National Archives of Australia: Possible PhD topics
Proposed ANU/NAA doctoral topics supported by records in the collection of the National Archives of Australia.
1. Role of Governor-General – ‘depicting a nation to its people’ unpacking Sir Ninian Stephen’s quote
In his address at the Swearing-in Ceremony on 1 July 2019, His Excellency, General the Hon David Hurley AC DSC (retd) referred to Sir Ninian Stephen’s description of the role of Governor-General as ‘depicting a nation to its people’.
Relevant records
The following records provide insights into the office of the Governor-General and the range of duties and activities of Governors-General and their spouses.
- Queen Victoria’s Letters Patent constituting the Office of Governor-General – A10873
- Official records of the Governor-General (CA 1) from 1900, including Patronage Books (A7460), Lord Gowrie’s visitors book (A13852), Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson and Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson’s Lists of Engagements (A7615)
- Personal records collections deposited with the National Archives by a number of former Governors-General including:
- Richard Casey (CP 24)
- Paul Hasluck (CP 115)
- John Kerr (CP 266)
- Zelman Cowen (CP 335)
- Ninian Stephen (CP 457)
2. Republic debate
Relevant records
- Republic Advisory Committee (CA 9106)
- Constitutional Convention 1988 (CA 8801)
3. Environmental issues and activism
Relevant records
Keyword searching on RecordSearch will identify relevant records on a range of topics including:
- Franklin Dam, uranium mining, records of the Bureau of Meteorology (head office – CA 1835) and various state and regional offices, Port Arthur Sea level measurements, 1837-1877 – P2472
4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – activism and issues
Relevant records
See:
- Publications and other resources about Indigenous Australians
- Aboriginal petitions eg - Larakia petition – A2354, 1973/86; Australian Aborigines’ Advancement League, petition to His Majesty the King – A432, 1937/1191
- 1967 Referendum
- Indigenous languages – these records range from ‘language primers’ (A659, 1945/1/2886) created by government-sponsored clergy, to translations of land rights rulings into Pintubi (F1, 1971/6995), documentaries of traditional ways of life, and audiovisual recordings in language encouraging Indigenous people to exercise their right to vote.
- Activists – Neville Bonner, Charles Perkins, Albert Namatjira, Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda
5. Public health
Relevant records
- Department of Health – CA 17
- Central Medical Coordination Committee CA 315 and Medical Equipment Control Committee – CA 423
- Public health campaigns – Anti-smoking, ‘Life be in it’, seat belts, AIDS
6. Copyright and/or trade mark collections – insights into the creative impulses of Australians
Relevant records
- See NAA research guide, A Nation’s Imagination
7. Wool trade – Australia’s dominance in the global market through the twentieth century
Relevant records
- Thirty three agencies dating from 1916 with responsibility for wool – in RecordSearch use keyword ‘wool’ on ‘Advanced search – Agencies’ screen
8. Gun control in Australia
Relevant records
Keyword searching on RecordSearch will identify relevant records created by a range of Commonwealth agencies/persons including:
- Cabinet Office
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – A1209, A463
- John Howard collection – CP 197
9. Industrial relations
Relevant records
- Records of Fair Work Commission (and predecessor agencies) CA 9924, including
- dispute case files (B206, B207)
- records relating to registered organisations, i.e. employee associations (unions) and employer associations (B2100, B2096).
10. Global silk trade, and its replacement by the global artificial silk/synthetic fibres industries
Relevant records
Keyword searching on RecordSearch will identify relevant records created by a range of Commonwealth agencies including:
- Department of Trade and Customs – A1667, A1732, A11830
- External Affairs – A458, A461
- Patent Office – A627, A13882
- Cabinet – A4940
- Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – A8510
- Tariff Board – B1, B8
- Collector of Customs – B13, D596