'Australia’s major research universities have warned that declining support for the humanities could threaten the country’s ability to operate in its region.' 1/3

Our 9th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is Mary Carroll on "An Institution of Help and Education" and the history of Free Public Library Services in Townsville 1866-1981, by Richard Sayers jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/10/an-i...

🚨 Job alert: Two 2-year post doctor fellowships in history at UNSW Sydney. external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au/cw/en/job/53...

🚨Delighted to announce the winner of the Boyer Prize for best article published in the AJIA in 2024. Warm congrats to @liammoore.bsky.social for this paper analysing the complexity of 🇦🇺relations with Pacific states. #OpenAccess www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.... #AcademicPublishing

"...the un-versities are busy hollowing out the humanities, key contributors to our developing culture." insidestory.org.au/from-deserts...

Our 8th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for @austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is @sophieloywilson.bsky.social on "Topsawyers: The Chinese in Cairns 1870-1920", by Cathie R. May: jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/09/tops...

Congratulations to Dr Elizabeth Smyth, a writer and researcher at JCU’s Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing in Cairns. She is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers.

A James Cook University researcher is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers up to 125 years ago. Full story: shorturl.at/hFB2d

Don't forget that this history PhD scholarship, including an international student fee waiver, is now open for applications. It's linked to my team's current project on comparative imperialism in the Pacific region. www.flinders.edu.au/scholarships...

Yes, this, and a lot more: skills taught in the humanities are highly valuable across the board, should be included in STEM and health degrees, do what GenAI can't do, and can help recover social licence of Australian higher education. Time to get off the backfoot! (first vision, then redo policies)

Announcing a PhD scholarship for a history project on imperialism and great power projection in the Pacific. Supervised by Prudence Flowers and I here at Flinders, Adelaide. It includes an international fee waiver and stipend. Start Jan 2026. www.flinders.edu.au/scholarships...

Tell me you don't understand the purpose of humanities research without telling me you don't understand the purpose of humanities research @economist.com @eui-history.bsky.social www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

All the links relating to the current campaign to repeal Job-Ready Graduates are housed here. Please feel free to share widely! We'd especially love people to sign the petition. Thank you for your support! linktr.ee/aushistorica...

If you would like to add your voice in support, you can sign here: url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/w2nbCBNqgB...

More than 100 high-profile and distinguished Australians -and BA graduates- have signed the @austhistassoc.bsky.social open letter calling for the repeal of Job-Ready Graduates: a policy that punishes humanities students with life-changing debts: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

What is the use of a Labor government that won't address this punitive tax on humanities students? www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

@hannahforsyth.bsky.social's *Virtue Capitalists*, “the sort of book that changes how you see the world”. (Me, quoting @adamtooze.bsky.social, quoting Claire EF Wright). Class, settler-colonialism, global history - it's good! My review out now in @jas-jozstudies.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1080/1444...

The decline of academic history in Australia: an interesting & important article in SMH by @nickbryantoz.bsky.social Much more to be said, but a good start. Includes @frankbongiorno.bsky.social @capandgown.bsky.social @michellearrow.bsky.social Anna Clark et al #history @austhistassoc.bsky.social

Our 7th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for @austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is Richard White (USyd) on "No Swank Here: The Development of the Whitsundays as a Tourist Destination" jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/07/no-s...

Congratulations to our 2025 Prize Winners, announced last week at the AHA conference in Townsville!

Towering over Townsville in North Queensland is a stunning rock. Just before flying home I took a walk up there to watch the sunrise.

#AHA2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social in Townsville officially complete with last minute salt water croc spotting on the Friday arvo. Thanks everyone for all the inspiration and see you next year at Macquarie!

Many Australian Women's History Network members had a beautiful week in Townsville for the 2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social Conference. Highlights included the fantastic presentations in the AWHN stream, a plenary panel cultivating solidarity against academic precarity and our feminist dance party 👯‍♀️

I've started this awesome new project with @johannawiggers.bsky.social ! if you're a HDR or ECR and super into longform literary criticism you should consider pitching!

