Gwenda Beed Davey
Dr Gwenda Beed Davey AM PhD (Monash)
Gwenda Beed Davey has taught in cultural studies at both Monash and Deakin Universities. She was made a Member in the Order of Australia for services to the protection and preservation of folklore and folklife in Australia. She has been a Harold White Fellow at the National Library of Australia. She is also a Honorary Associate of Museum Victoria.
Recent articles by Gwenda Beed Davey
23 April 2024
Why Australia needs a national folklife centre
Twelve months since the launch of the Albanese Government’s new cultural policy, REVIVE, it's time we promoted Australia’s heritage of folklife.
24 February 2024
Street play: A thing of the past?
Wed cross a long rope across the street and I used to have a dozen kids skipping down there. Even Mrs Munro came out seventeen stone and she had no shoes on. Shed come out and skip.
13 February 2024
The power of play
A while ago I was reluctantly watching some television footage about the catastrophe in Gaza. To my amazement, a fleeting image appeared of two little girls, about 7 or 8, playing a hand-clapping game. I dont know what nationality the girls were, or the location of their play. They could have been Israeli or Palestinian, or one of each. We do know that for many years enlightened people in both locations have tried to encourage harmony through cross-cultural activities, including childrens play.
28 May 2023
Getting it wrong about culture
On 30 January 2023, the Albanese Government released its new national cultural policy, REVIVE: a five-year plan to revive the arts in Australia. There was widespread pleasure that after a decade of neglect of cultural matters, attention was being given again to this important aspect of Australian life. There was, however, some dismay at the erroneous implication that culture and the arts are the same thing. They are not.