuans and West Papuan nationalist celebrations were regularly met with state-sponsored violence by the Indonesian administration.
After the fall of the New Order regime, the Indonesian administration loosened its approach towards West Papua and made promises of a special autonomy package for the region which would allow for greater self-government. While this led many West Papuans to hope for improved conditions the gains of this special autonomy package did not eventuate, human rights abuses continued, and therefore the independence movement continued its campaign for self-determination.
While factions of the West Papuan independence movement have made headway seeking official international recognition, none of the groups were able to make significant progress in gaining official recognition at the United Nations. After being urged by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to join together under one voice, many of the factions of the independence movement came together to form the United Movement for the Liberation for West Papua (ULMWP). The group gained observer status within the MSG and is campaigning to received official status within the group to establish a case at the United Nations for self-determination. The current generation of West Papuan leaders believe international recognition of their struggle is needed and that referendum is essential in gaining formal West Papuan independence. The opposition from Indonesia is still active, and West Papuan independence groups have not yet obtained official recognition at the United Nations. Therefore, leaders are seeking to gain a strong base of support from the Pacific to make a convincing case for self-determination and push for a new referendum to allow for West Papuans to vote to become independent from Indonesia.
Further reading:
Article on the early West Papuan independence movement, Indonesia and the United Nations, ‘Decolonization Interrupted’ by Emma Kluge: http://www.histecon.magd.cam.ac.uk/unhist-2017/image-of-the_month/image_of_the_month_Oct17.html
For a more indepth analysis of the conflict between West Papua and Indonesia see Cammellia Webb-Gannon’s work: https://www.academia.edu/25626271/A_Slow-Motion_Genocide_Indonesian_Rule_in_West_Papua
https://www.academia.edu/8375877/MSG_Headache_West_Papuan_Heartache_Indonesia_s_Melanesian_Foray
New Caledonia
Another struggle for independence is ongoing in the Melanesian state of New Caledonia. Annexed by the French in 1853, New Caledonia became a settler colony and site of convict transportation, entailing wide-spread mineral exploitation, the displacement of indigenous peoples, and conflicts over land and resources between settlers and the indigenous Kanak people that continues today.
However, in the twentieth century saw the Kanak population increased; settlers left their farms and moved to the cities; and Kanak inhabitants were able to regain control over some of their land. The French government shifted its colonial policy towards the indigenous population from managing a ‘dying race’ to attempts at integration. After World War II, the colonial administration liberalised its policies putting an end to forced labour and allowing the indigenous population to vote. As the Kanak population gained political power, they began to advocate for increased access to land and greater participation in government. These changes were resisted by the French government as it threatened the extensive land holdings of the European population. The inequality between the European and Kanak population was a constant source of conflict – calls for independence were soon added to the campaigns for land reform.
In the 1970s, Jean-Marie TJibaou, a former Kanak priest, entered the political arena and became a leader of the early independence movement. This led to a period of cultural and religious rediscovery but also to a period of conflict between independence advocates and loyalists. This activity led to the formation of the Front de Liberation National Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS). The French government made concessions to redress inequalities during the 1970s and 1980s, including a large-scale land redistribution scheme. The conservative party which took power in France in 1986 overturned many of these policies and launched immigration programs to the territory, reducing the Kanak inhabitants to a quarter of the population. This intensified fighting between partisans and loyalists leading to a period of violence and rebellion resulting in the deaths of many Kanak independence fighters.
In 1988, the Matignon Accords were signed between the anti-independence party Rassemblement pour la Caledonia dans la Republique (RPCR), the FLNKS and the French State. After talks between the three parties, they agreed to hold to a ten-year peace during which period the French government would attempt to redress socioeconomic inequalities in the territory, allow for greater participation of the indigenous Kanak population, and slowly transfer governance to the territory. At the end of this period, a referendum would take place to allow the citizens of the region to vote to become independent or remain a self-governing territory within the French Republic.
In 1998, when it became apparent a referendum for independence would be unsuccessful, a new agreement, the Noumea Accord, was signed between the New Caledonia parties and the French government to delay a referendum. The French government committed to progressively transfer political power to the government in New Caledonia over a period of 20 years. At the end of this period a series of referendum would take place to over whether the territory would become independent or remain autonomous but part of the French Republic.
In the lead up to the 2018 referendum independence advocates are campaigning to educate the population about independence and gain a majority vote for decolonisation. Indigenous Kanak people make up 45 percent of the population and Europeans born in the territory make up another third. The French government opposes independence in the region statin that if New Caledonia remains in the Republic the territory will have the best chance at development and peace. Within the territory, there is competition not only between anti-independence party RPCR and pro-independence party FLNKS but also between emerging centrist anti-independence and radical independence parties. On November 2018, New Caledonians will be asked to vote yes or no to the question: ‘Do you want New Caledonia to accede full sovereignty and become independent?’ If the no vote wins then the current situation will remain and a second referendum will be held in two years’ time. If the yes vote wins the territory will begin the process of gaining full sovereignty and negotiating a new relationship with France. Many citizens remain unsure over what an independent future would look like and therefore both independence advocates and loyalists are campaigning to explain the implications of the referendum and a yes or no vote.
Further reading:
A chapter from Alaine Chanter, ‘Parties and the New Political Logic in New Caledonia’, accessed here: http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p77961/pdf/ch0856.pdf
Article from Lowy Institute explaining the formulation of the referendum: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/words-count-new-caledonia-s-referendum-question

