2010-2011 Fellows and Summer Scholars

Ms Caryn Coatney

Academic, Curtin University, WA
Ms Coatney aims to answer the question ‘How successful was John Curtin in developing innovative prime ministerial journalism strategies that made a lasting impact on successive Government-media relationships?’.

Mr Paul Davey

Author and Consultant
Mr Davey’s research project will document the actions and decisions of the Australian Country Party’s three prime ministers, Earle Page, Arthur Fadden and John McEwen. The popular belief is that all were interim leaders, yet all three inherited governments in deep crisis and took actions that made them more than titular prime ministers.

Mr Sam Malloy

Coordinator, Chifley Home, Bathurst Regional Council
Mr Malloy will undertake a comparative study of the three house museums in Australia that once served as homes to Australian Prime Ministers – Home Hill in Devonport (Joseph Lyons), John Curtin’s house in Perth and the Chifley Home in Bathurst (Ben Chifley).

Dr Lyndon Megarrity

Independent scholar
Dr Megarrity will compare and contrast the regional policies of former Labor prime ministers Ben Chifley and Gough Whitlam. The regional policies will be assessed for their impact on the nation and how they reflect the changing views, attitudes and policies of the Prime Minister during the 1940s and 1970s.

Mr Bob Wurth

Author and journalist
Mr Wurth aims to produce a book on the wartime legacy to Australia of Prime Minister John Curtin. The book will assess and clarify Curtin’s actions before and during the war with Japan. Research emphasis will be placed on discovering previously unpublished primary documentation held in Japan. Mr Wurth was a recipient of an APMC Fellowship in 2008-09.

Summer scholars

Ms Dawn Bolger

PHD candidate in Politics, University of Western Sydney
Ms Dawn Bolger’s research project explores the approach and attitudes of the Menzies Government towards the Hungarian refugees post 1956.

Thomas Caunce

PHD candidate in Politics, University of Adelaide
Mr Caunce’s research project is entitled ‘Kevin Rudd PM: Making sense of an “economic conservative” and Keynesian social democrat’.

Margaret Hutchison

PHD candidate in History, ANU
Ms Hutchison’s research project examines the role of Hughes and his Government in commissioning official war art that informed national memory of the war in Australia during the First World War.

Benjamin Rankin

PHD candidate in Politics, Swinburne University of Technology
Mr Rankin’s project examines Deakin’s role in the formation of Victorian water legislation and how his knowledge of related issues transferred to the federal sphere.

2009-2010 Fellows and Summer Scholars

Dr Norman Abjorensen

Researcher, Crawford School of Economics & Government, ANU
‘The Strange Political Death of Alfred Deakin’ Dr Abjorensen took a revisionist approach to Deakin seeking to explain the collapse of his social liberal constituency in the first decade of Federation. The project was loosely based on George Dangerfield’s work The Strange Death of Liberal England and will result in the publication of a book in December 2010.

Dr Anna Cole

Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Anthropology Department, University of London.
‘Dancing with the Prime Minister’ Dr Cole researched and documented John Gorton’s involvement in the first national Aboriginal debutante ball. In using this event, Cole explored the relationship between Gorton’s nationalism and the symbolics of Indigenous cultural politics at the time. The outcome was a half- hour documentary film which was aired on ABC TV in August 2010, as well as associated website content and a refereed article.

Dr Jacqueline Dickenson

ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
‘Prime Ministers and Government Accountability’ Dr Dickenson aimed to raise awareness of the achievements of Whitlam and Fraser in promoting government accountability. The study started with their support for the establishment of a Commonwealth Ombudsman in the late 1960s. The research will form the basis for a chapter in a forthcoming publication, as well as a newspaper article.

Dr Lindy Edwards

Australian Research Council Post Doctoral Fellow, Political Science Program, ANU
‘The Ideologies of William Hughes, Alfred Deakin and George Reid’ Dr Lindy Edwards looked at the role of ideologies in shaping policies commonly known as ‘the Australian Settlement’, with particular focus on the world views of Deakin, Reid and Hughes. Research will be published as a section in a book on Australian ideological experiments, as well as in the applicant’s fortnightly column in The Age newspaper and as a number of academic articles.

