I am very happy to announce that registrations are open for an upcoming symposium (held online and on Ngunnawal/Canberra).

Economic history in Australia has gone through several important transformations – from individual satellites, disciplinary-style growth, neoliberal crisis to a more recent renaissance. Coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the ANU Centre for Economic History, and the publication of Claire E. F. Wright’s Australian Economic History: Transformations of an Interdisciplinary Field (2022, ANU Press), this symposium will consider future research and teaching opportunities for economic history in Australasia and about Australasia. Drawing on participants’ expertise across disciplines, time periods and topics, contributions will discuss new themes, data and methodologies for economic historical work; connecting with co-authors across disciplines; future directions in teaching specialised economic history courses; and strategies for incorporating economic history material into economics, history, and business coursework.

It is fantastic to partner with the Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand (EHSANZ) and the ANU Centre for Economic History (CEH) on this event! The EHSANZ is the main professional society for economic and business historians in Australia and New Zealand. Active since the early 1970s (it is unclear precisely when), the EHSANZ runs annual conferences and publishes the Australian Economic History Review. Launched in February 2012, the CEH has provided a focal point for quantitative economic history in Australia; promoted a dialogue between economic historians and economists, policymakers and those from other disciplines; and has built international connections by bringing in scholars from overseas. ANU is an imminently appropriate location for this symposium: the institution has been crucial to the development of economic history in Australia (chapter 3), particularly through support for collecting, transforming and analysing large scale quantitative infrastructure on Australia’s economic past.

We have a full day of fantastic speakers, including (but certainly not limited to) Frank Bongiorno and Nick Brown (ANU) on teaching economic history at ANU; Henry Reese (UOW/Melbourne) on the trading and exchange of natural history specimens; Pauline Grosjean (UNSW) on gender roles and convicts; John Tang (Melbourne) on gatekeeping and gender in economics; Sascha Becker (Monash) on forced migration in history; and Florian Ploeckl (Adelaide) on integrating economic history data into economics curricula. There is wonderful breadth in the subjects covered and disciplinary alignment of speakers that I’m sure will make for some excellent discussion! The full program will be announced shortly.

After the symposium, we will duck across the road to the Street Theatre Café for the launch of my book, Australian Economic History: Transformations of an Interdisciplinary Field. Lionel Frost (EHSANZ President) will say some very insightful things about it, I’ll thank my mum, and there will be wine and cheese.

Both events are free and open for all! If you are in Ngunnawal/Canberra, and even if you’re not (the symposium will be delivered in hybrid), we would love to see you there!

 

Registration

Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/australasian-economic-history-past-reflections-and-future-opportunities-tickets-372585893437

Book launch: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/claire-wright-book-launch-tickets-372600697717