National Archives of Australia (NAA), in partnership with the Australian Historical Association (AHA), is proud to announce the successful applicants for the 2022 NAA/AHA Postgraduate Scholarships.

The four scholarship recipients will undertake exciting and diverse research projects on topics such as the cultural ties between Britain and Australia, and activism for migrant rights in Australia. All projects will draw on the national archival collection of Australian Government records.

Holly Dayton, PhD candidate from Northwestern University in the United States, will research whether close cultural ties between Britain and Australia from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, were the effect of capitalist media export strategies, rather than the inevitable or natural consequence of Empire.

Susanne Quitman, PhD candidate from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen in Germany, aims to analyse children’s voices in history using the example of children sent to Australia and Canada, under British child migration schemes (1869 to 1960s).

Australian Catholic University PhD candidate Jennifer Rose will examine the history of activism for migrant rights in Melbourne, and the development of multiculturalism and public culture from the 1940s to the 1980s. She will examine the cultural and political shift away from assimilationist policies towards multiculturalism.

Loredana Giarrusso, PhD candidate from Latrobe University, will examine the Commonwealth experience of Indigenous affairs policy from 1972 to 1996. She will explore the interactions between the Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke and Keating governments and Indigenous peoples and communities by analysing broad ideas of Indigenous affairs policy.

National Archives Director-General Simon Froude said, 'The postgraduate scholarship program brings together students from across the globe to investigate important topics that will shed new light on Australia’s past. We are proud to support their work by providing access to the records and memories held in the national archival collection.'  

'The experience, skills and passion of our staff are undoubtedly one of the National Archives’ greatest strengths. I know they will be put to good use supporting these students through their scholarship research.'

National Archives provides recipients with priority access to records through support for digitisation and ongoing assistance from dedicated reference officers.

Since its commencement in 2011, the NAA/AHA Postgraduate Scholarship Program has supported over 42 Australian and international scholars with significant research projects.