2008-2009 APMC 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
