[Anthropgrad] Work-in-Progress Seminar - 24 April - Philippa Mein Smith

[Sharon Komidar]

The Research School of Humanities presents,
 Work-in-Progress Seminar Series 

1- 2.30 pm, Friday 24th April, Theatrette, Old Canberra House

MAPPING AUSTRALASIA 

Professor Philippa Mein Smith 

Professor of History and Director of the New Zealand-Australia Research
Centre at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand 

 

Where and what is Australasia? Does Australasia simply mean Australia
and New Zealand? What happened to this idea over time, and does it exist
in the twenty-first century? This seminar examines the mapping of
Australasia since the name 'Australasia' entered European language and
consciousness in the eighteenth century. Informed by post-colonial
history yet following traditional archival practice, the method
comprises analysis of a sequence of digitised maps in the National
Library of Australia, which are available on-line, followed by a set of
maps of Australasia from the National Library of New Zealand. Three
conclusions follow from the cartographic evidence. First, historical
maps of Australasia exemplify how the act of naming is not neutral and
reflects shifts in global power. Second, Australia and New Zealand share
a history; and third, an 'Antipodean', 'oceanic' perspective as
advocated by J. G. A. Pocock suggests that Australia and New Zealand may
have a common future in a 'new' Australasia. 

 

Philippa Mein Smith is Professor of History and Director of the New
Zealand-Australia Research Centre at the University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand, www.nzac.canterbury.ac.nz. Her research and
teaching traverse Australian and New Zealand history and combine them as
Australasian or trans-Tasman history. Philippa has a PhD in History from
the ANU and is the author of five books: Maternity in Dispute (1986),
Mothers and King Baby (1997), A History of Australia, New Zealand and
the Pacific (co-authored with Donald Denoon with the assistance of
Marivic Wyndham) and Remaking the Tasman World (Dec. 2008) (co-authored
with Peter Hempenstall and Shaun Goldfinch). In April 2009 she will be
undertaking a fellowship at the Australian Prime Ministers Centre,
Canberra.

 

 

Convenors: Ken Taylor and Stephen Foster
For general enquiries please contact: 
Phone: 6125 2434
Email: administration.rsh at anu.edu.au 
Web: http://rsh.anu.edu.au/
All Welcome