Friends of History at Melbourne

The next meeting of the Early Modern Circle will be on Wednesday 19 August, 6:15pm when Assoc. Prof. Dolly MacKinnon will present. Further details in the attached.

A public roundtable coming up on the evening of Wednesday 9 September, featuring Prof. Mark Edele, Assoc. Prof. Terry Macdonald, Prof. Christian Reus-Smit and Dr Sarah Walsh

The end of the world as we know it: Russia's war against Ukraine in the new global disorder Are the world’s great powers shifting? Join us to explore the impacts of this war on the global political disorder.

💡 Are you a university student studying history and wondering what to do once you graduate? The History Council of Victoria has the event for you!

“The Past Is Your Future – Careers in History” will feature expert panellists from various areas of the history sector who have taken their tertiary studies in history and applied them to their post-university careers. The panel will conclude with an audience Q&A and a free afternoon tea where you can chat to our wonderful panellists.

This free event will be held at Public Record Office Victoria. Attendees are also invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Public Record Office archives, to take place prior to the panel discussion.

If you can't make it in person, the event will be live-streamed via Zoom.

🔗 Register for this free event now: https://historycouncilvic.org.au/events/careers-in-history-2026/

🎓 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.

🗓️ 24 September, 6pm-7:30pm
📍 State Library of Victoria Theatrette and via Zoom.
🎟️ $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/

HISTORIANS RESPOND TO ... THE CRISIS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

‘Historians Respond To…’ is a new forum feature in AHS. It contains short, targeted essay contributions where invited scholars react to current institutional, political or societal crises affecting the discipline and the public. The latest forum, 'Historians Respond To … The Crisis in Higher Education', includes contributions from Peter McPhee, Raewyn Connell and Julia Horne, with an introduction by Hannah Forsyth. Take a look here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rahs20/57/2

Student-Led Lecture Night is back, but we need your help! We can’t run it without lecturers, so if you want to volunteer to give a presentation visit the Expression of Interest Form in our bio. More details below.

Details:
- Thursday, 3rd September (Week 6), 5-7pm in JH Mitchell Theatre (Peter Hall Building)
- Presentations about 10 minutes long with a powerpoint
- Time for questions after each lecture
- Free pizza provided!!!