Presentations finished, but #AHA2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social still “Looking up”!! Birdwatching tour with Russell McGregor on town common

With a million thanks to @stplbrk.bsky.social for the best collegiality ever, I had two incredible days but a bazillion heartbreaking conversations in North Queensland hannahforsyth.substack.com/p/the-world-...

This past week, educators and those interested in democratic and citizenship education came to Townsville for the SCEAA conference hosted at JCU. Attendees participated in two days of exciting discussions about the future of democratic and citizenship education across contexts.

The warmth of Townsville will forever be in my heart. 😜 Thanks. Starting to wonder why we booked Tassie, not Townsville. Oh yeah, fireside reading and snow. Dammit.

Thanks to the organizers, attendees, and my copresenters at the #AHA2025 conference; its time for me to return to the south. This was an incredible opportunity. The community of support & their dedication to developing history research and teaching that I saw at JCU was truly inspiring Cheers 🥂

Do check out this new intellectual history podcast hosted by Selma Sondern @standrewsiih.bsky.social - the first episode features Richard Whatmore (@uniofstandrews.bsky.social) on why the Enlightenment, eighteenth-century republicanism, & the history of free states matter for global politics today

A funny, insightful, and much to the delight of the audience, musical keynote from Lyndon Megarrity. His love for Townsville shines through. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025

This was before Lyndon broke into song…!!!

Lyndon Megarrity’s keynote #AHA2025 on the history of Townsville is officially complete by mentioning the historic Magnetic island swim: www.towsa.com.au/magnetic-isl...

Our 6th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for @austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is @ncushing12.bsky.social on "Arctic Regions In a Torrid Zone: The Ross River Meatworks 1892-1992 jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/07/arct...

Everyone learns when Lyndon Megarrity speaks: our last keynote #AHA2025

I've been struck by how heartfelt the introductions have been at this conference. Love to see such sincere collegiality. A beautiful tribute to our final keynote Lyndon Megarrity from Claire Brennan. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025

A fascinating, funny, and thoughtful reflection on a life in politics and activism from the irrepressible Margaret Reynolds. #OzHA2025 #AHA2025

Pr Koen Stapelbroek launches the amazing, free, online, Studies in North Queensland History series. Look up and read up on the North. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025 jcu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/co...

Day 3 done and dusted 💪 #OzHA2025 #AHA2025

Very cool experience attending my first ever AHA Conference day today. Highlights for me included a great panel discussion on the use of AI and hearing about @stplbrk.bsky.social's planned book on the Dutch Free City of Riouw. #AHA2025 Back tomorrow!

The 2025 annual conference of the Australian Historical Association is underway in Townsville, hosted by JCU and CQU. Among the many meanings of this year's theme, 'Looking Up' is also an invitation to look 'up North'. @jcuofficial.bsky.social @austhistassoc.bsky.social @stplbrk.bsky.social

We're being looked after so well here at JCU Townsville -- even the wallabies are coming out to greet us! It's so beautiful here on Bindal country. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025

Our 4th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective on the occasion of @austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is @frankbongiorno.bsky.social on 'North Queensland separatism in the nineteenth century' jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-vi...

We are so lucky to have seen Professor Reynolds reflect on his life and work -- an amazing keynote! #AHA2025 #OzHA2025

Henry Reynolds' keynote #AHA2025 was brilliant, funny and direct - and an inspiration for everyone @jcuofficial.bsky.social and @austhistassoc.bsky.social . Big thanks!!! Also to @frankbongiorno.bsky.social for terrific moderation and introduction.

Our 6th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for @austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social @jcuofficial.bsky.social is @ncushing12.bsky.social on "Arctic Regions In a Torrid Zone: The Ross River Meatworks 1892-1992 jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/07/arct...

Henry Reynolds' keynote #AHA2025 was brilliant, funny and direct - and an inspiration for everyone @jcuofficial.bsky.social and @austhistassoc.bsky.social . Big thanks!!! Also to @frankbongiorno.bsky.social for terrific moderation and introduction.

Henry Reynolds: "I was offered a job I hadn't applied for". Those were the days 😁 #AHA2025

Henry Reynolds on writing Indigenous histories in the 1970s: we came to realise that the killing times were much closer in North Queensland, only a generation or so removed. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025