Australian Academy of the Humanities

The 60th anniversary of Donald Horne’s landmark book, 'The Lucky Country', prompts us to think afresh about Australian culture and social changes. Join us in Canberra for a Symposium inspired by 'The Lucky Country' convened by Professor Frank Bongiorno AM FAHA FRHistS FASSA & Professor Mark McKenna FAHA. 📅 13-15 November, 2024 📍The Australian National University, Canberra Program & tickets: bit.ly/47jqOTg With thanks to our primary sponsor ANU Australian Studies Institute, and associate sponsors UNSW, the University of Sydney, the University of Adelaide and The University of Queensland. Image credit: Rhoda Tjitayi, 'Piltati Tjukurpa', 2023 © Rhoda Tjitayi/Copyright Agency, 2024

Second day: Part one! 💫 The second day of our Annual Academy Symposium saw over a dozen speakers to The Australian National University for a huge day of discussion and debate. Our first session, ‘Open & closed’ gleaned inspiration from Horne’s description of Australia as a 'as a closed society, in view of the tariff wall intended to protect Australian industry' and asked panelists Professor Marilyn Lake DLitt FAHA FASSA AO, Emeritus Professor David Vines and Dr Jenny Gordon to consider Australia’s place in the world, the way we interact with our neighbours in the past, present and possible futures. We were thrilled to welcome Nick Horne, Donald Horne’s son, to reflect on his father’s legacy and the forces that shaped Horne, his world view, and his writings. Our second session looked further outward, with ‘Environment, space & place’ encouraging discussions on Australia’s identity and national space story with Associate Professor Alice Gorman FAHA, the rise of environmentalism since the publication of ‘The Lucky Country’ by Emeritus Professor Tom Griffiths AO FAHA, the concept of place, and places, and how we remember and recognise the peoples, narratives and stories that have existed in these spaces with Dr Sarah Pinto. Finally, Dr Lorina Barker and Eliza Kent’s songline research funded by the Australian Research Council records oral histories across the tracks from Flinders rangers and to Baiame's Ngunnhu / Brewarrina Fish Traps. And over lunch — yes, all of this happened before lunch! — Professor Sarah Collins FAHA launched the book ‘Cambridge Companion to Music in Australia,’ edited by Professor Clint Bracknell FAHA and Dr Amanda Harris FAHA. Cambridge University Press Our sincere thank you to those who chaired each session: Professor Julia Horne and Professor Fred D'Agostino FAHA.

We're back at The Australian National University for day two of the 55th Annual Symposium 'The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty'! 💫 We're excited to hear from Emeritus Professor David Vines, Professor Marilyn Lake FAHA FASSA AO and Dr Jenny Gordon for our first session 'Open & closed'. You can join the stream with an online registration: https://bit.ly/3XIR8lg

What a day! Our 55th Academy Symposium, 'The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty' kicked off with our first panel, 'Dream and discontent', where speakers Professor Maree Meredith, Dr Ryan Cropp and Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA and Emeritus Professor Julianne Schultz AM FAHA FRSN discussed the changing media landscape — where much of our news is today beholden to algorithms;  calls for an 'outside-in' reprioritisation of engaging with First Nations communities in our university system; and the obligation we have to hold the flame for the humanities — as Horne would advocate. Our second session 'Home truths & Brilliant lies’ presented by Associate Professor Shino Konishi FAHA, Scientia Professor Megan Davis FAAL FAHA FASSA, Professor Kate Fullagar FAHA, and Professor Mark McKenna FAHA discussed the narratives, truths, voices and misinformation that inform and confuse discussions of Indigenous history and First Nations experience; and reverberations that continue from the 2023 Voice Referendum. Finally, our last session, 'Talk and taboo' brought together Professor Emeritus Joseph (call me Joe) Lo Bianco AM FAHA, Professor James Walker FAHA, Professor Jakelin Troy FASSA MAIATSIS and Associate Professor Amanda Laugesen to discuss the changing voice of Australia, including an entertaining journey through the history of the Australian National Dictionary; the suppression and teaching of Indigenous language; and the importance of ethnolect (ethnically-marked ways of speaking English) and the links between identity, language and ‘being Australian’. Our sincerest thanks to all panellists who spoke today, and participants in the room and online. Join us online tomorrow by purchasing an online registration for $50: bit.ly/47jqOTg

It's almost time for our Academy Lecture, 'Australians—the aristocrats of Asia?' presented by Emeritus Professor Louise Edwards FAHA FASSA FHKAH, which will begin at 4pm AEDT, today, Thursday 14 November. Join us online and stream the lecture for free here: https://lnkd.in/g4K5veCk

And we're off! We're meeting on Ngunnawal Country today at The Australian National University for our 55th Annual Symposium, 'The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty' convened by Professor Frank Bongiorno AM FAHA FASSA and Professor Mark McKenna FAHA. You can stream the Symposium with an online registration here: https://bit.ly/3XIR8lg Thank you to our sponsors: ANU Australian Studies Institute, University of Sydney, The University of Queensland, UNSW and University of Adelaide

Our 55th Annual Symposium, 'The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty' begins tomorrow, Thursday 14 November! 💫 Join us online and stream the Symposium from $50: https://bit.ly/3XIR8lg Frank Bongiorno ANU Australian Studies Institute University of Sydney The University of Queensland University of Adelaide UNSW Graeme Turner Professor Megan Davis Julianne Schultz Stephen Garton Professor Maree Meredith Ryan Cropp Kate Fullagar Joseph (call me Joe) Lo Bianco

Recipient of the 2024 Ernst & Rosemarie Keller Award Dr Lucy Benjamin researches the way we interact and remember history — and the role memorials play. https://bit.ly/3TysaUq University of Melbourne

2 days to go until a vital across-the-aisle discussion on arts policy in Australia. Tickets are still available, but don’t wait — secure your spot now and join us for a better discussion and different (not too late) night out. "The State of the Arts in the Lucky Country – Who Cares? Why Bother?" presented by the Australian Academy of the Humanities and Australian Dialogues. Wed, 13 Nov, Louie Louie, Civic, Canberra. Tickets from $20, light food included. https://lnkd.in/gf2Kiw2u Kelly Burke | Ian Walker | Dr Karen Hands | Lyndon Terracini #BetterDiscussions #BeyondDebate #BridgingDivides #ArtsPolicy #ArtsFunding #luckycountry #canberra #canberraevents

We’re thrilled to have the University of Adelaide on board as an Associate Sponsor of our 55th Annual Academy Symposium, ‘The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty’ happening this week, 13 - 15 November in Canberra. The 60th anniversary of Donald Horne’s ‘The Lucky Country’ prompts us to think afresh about Australian culture and social change. You can stream the Symposium online: http://bit.ly/47jqOTg Our thanks to the University of Adelaide for supporting the event.