Pacific Futures book launched
On April 12 &13, Centre member Professor Barbara Brookes attended a workshop at Harvard University entitled ‘Postcolonial Tensions: Science, History and Indigenous Knowledges’ where the volume Pacific Futures: Past and Present (University of Hawaii Press, 2018) was officially launched by Professor Philip Deloria. The book resulted from a symposium held at the Hocken Library in June 2014 jointly sponsored by CRoCC and Professor Warwick Anderson’s Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship program on ‘southern racial conceptions’. Professor Anderson, currently Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair of Australian Studies (2018-19) at Harvard University, co-convened the workshop with Professor Gabriela Soto Laveaga in the History of Science Department. The three co-editors, Warwick Anderson, Miranda Johnson and Barbara Brookes, were delighted by Professor Deloria’s words about past futures and a celebratory toast was made to the success of the book.
The Centre congratulates Barbara and her co-editors on the launch of this fine volume of essays.
Barbara Brookes, Miranda Johnson, Philip Deloria and Warwick Anderson.
Book Launch
Just a reminder that the launch of Past Caring? Women, Work and Emotion (Otago University Press) will take place on Thursday, 21 February. Please join us at UBS from 5.30 to the celebrate the publication of this collection edited by three Centre members: Barbara Brookes, Jane McCabe and Angela Wanhalla.
For an insight into what the book is about read this ODT article, Looking out for each other, featuring an interview with Barbara.
Book Launch of Past caring? Women, Work and Emotion
Please come along to UBS on Thursday 21 February to celebrate the launch of Past Caring? Women, Work and Emotion co-edited by CRoCC members Barbara Brookes, Jane McCabe and Angela Wanhalla and published by Otago University Press. All are welcome, but please RSVP for this event (address is provided below).
Book Launch: Filming the Colonial Past
Congratulations to Annabel Cooper on the release of her book, Filming the Colonial Past: The New Zealand Wars on Screen, published by Otago University Press.
If you want to purchase a copy, please join us at UBS on Friday 30 November when Filming the Colonial Past will be officially launched by Alun Bollinger.
Cleansing the Colony: Lecture and Book Launch
Dr. Kristyn Harman (University of Tasmania), who was a visiting scholar with the Centre in 2014, has returned to Dunedin for the launch of her latest book, Cleansing the Colony: Transporting Convicts from New Zealand to Van Diemen’s Land. She will also give a public talk on her book at Toitū.
Please feel free to come along to one or both of these events. Details are below:
Lecture: ‘Cleansing the Colony’, Tuesday 14 November, 10am at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Auditorium.
During the mid-nineteenth century at least 110 people were transported from New Zealand to serve time as convict labourers in the penal colony of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania). Even more were sentenced by colonial judges to the harsh punishment of transportation, but somehow managed to avoid being sent across the Tasman Sea. In this talk, the remarkable experiences of unremarkable people like William Phelps Pickering, a self-made entrepreneur turned criminal; Margaret Reardon, a potential accomplice to murder and convicted perjurer; and Te Kumete, transported as a rebel will be explored. Their stories, and others like them, reveal a complex colonial society overseen by a governing class intent on cleansing the colony of what was considered to be a burgeoning criminal underclass.
Book Launch: Thursday 16 November, 5.30pm at University Book Shop, 378 Great King Street.
Jane McCabe’s new book on Indian migrants
Last Thursday saw the successful launch of Jane McCabe’s new book, Race, Tea and Colonial Resettlement: Imperial Families, Interrupted at the Hocken Collections. Launched by Centre Co-director, Angela Wanhalla, this monograph (published by Bloomsbury) explores the experiences of the “Kalimpong Kids”, mixed-race children of tea planters in India, from their missionary-run boarding school, to their migration to New Zealand. Jane is descended of one of the children, and a number of other descendants came to the launch.
Dr Jane McCabe
Jane, who works in the Department of History and Art History is a keen member of the Centre for Research on Colonial Culture. A Marsden Grant recipient, she is now researching land and inheritance in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Dr Kate Stevens and Associate Professor Will Sweetman
Kalimpong Kids descendants
Emeritus Professor Erik Olssen, Dr Jonathan West, and Associate Professor Annabel Cooper.
