The National Archives of Australia has awarded two research scholarships aimed at unlocking more of the nation’s history.
The scholarships, presented in conjunction with the Australian Historical Association, have been awarded to PhD candidates Kathryn Avery from Federation University Australia in Ballarat, Victoria and Lea Doughty from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Director-General of the Archives, David Fricker said the scholarships were awarded twice yearly to encourage new historical research and support researchers by meeting the cost of digitising records held in the National Archives’ collection.
He said encouraging greater access to the Archives’ collection was a core aspect of its work.
“We enthusiastically support Kathryn and Lea in their scholarship, and are pleased the digitised records will be available to assist other archival researchers,” Mr Fricker said.
He said Ms Avery was studying the history of Australian diplomacy, addressing the strategic significance of Portuguese Timor in the first half of the twentieth century until the outbreak of the Pacific War.
“She will examine relevant political papers from key members of the Deakin, Hughes, Scullin, Lyons, Page and Menzies Governments, enabling a new chapter to be written in the history of Australia’s regional resource diplomacy,” Mr Fricker said.
He said Ms Doughty was interested in how Australia had looked after its soldiers, in particular the Government’s effort to assure the supply of medication to those serving in World War I.
“Securing medical supplies traded on a global market was a challenge the Australian Government faced for the first time and Lea’s archival research will illuminate the history of manufacture and supply of medicines to the Australian Imperial Force,” Mr Fricker said.