Dr John Hirst

Emeritus Scholar, La Trobe University
‘Was Curtin the best Prime Minister?’ Dr Hirst reassessed Curtin’s record as prime minister to determine if he was, as he is commonly judged, the best prime minister. The project established criteria for success in the office and examine other claimants to the label. This final paper was published as part of a volume of essays, ‘Looking for Australia’ in 2010.

Dr Evan Smith

Teaching Assistant, Department of History, Flinders University
‘The “Decade of Dissent” in Australian Parliamentary Discourses, 1975-2007’ Dr Evans examined how Prime Ministers and their respective Governments in the period 1975 to 2007 viewed the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s and early 1970s in Australia, together with an analysis of how the events of the ‘decade of dissent’, from 1965 to 1975 have impacted upon Federal Government political decision making in the last 30 years. The research paper was presented at the Australian Political Studies Association 2010 conference.

Professor John Warhurst

Adjunct Professor, School of Social Sciences, ANU and School of Political and International Studies, Flinders University
‘The Faith of our Prime Ministers’ Professor Warhurst’s study examined the place of religious belief in Prime Ministers’ public and political lives, including their public policies. The outcome was a public address at the Melbourne College of Divinity (July 2010) as well as at Sir Thomas Forum (Canberra, November 2010).

Dr Auriol Weigold

Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra
‘Menzies and Nehru: A long shadow’ Dr Weigold examined the reasons for the failure of Menzies and Nehru to form a constructive relationship during their shared years as Prime Minister. The research also looked at Menzies’ failure to engage with India within the context of his concerns with Cold War alignments and regional alliances. Menzies’ relationship with Casey as his Minister for External Affairs, and a supporter of Nehru and regional relationships, was also be examined. The research outcome will be an academic paper, as well as contributing as a tool for policy makers.

Summer scholars

Martin, Hannah

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law, University of Sydney
‘Gough Whitlam and the Australian Constitution’ Miss Martin traced the evolution and manifestation of former Prime Minister Whitlam’s views on Australian Parliamentary democracy through the referenda for which he campaigned. Ms Martin’s research will result in an academic paper for publication.

Berry, Nicole

PhD candidate, University of Adelaide
‘Behind Policy Lines: The Development of Australia’s Restricted Immigration Policy, 1949-1972’ Miss Berry studied the shift in Australia’s restricted immigration policy from 1949-1972 under successive Liberal governments and argued that this shift contributed to the decline of the White Australia policy. This research will result in an academic paper for publication.

Baines, Charlotte

PhD candidate, Monash University
‘God under Rudd: An examination of the religion and State relationship under the first two years of the Rudd government’ Cr. Baines’ thesis examined the process of engagement between religious leaders and federal politicians under the first 2 years of the Rudd government. Her research into parliamentary speeches and committee reports will complement interviews with Australia’s leading religious leaders and federal politicians.

2008-2009 Fellows and Summer Scholars

On 25 November 2008, Special Minister of State, Senator John Faulkner, announced the recipients of eight Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) Fellowships and one Summer Scholarship, provided by Old Parliament House. These fellowships allow researchers to explore the history of Australia’s prime ministers and how they shaped the Australia we live in today.

The list of recipients is below; a copy of Senator Faulkner’s press release can be downloaded.

Fellows

Dr David Bird

Archivist and school historian at Camberwell Grammar School.
Dr Bird will examine the political thinking and practice of Joe Lyons, looking at Lyons as an innovator both domestically and externally, with an interest in the politics of the ‘third way’.

Professor Carl Bridge

Head of Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, United Kingdom.
Professor Bridge will prepare a biography of Billy Hughes, part of a published series on world leaders who negotiated the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Dr David Lee

Director, Historical Publications and Information Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Dr Lee is writing a biography of Stanley Melbourne Bruce, particularly examining his post prime ministerial career, with a focus on Bruce as a consistent internationalist. To conclude work commenced under a 2007-08 APMC Fellowship.

Professor Philippa Mein-Smith

Professor of History and Director of New Zealand-Australia Research Centre, University of Canterbury.
Why was John McEwen such a friend of New Zealand? Professor Mein-Smith will look at the role of McEwen in developing Australia-New Zealand relationships, particularly the Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement in 1965.

Michael Piggott

University of Melbourne Archivist.
Mr Piggott will undertake a bibliographic project to identify and describe collections in the ANU official archives and the Noel Butlin Archives which directly document Australian PMs up to Menzies.

