Fellows’ Forum: Unfashionable histories

As what is considered ‘popular history’ changes, should historians find a new research focus or continue pursuing an area they have already developed expertise in?

Library Fellows will discuss some of the challenges they face in their work researching people or topics that can be considered problematic. Tess Gardner will share some of her research on Morrison of Peking, the Australian doctor, traveller and journalist, who was resident correspondent of The Times in Beijing from 1897. Steven Miller will talk about how he has been questioning the role of faith within the lives and creative processes of a wide range of Australian poets, showcasing how what seems like a niche topic has relevance for all of us. Robin Walsh will unpack some of his work on Governor Macquarie and how his stories can still contribute to an understanding of our past, even as we work to decolonise our histories.

Dr Tess Gardner, historian, holds a PhD from the Australian National University. She was a State Library of NSW Fellow in 2024, working on the Library’s extensive George Morrison Collection. A Visiting Fellow at the Library for 2025, she is working on a sapphic romance novel set in wartime Shanghai.

Steven Miller has 30 years of experience as a professional archivist. He is a regular speaker and writer on the value of cultural collections and their importance to understanding the complex issues of faith, identity and social well-being within the Australian context.

Robin Walsh, a graduate of the University of New South Wales, is a librarian and curator. He has been researching the life and times of Lachlan Macquarie for 40 years, presenting and publishing widely on the fifth Governor of New South Wales. Robin was a Library Visiting Fellow in 2024.

Richard Neville (Facilitator) is the Mitchell Librarian at the State Library of NSW. A graduate of the University of Sydney, he is the author of several volumes including Mr JW Lewin: Painter and naturalist (NewSouth, 2012).

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Host or Publisher State Library of New South Wales