Book Launch
Come along and celebrate the launch of Judy Bennett and Angela Wanhalla’s co-edited book, Mothers’ Darlings of the South Pacific, beginning at 5.30 on Wednesday 13 July at Te Tumu, University of Otago. Published by the University of Otago Press (a co-publication with University of Hawaii Press), Mothers’ Darlings traces the fate of the children fathered by US servicemen who served in the South Pacific Command Area during World War II and is the major outcome of Judy’s Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Project of the same name.
Launch of New Book on New Zealand’s Overseas Missions
Come along to help launch and celebrate Dr Hugh Morrison’s new book, Pushing the Boundaries: New Zealand Protestants and Overseas Missions, 1827-1939, at the University Book Shop (Great King Street), Friday 8th April, at 5.30pm.
Published by Otago University Press, “Pushing Boundaries is the first book-length attempt to tell the story of the evolution of overseas missionary activity by New Zealand’s Protestant churches from the early nineteenth century up to World War II. In this thought-provoking book, Hugh Morrison outlines how and why missions became important to colonial churches – the theological and social reasons churches supported missions, how their ideas were shaped, and what motivated individual New Zealanders to leave these shores to devote their lives elsewhere.
“Secondly, he connects this local story to some larger historical themes – of gender, culture, empire, childhood and education. This book argues that understanding the overseas missionary activity of Protestant churches and groups can contribute to a more general understanding of how New Zealand has developed as a society and nation.”
Hugh is a historian of missiology, a member of the Centre for Research on Colonial Culture, and a staff member at the College of Education, University of Otago.
Making Women Visible Conference
A highly successful conference on women’s history was held this week at the University of Otago. It began with a keynote address and public lecture from Professor Barbara Brookes at Otago Museum’s Hutton Theatre, which was filled to capacity, followed by the launch of Barbara’s new book, A History of New Zealand Women (Bridget Williams Books) in the museum’s Atrium. A large and excited crowd gathered to celebrate this achievement.
The publication of Barbara’s landmark survey history of New Zealand women was marked by a conference, Making Women Visible, which had over 70 papers on the programme and attracted 150 delegates from across New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa. Organised by Centre member Angela Wanhalla, and Jane McCabe, Katie Cooper, Sarah Christie and Jane Adams, with help from Emma Gattey, Violeta Gilabert and Radhika Raghav, the conference was made possible with financial support from CRoCC, the University of Otago’s Continuing Education Fund, and the Women’s Studies Association of New Zealand. This funding support enabled the organisers to put together a diverse programme, host a special forum on women’s history in the public sphere, as well as bring outstanding scholars to Dunedin as keynote speakers.
You can find out more about the conference at Storify, where the organisers have collated social media comment, photos and video of the proceedings. Also see the Making Women Visible Album on the University of Otago’s Department of History and Art History Facebook page to view images of the book launch and the conference. A much fuller description of the conference will appear on the New Zealand Women’s History Caucus Blog soon.
Here are a few images from the launch and conference. Click pictures to enlarge.
Dorothy Page and Philippa Mein Smith
Marian Quartly and Diane Kirkby
Katherine Milburn, Judy Bennett and Jacqui Leckie
A large crowd awaits Barbara’s keynote lecture at the Hutton Theatre, Otago Museum
Barbara addressed the audience on the topic of caring and care work
Crowds gather for the launch of A History of New Zealand Women
A brisk trade ensued
Heather Devere and Kelli Te Maihāroa both presented at the conference
Paerau Warbrick and Pamela Gerrish Nunn
Melissa Matutina Williams gave a keynote address on the intersections between Māori and Pākehā women’s histories
Frances Steel’s keynote explored women’s mobility, modernity and maritime history
Friends and collaborators: Margaret Tennant, Charlotte Macdonald and Barbara Brookes
Wellington celebration
The Centre would like to thank Professor Charlotte Macdonald who organized a celebration for The Lives of Colonial Objects on Monday evening at the Thistle Inn in Wellington.
Thanks to Charlotte Macdonald (right) for organizing this event.
Folk from the capital (from VUW, Te Papa, and others) are well represented in the book, and it was a great opportunity to come together, along with friends and colleagues. Two of the co-editors, Annabel Cooper and Lachy Paterson, were able to attend from Dunedin. He mihi nunui, Charlotte, for your passion and your hospitality.
Annabel Cooper (right) chatting with people celebrating the publication of The Lives of Colonial Objects (centre)
Sydney Shep (VUW) and Chris Szekely, Alexander Turnbull Library.
