HCV Annual Lecture 2026: Direct Action, Protest and Democracy, Professor Sean Scalmer
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We are thrilled to announce that Professor Sean Scalmer (University of Melbourne) will be delivering the History Council of Victoria's 2026 Annual Lecture, with 'Direct Action, Protest and Democracy: An Historical Perspective on Contemporary Conflicts'!
Across the globe, many polities are currently marked by the eruption of ‘direct action’ campaigns: for environmental protection; for peace; and against racial, gender, and class inequality. People march, demonstrate, disrupt, occupy, and boycott. Conflicts around ‘direct action’ and ‘democracy’ have a long history, seldom referenced in contemporary political argument.
This lecture will trace that history from the 1890s until the present, showing that the tension between insurgent protest and formal authority is not new. It also establishes that the prevailing meanings of ‘direct action’ and ‘democracy’ have changed over time, as each has shaped the other. Prof Scalmer's historical perspective suggests a practical conclusion: attempts to limit and restrict protest threaten the vitality of democracy, along with its capacity for renewal.
The History Council of Victoria’s Annual Lecture is our most prestigious event, offering insight and provocation from history and historiography and held in the beautiful State Library Victoria Theatrette, Melbourne CBD.
$10 for Friends of the HCV // $5 livestream for Friends of the HCV // $20 General Public // $10 General Public livestream.
--> Book your ticket now: https://historycouncilvic.org.au/events/annual-lecture-2026/
Across the globe, many polities are currently marked by the eruption of ‘direct action’ campaigns: for environmental protection; for peace; and against racial, gender, and class inequality. People march, demonstrate, disrupt, occupy, and boycott. Conflicts around ‘direct action’ and ‘democracy’ have a long history, seldom referenced in contemporary political argument.
This lecture will trace that history from the 1890s until the present, showing that the tension between insurgent protest and formal authority is not new. It also establishes that the prevailing meanings of ‘direct action’ and ‘democracy’ have changed over time, as each has shaped the other. Prof Scalmer's historical perspective suggests a practical conclusion: attempts to limit and restrict protest threaten the vitality of democracy, along with its capacity for renewal.
The History Council of Victoria’s Annual Lecture is our most prestigious event, offering insight and provocation from history and historiography and held in the beautiful State Library Victoria Theatrette, Melbourne CBD.
$10 for Friends of the HCV // $5 livestream for Friends of the HCV // $20 General Public // $10 General Public livestream.
--> Book your ticket now: https://historycouncilvic.org.au/events/annual-lecture-2026/
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Where is it happening?
State Library Victoria, Architectural Fragment, State Library Victoria, 328 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia, Melbourne
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherHistory Council of Victoria Inc.
