Tag: History
From cauldrons to cardigans - the lurking prejudices behind the name ‘Granny’
Like a lot of words used to describe women, ‘granny’ has taken on negative connotations - and it’s time to reclaim the word.
Birth, deaths and marriages: we all have them, which is why they should be protected
The births, deaths and marriages registry holds our stories and our histories. It’s important it continues to be managed by government on our behalf.
Fatima Payman breached ‘caucus solidarity’. What does this mean and why is it so significant?
The Australian Labor Party has been around for more than a century. In that time, very few MPs have crossed the floor. Why does it matter so much that one did?
Australia’s first civilian jury was entirely female. Here’s how ‘juries of matrons’ shaped our legal history
Centuries ago, women could “plead the belly” - argue they were pregnant to avoid the death penalty. It gave rise to the female jurors in Australian courtrooms.
The secrets of Maya child sacrifice at Chichén Itzá uncovered using ancient DNA
At the heart of the Maya civilisation were sacred sites where ritual sacrifices took place. A new DNA analysis reveals more about this practice and Maya genetic legacy.
Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of
Our modern lives are influenced by algorithms at every step. We can trace this influence back more than 1,200 years ago – to a Muslim mathematician.
Ancient nomads you’ve probably never heard of disappeared from Europe 1,000 years ago. Now, DNA analysis reveals how they lived
The Avars dominated southeastern central Europe for hundreds of years, leaving one of the richest archaeological heritages in Europe. Now scientists are using DNA to reveal details of their societies.
Pope Gregory XIII gave us the leap year – but his legacy goes so much further
Pope Gregory XIII was patron of Rome’s renaissance, and a legal luminary whose influence transcends the ages.
Why First Nations 'ununiformed warriors' qualify for the Australian War Memorial
The Australian War memorial recently announced it will extend its exhibition to recognise the Frontier Wars, where Aboriginal resistance fighters fought in retaliation to massacres and other attacks.
The strange story of the grave of Copernicus
A team of archaeologists discovered the remains of the 16th-century father of modern astronomy, who demonstrated that the Earth orbits the Sun.
JFK's death 60 years on: what Australian condolence letters reveal about us
Hundreds of Australians wrote to Jackie Kennedy after her husband was killed. The letters paint a revealing portrait of who we were and who we wanted to be.
Our mapping project shows how extensive frontier violence was in Queensland. This is why truth-telling matters
Frontier violence was widespread across colonial Queensland and has real life implications for contemporary Australia.
By reviewing the name of the Baden-Powell Award, Scouts Australia is grappling with its colonial past
Like many other institutions, Scouts is caught in an awkward gap between tradition and modernity, as society grapples with colonial figures who were heroes to some, but not others.
Why is truth-telling so important? Our research shows meaningful reconciliation cannot occur without it
Truth-telling between First Nations and non-Indigenous people is a vital step in recognising past colonial wrongdoing. And research has found it is also a step towards self-determination and healing.
Rising seas and a great southern star: Aboriginal oral traditions stretch back more than 12,000 years
Ancient stories of the sea and the sky date back to the end of the last ice age.