International history has been around since the dawn of the discipline, defining History’s earliest aims, as the study of the primacy of foreign policy, or diplomacy. Yet there are only a few historians who name themselves international, and few departments, courses, or chairs that announce this subfield in history departments in Australia, or in the world. But what is International History today?
In the twenty-first century, in the wake of the transnational turn, International History is being recalibrated, reinvented and re-energised. This project will reflect on the state of international history, from its ‘new’ foci on international organizations and ideas, its new archives and new methodologies, to its connections to the ongoing discussions on globalizing historiography.
Conference: What Is International History Now? University of Sydney 23-27 July 2018
Conference Program

In conjunction with the conference ‘What is International History Now?’, the Laureate Research Program in International History, University of Sydney, is convening a Research Laboratory on the past, present and future of International History on Monday 23 July 2018.
Interested students and ECRs in History, I.R., Law, or other relevant disciplines can apply for a place in this ‘laboratory’ featuring:
Matthew Connelly, Columbia University
Peter Jackson, Glasgow University
Sandrine Kott, Geneva University
Dirk Moses, University of Sydney
Patricia Owens, Sussex University
Davide Rodogno, The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Glenda Sluga, University of Sydney
The laboratory is part of the ‘What is International History Now?’ conference to be held from Monday 23 – Friday 27 July.
It includes a public panel and reception on the Monday evening, opportunity to participate in a breakfast seminar on ‘International Thinking’ with Profs Anne Orford (Melbourne); Chris Reus-Smit (UQ); Patricia Owens (Sussex University); David Armitage (Harvard) and Breakfast seminar the next morning, Tuesday 24 July.
We encourage early career scholars completing PhDs, Postdocs, ECRs to apply. Please send a bio and statement of interest (one page only) to beatrice.wayne@sydney.edu.au by end of May 31, 2018.

The Department would like to offer a warm congratulations to all of our students who graduated recently.
These included six new PhD recipients: Sarah Bendall, Billy Griffiths, Mick Warren, Nick Irving, James Findlay, and Kim Kemmis. And two new MAs, Rainald Roesch and Anne Armistead-Higgins.
The graduating cohort also included close to forty History Honours and BA students, including University medal winner Alexander Jackman.
Many congrats to all on your achievements and good wishes for your future endeavours.
The occasional address was given by Professor Michael A. McDonnell from the Department of History. A transcript of his speech can be found here.