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The 2025 Trendall Lecture was presented by Professor Caitie Barrett of Cornell University. An expert in household archaeology, Professor Barrett examines the prevalence of “Nilotic” scenes within the excavated residences of Pompeii, and what these detailed, and often fantastical scenes, tell us about the everyday Roman’s perception of empire.
A new multi-authored book, Rivers of the Asian Highlands, centralises the importance of interdisciplinary research for understanding water management and global environmental challenges. Professor John Powers FAHA shares how fresh collaborative research and writing methodologies bring together humanists, natural scientists, and social scientists across nine disciplines to generate new knowledge about how humans participate in deep time, planetary-wide processes that are simultaneously geological, climatic, agricultural, religious, political, and cultural.
Radio has the power to build and unite communities — but can just as easily divide and incite violence. This World Radio Day (13 February), Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA QCA takes stock of Australia’s vast, resilient and contentious radio landscape, from local talk-back channels to multi-millionaire shock jocks.
Donald Horne dedicated a full chapter of The Lucky Country to challenge Australians to take Asia more seriously. In our 2024 Annual Academy Lecture, Emeritus Professor Louise Edwards FAHA FASSA FHKAH, scholar of Chinese history, addresses Donald Horne’s critique that Australians played an “aristocratic role” in Asia and explores the challenges the remnants of this aristocratic mentality pose for Australia at a time when Asia is increasingly wealthy, powerful and innovative.
Elected to the Academy in 2024, Professor Melissa Crouch FAHA is a socio-legal scholar of Indonesia and Myanmar/Burma whose work has played an important role in integrating the socio-legal study of Southeast Asia into the broader Humanities endeavour. She is an international leader in comparative constitutional studies based at UNSW.
A constitutional law expert, two distinguished archaeologists, a renowned biographer, an art historian and a philosopher are among the eight Fellows recognised in the 2025 Australia Day honours list.
Minister Ed Husic announces Professor Tony Haymet FTSE, world-leading oceanographer as Australia’s next Chief Scientist.
This Australia Day, spend some time in the eighteenth century learning about the founding treaty that never was. Professor Kate Fullagar FAHA explains why Arthur Phillip might have expected a treaty but did not secure one.
Associate Professor Patrick Jory FAHA is recognised internationally as a leading cultural and intellectual historian of Southeast Asia — who became interested in Thai society and history while learning the language as a rugby coach in his early twenties.
In October 2024, Lindy Lee AO FAHA unveiled the Ouroboros at the National Gallery of Australia. She recently joined the Academy Communications Manager, Abra Pressler, to chat about her artistic practice, influences, spirituality, and why the Ouroboros is one of the most ambitious public art projects undertaken in Australia.
Humans have always sought to augment and extend the capabilities of the body with technology. Award-winning performance artist Stelarc FAHA pushes the limits of what is understood, possible and, at times, uncomfortable to challenge us to re-think the way our philosophies are tied to our physiologies.
AAH Fellows have booklovers covered with several new and forthcoming books to add to your summer reading lists — from new releases by bestselling authors, to poignant poetry and riveting non-fiction.