'Shocking': ACT agency spent more on legal fees than compensating abuse victims Territory's insurer spent $1.5 million on its own legal costs. The Canberra Times · Sep 26
More than 2 million Indigenous people lived in Australia in 1788: new research Content warning: This article discusses mass death, epidemics, frontier violence, and the structural violence experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Conversation · Sep 15
Origin fandom, Stan Grant and a candid Hollywood memoir There's also new novels from Victoria Brownlee and Naomi Ishiguro. The Canberra Times · Jun 3
Australia once enshrined white superiority. These 10 trailblazers helped shift our attitudes to race In early 20th century Australia, Indigenous people were denied citizenship and the nation had a racially exclusive immigration policy. Most people not only accepted the “White Australia” policy but openly identified with its assumption of white supremacy. Popular culture was replete with overtly racist terms and images. The Conversation · Jan 25
‘Bookshelf wealth’ is a TikTok trend, Dua Lipa’s reading Helen Garner. But books have signified taste for centuries Books and bookshelves as interior decoration are a new trend, according to recent reports. An expert at Etsy, where some sell books by the metre in order to fill shelves, reports a 19,616% increase in searches for “book-lover decor” over the past three months, compared with the same time last… The Conversation · Aug 6, 2025
Whitlam, Vietnam and colour TV: how Australia was redefined by the ‘hinge year’ of 1975 National Library of Australia’s exhibition explores intense transformations during one of the most pivotal years in country’s history The Guardian - AU · Aug 1, 2025
The best of both worlds? How Australia’s unique democracy evolved We are social beings. So, within every group, decisions must be made about how to live together, preserving wellbeing and relations with others. Historically, those decisions were made by tribal leaders, or monarchs and their courts. Yet the ancient states of Greece, needing collective commitment to the battles in which… The Conversation · Feb 17, 2025
Carol Jerrems captured Melbourne and Sydney of the 1970s, understanding photography as a collaboration Australian photographer Carol Jerrems took an expansive approach to portraiture. She experimented with seriality – constructing narratives and meaning across multiple frames – and understood photography as a collaboration between her subjects, her camera and herself. The Conversation · Jan 22, 2025
When magpies attack: a city's love-hate relationship with its birds Newcomers look to the trees with fear while locals find ways to cope. The Canberra Times · Sep 27, 2024
Should women be allowed to wear pants? It was a topic of contention in Australian parliament in 1933 In 1933, trousers rocked Australia. The Conversation · Dec 12, 2023
National Library of Australia says yes to Indigenous voice referendum memorabilia National archive seeks material relating to voice referendum to help historians of the future glean insights into the debate The Guardian - AU · Oct 25, 2023
Wonder, delight and deep human history: the persistence and paradox of Australia’s love of fishing It is estimated 4.2 million Australians fish recreationally. But its popularity raises critical questions for its survival in the future The Guardian - AU · Sep 3, 2023
What a catch! National Library celebrates Australia's sporting greats From Donald Bradman to Sam Kerr and Shane Warne, this one is for the sports lovers. The Canberra Times · Jun 8, 2023
Leyland Brothers star Mal plans 'last hurrah' travel documentary adventure across Australia From gun-slinging stand-offs to scorched testicles, the surviving half of the Leyland Brothers has plenty of stories left to tell. ABC News · Jun 3, 2023
ABC News · Apr 8, 2023 Children's author Paul Jennings reflects on childhood, success and his writing process As he nears 80, acclaimed children's author Paul Jennings reflects on life, his writing process, luminous teeth and why it's so important to write books that kids actually want to read.
The Guardian - AU · Apr 3, 2023 Trove: National Library of Australia’s digital archives thrown $33m lifeline by federal government Announcement of funding for Australia’s public digital archives follows a groundswell of support for cultural institutions after decades of budget cuts
The Conversation · Mar 16, 2023 For Australian Jews in the 1940s and 1950s, remembering the Holocaust meant fighting racism and colonialism Readers are advised this piece contains some racist terminology.
ABC News · Feb 25, 2023 How 'demon bushranger' Michael Howe fought off a 'drunken buffoon' governor and won Governor Thomas Davey was supposed to bring the "detestable monsters" of 1800's Van Diemen's Land under control — but a so-called "demon bushranger" would bring about his humiliation and carve out a story to rival that of Ned Kelly.
The Conversation · Feb 14, 2023 Cartoon detectives: how Australia's most famous cartoon was lost and found – twice A man hangs, precariously, high above the street, holding onto the girder of an unfinished skyscraper. Around his ankles, a second man holds on for dear life.
ABC News · Jan 18, 2023 National galleries and museums hopeful for May budget cash lifeline after Anthony Albanese labels them 'starved of funds' Organisations such as the National Library of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia have sounded warnings about their ongoing viability, following budget cuts and surging operating costs.
The Canberra Times · Jan 16, 2023 Surviving the hellish fireball in the nation's capital As the Prossers realised that they and their home was in danger, they prepared for the worst, filling the bath and any vessel which would hold water.
The Canberra Times · Dec 23, 2022 Things to do before, on and after Christmas Day Sick of carols, stuffed to the gills or simply wanting to get out of the house? Here are some suggestions.
The Conversation · Dec 23, 2022 Trove's funding runs out in July 2023 – and the National Library is threatening to pull the plug. It's time for a radical overhaul The National Library is threatening to pull the plug on Trove, its free online service that provides public access to collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives.
The Canberra Times · Dec 21, 2022 NLA warns Trove will run out of funding in six months The platform is an invaluable resource for millions of Australians
The Canberra Times · Oct 16, 2022 'Not a lot of communication': National Library closures frustrate academics Collection closures at the National Library have impacted academics across Australia.