Reflections of a migrant's daughter
The death of Dutch migrant Dick Van Teulingen at 101 closes a chapter in Australia’s post-war migration story, shaped by those who left war-torn Europe to build new lives here.Recent articles in History
When religious conservatives tried to reshape the ACT Liberals
Religious conservatives have long sought influence within the ACT Liberal Party. Their efforts under Zed Seselja offer a cautionary tale about factional power, political ambition and the limits of ideology.
When leaders break the deal – Message from the Editor
Much of our focus this week has been on what happens when democracy, or the leaders we elect, let us down.
Can juries stay impartial in the opinion age?
Trial by jury remains fundamental to criminal justice, but high-profile cases, media saturation and jurors’ exposure to outside commentary are testing old assumptions about impartiality.
The lessons from 1914 and the great-power mistake we keep repeating
The build-up of deterrence, alliances and enemy thinking helped drive the catastrophe of 1914, and today’s great-power rivalry risks repeating the same dangerous cycle.
Racism and the response of four former Prime Ministers
In an open letter in August 1998, four former prime ministers expressed their concern about the upsurge in racism at the time of the Howard Government and the coming election.
Trachoma finally on the way out in Australia
Fred Hollows’ trachoma program exposed appalling Aboriginal health conditions and helped drive the growth of community-controlled health services.
Australia's pioneering anti-fascists
Ninety years after the Spanish Civil War began, the Australians who fought for the Spanish Republic remain largely excluded from official remembrance.
Those who endure and a question of priorities
Encounters with two Vietnamese men shaped by war raise an uncomfortable question for Australia’s older, wealthier generation: what are our priorities now?
Hannah Arendt and the creation of Israel
Hannah Arendt warned in 1948 that a Jewish state built without Jewish-Arab agreement would live by permanent war, fear and exclusion – a warning that now reads less like idealism than realism.
Decolonising democracy – part one
In the first of an eight-part series, political theorist John Keane examines the effect of disruptions to the world order on democracy and its future.
