[Aqualist] PhD scholarship, University of Melbourne

[Tim Barrows]

From: Joelle Gergis <jgergis at unimelb.edu.au>

PhD SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE HISTORY
1788-1860

At a time when most Australian capital cities and 
agricultural irrigators are facing a major water
crisis, community concerns about adapting to 
climate change are at an all-time high. Extremely
dry conditions have now persisted for eleven 
years across much of southern and eastern Australia,
prompting renewed interest in the long-term variability of Australian climate.

Currently our description of Australian climate 
variability is largely confined to the 20th century.
Surprisingly, Australia's documentary archives 
remain virtually unexplored for climate
information. An excellent opportunity exists to 
use historical archives to develop a seminal
understanding of Australia's climate history and its impact on past societies.

For example, we still do not have a good 
long-term history of cycles of Australian droughts,
floods, bushfires, dust storms and cyclones, our 
society's response to past climate variability.
Colonial government records, personal diaries and 
newspaper accounts held in a variety of
Australian archives and libraries can provide 
detailed information about significant weather events
since first European settlement in 1788.

A group of climate scientists and an historian, 
mainly based at the University of Melbourne, are
undertaking a project to establish a weather and 
climate history of Australia prior to 1901. It is an
exciting opportunity to consolidate and expand 
our understanding Australia’s pre-20th century
climate and social history.

We are looking for a highly self-motivated PhD 
candidate to research an analytical climate history
of south-eastern Australia from 1788 to 1860. Ideally you should have:

• First class honours degree (or equivalent) in 
Australian history, geography, environmental
science or meteorology
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience using historical sources
• Ability to work independently while contributing to team objectives
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability (or clear potential) to 
liaise, collaborate and interact with a range of
historians, scientists and industry professionals
• Flexibility and willingness to spend periods of time working inter-state
• Skills using a range of computer packages eg. 
Office, Photoshop, Access, online content
management systems and/or specialised scientific software

For further information please contact:
Assoc Prof Don Garden: d.garden at unimelb.edu.au
Prof David Karoly: dkaroly at unimelb.edu.au