Fellows

Dr Anne-marie Boxall

Director, AHHA Health Policy Research Institute
Dr Boxall’s project will use National Archives of Australia records to examine the Fraser government decision to abolish Medibank. Understanding how Fraser dealt with the challenges associated with Medibank will provide the key to why it was abolished.

Dr Matthew Graves

Senior Lecturer, Commonwealth Studies and Political Geography, University of Provence
Dr Graves will study the role of Australian prime ministers in the modern resurgence and refinement of memorial diplomacy, along with its adaptation to Australian geopolitical and democratic aims. He will examine memorial politics and diplomacy under Whitlam, Fraser and the first year of the Hawke government.

Dr Cameron Hazlehurst

Historian
Dr Hazlehurst will analyse the contest for the leadership of the United Australia Party in 1939 from which Menzies emerged narrowly victorious. His study will draw on the extensive collection of Menzies private papers, oral histories and a critical review of the existing literature and examine the interaction between parliamentary members of the United Australia Party, their former Country Party coalition partners and the press.

Dr Priscilla Roberts

Associate Professor of History, University of Hong Kong
Dr Roberts will examine the relationship between Australia’s foremost foreign policy think tank, the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), successive prime ministers and the making of Australian policy from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Dr Keiko Tamura

Visiting Fellow, School of Culture, History and Language, ANU
Dr Tamura will prepare a proposal to shed new light on Holt’s political legacy, particularly his engagement with Asia. Her research will cover Holt’s periods as immigration minister and as prime minister.

Dr Auriol Weigold

Visiting Research Fellow, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra
Dr Weigold will examine Indian Ocean power-balancing and Australia’s role in it during Malcolm Fraser’s time as Defence Minister and Prime Minister. Her research will focus on Fraser’s speeches and his 1976 Defence White paper ‘Australia and the Indian Ocean Region’.

Summer scholars

Hannah Altern

Bachelor of Arts Honours candidate, Modern History, Macquarie University Ms Altern’s research project will examine the role of individual prime ministers in facilitating multiculturalism and in promoting a culturally inclusive society. The research will focus on former Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

Guy Betts

Bachelor of Arts Honours, History, University of Sydney Mr Betts’ research project will explore and evaluate the effectiveness of Whitlam Government urban development policies on the outer-suburbs of Australian cities. This will include an assessment of their lasting impact on the Western Sydney region today.

Bethany Phillips-Peddlesden

Bachelor of Arts Honours candidate, History, Melbourne University Ms Phillips-Peddlesden’s research proposal will examine the dual role of prime ministers as parents and leaders and what this may reveal about our understanding of power, family and gender in Australian society.