Nick Richardson

Independent scholar.
Dr Richardson is researching the background, implementation and impact of the use of radio in the 1931 Federal election campaign. He contends that the radio helped to establish a new means of interaction between the government and the nation—it was an essential element of Joe Lyons’ popular support.

Dr Suzanne Rutland

Associate Professor, Chair, Department of Hebrew, Biblical & Jewish Studies, University of Sydney.
Dr Rutland will research of the Australian role in the human rights campaign for Soviet Jewry, particularly the role played by Prime Ministers Fraser and Hawke, who strongly supported the campaign.

Bob Wurth

Author and John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library visiting scholar for 2009.
Mr Wurth is examining the personal relationship between Curtin and Menzies and Japan’s first minister to Australia Tatsuo Kawai.

Summer scholar

Isabelle Barrett Meyering

Bachelor of Arts, Honours in History, University of Sydney.
Ms Barrett Meyering recently completed a research project on Australian women’s history and labour history. She has also been involved in a joint research project by the University of NSW and NSW Department of Environment on the recreation history of NSW national parks

2007-2008 Fellows and Summer Scholars

Three of the 2007-08 Fellows receive their awards.
Left to right: Ms Kate Cowie (OPH), Dr Margaret Simons, Dr David Lee,
Mr John Shortis, Ms Jenny Anderson (OPH)

Fellows

Dr Stephen Casey

Visiting Professor in History, University of Hong Kong and 2008 Visiting Scholar at the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library.
Dr Stephen Casey will undertake research for a lecture on the 1944 meeting between Prime Minister John Curtin and President Franklin D. Roosevelt and discuss how this meeting was illustrative of the broader Australian–United States alliance during World War II.

Professor Marilyn Lake

Professor of Australian History, La Trobe University
Professor Marilyn Lake will research former prime minister Alfred Deakin’s diaries and letters as well as other documentary and pictorial evidence to produce an illustrated book on his overseas travels. Professor Lake will also demonstrate how these travels shaped Deakin’s sense of identity.

Dr David Lee

Director, Historical Publications and Information Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Dr David Lee will adopt a fresh interpretation of former prime minister Stanley Melbourne Bruce as a consistent internationalist in his full-scale biography of Bruce. Dr Lee also intends to write associated journal and newspaper articles on Bruce’s prime ministership.

Frank Moorhouse

Writer
Mr Frank Moorhouse will undertake research on three former prime ministers, Ben Chifley, Robert Gordon Menzies and Stanley Melbourne Bruce to provide background for the third novel in his historical League of Nations trilogy. This trilogy focuses on the fictitious Edith Campbell Berry who works for the League of Nations, and is backgrounded by the evolution of Australian international diplomacy.

John Shortis

Writer, musician, researcher and performer
Mr John Shortis will write and present a musical show about the political and human sides of eight of Australia’s lesser known prime ministers: Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, John Watson, George Reid, Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook, Stanley Bruce and James Scullin.

Dr Margaret Simons

Freelance journalist and author
Dr Margaret Simons will draw on personal interviews and extensive archival research to produce a hybrid memoir/biography about former prime minister Malcolm Fraser.

Professor Paul t’Hart

Professor, Political Science Program, Research School of Social Sciences, ANU
Professor Paul t’Hart will draw on theories of political leadership to shed light on the leadership style and political performance of four Australian prime ministers who took office at a time of war abroad and/or domestic politico-economic crisis: Hughes, Scullin, Curtin and Hawke. Professor t’Hart will publish the results of his study in national and international scholarly journals.

Summer scholars

2007-08 Summer Scholars. Left to right Emma Williams, Ben Jones, Andrew Carr

The three summer scholars will spend 6 weeks in Canberra working on a project relating to development of the Gallery of Australian Democracy (working title)

Andrew Carr

Bachelor of Honours (Philosophy), University of Canberra.
Andrew’s current Honours research topic is ‘Freedom’s Untidy: Concepts of freedom and the Iraq war’.

Benjamin Jones

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Australian History, University of Western Sydney
Ben’s Honours thesis was entitled ‘The Slow March: A comparative analysis of the Australian republican movements of the 1850s and 1990s’.

Emma Williams

Master of Museum Studies, University of Sydney
Emma is currently studying for a Masters in Museum Studies by coursework. For her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree she submitted a thesis entitled ‘Local identity in Australian pop music scenes, 1962-1971’.