Donald Horne dedicated a full chapter of The Lucky Country to challenge Australians to take Asia more seriously. In 1964, Australians clearly needed reminding that, rather than being just off the coast from Portsmouth, in fact, we were just off the coast of Denpasar. In the sixty years since the book’s publication, many of Horne’s ideas have
‘Australians—the “aristocrats” of Asia?’ Read More »
Event details ‘Australians—the aristocrats of Asia?’ This event was held on 14 November 2025. View the lecture recording & transcript here. Donald Horne dedicated a full chapter of The Lucky Country to challenge Australians to take Asia more seriously. In 1964, Australians clearly needed reminding that, rather than being just off the coast from Portsmouth,
2024 Academy Lecture Read More »
Event details This lecture occurred on 15 November 2023. A recording is available here. The Anthropocene is understood to be a new geological epoch in which human activities dominate Earth’s surface processes. If the Anthropocene is defined by the activities and impacts of people, it is paradoxically also a period that may shortly be out
How should we conceptualise the human in an Anthropocene world? Read More »
We live in an age of anxiety about the death of democracy. Perhaps it has always been thus. Worries about the fragility of democracy are as old as democracy itself. It might seem perverse then, that my central claim is that we should see the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and its call for a
Democracy regained: Uluru & Australian Citizenship Read More »
Photo: T.J. Thomson“I reference two areas: our demonisation and inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers; and our inability to recognise the distinctive rights that Indigenous Australians hold as the original peoples of this land” Professor Damousi said. “Under Menzies, post-war Australia evoked an unprecedented humanitarian response, opening its arms to those dispossessed, largely from
Being Humane: A Contested History Read More »
2010-19 Being Humane – A Contested History Professor Joy Damousi FASSA FAHA 14 November 2019, Brisbane Turning the Level of Civilisation Up: The twenty-first century challenge (excerpt | audio recording | video) Professor Julianne Schultz AM FAHA 15 November 2018, Sydney Not just warriors or victims (audio recording) Professor Kim Scott FAHA 16 November 2017,
Academy Lectures 1970-2019 Read More »
The Australian Academy of the Humanities recognises Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land, and their continuous connection to country, community and culture.
