Dr Catherine Dewhirst

Dr Catherine Dewhirst
NameDr Catherine Dewhirst
Email Addresscatherine.dewhirst@unisq.edu.au
Job TitleSenior Lecturer (History)
QualificationsDipCivFr Paris-Sorbonne, BA UNSW, GDipEd UNSW, MA UNSW, PhD QUT
DepartmentSchool of Humanities and Communication
AffiliationsCentre for Heritage and Culture
ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5278-0075
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Biography

Catherine Dewhirst is Senior Lecturer in History in the School of Humanities and Communication and member of the Centre for Heritage and Culture, Institute for Resilient Regions, at UniSQ. She served as Queensland representative on the Management Committee of the Australasian Centre for Italian Studies (2009-2022) and was Chief Convenor of the 2019 Australian Historical Association conference at UniSQ. Her research engages with cultural, political, social and entangled histories, and historiography. She has specialised in Italian migration and family history, women’s life-histories and autobiographical accounts, and the effects of racism and activism through a transnational lens. Catherine has been awarded both early-career and research publication awards and funding, and has been an invited symposia and guest speaker in Australia and France. Her publications focus on migrant communities, the minority periodical press, family histories, and memories and life-narratives with an aim to retrieving the 'voices' and experiences of those silenced.

Past research projects include internal and external grants for Queensland’s sesquicentenary celebrations of Italian migrant contributions (UniSQ; Griffith University; Sunshine Coast University), and the history of Australia’s migrant and minority community press (UniSQ; The Ian Potter Foundation). Catherine is currently investigating the neglected histories within the material culture of Australia’s multicultural and foreign-language community newspapers for re-situating their significance in Australia’s cultural heritage. She is also writing on the entangled relationship between Liberal Italy and editors of the Italian-migrant press, and the contested histories contributing to the colonisation of Italian migrant communities worldwide from the age of imperialism to the 1920s.

Employment

PositionOrganisationFromTo
Senior Lecturer in HistoryUniversity of Southern Queensland20062023

Expertise

Migration histories

Women's histories

History of racism and activism

Teaching

HIS1004 Global History, 1500-1900

HIS2001 Sovereignty, Equality and Racism in Australia's Past

HIS2006 Revolutions and the People's Voice

HIS3004 Interpreting the Past

HIS8005 Duties to Rights: European Women's History

Fields of Research

  • 430302. Australian history
  • 430303. Biography
  • 430308. European history (excl. British, classical Greek and Roman)
  • 430309. Gender history
  • 430310. Global and world history
  • 430312. Histories of race
  • 430313. History of empires, imperialism and colonialism
  • 430319. Migration history
  • 430323. Transnational history
  • 430399. Historical studies not elsewhere classified

Professional Membership

Professional MembershipYear
Australian Historical Association
Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies
International Australian Studies Association
Dante Alighieri Society, Brisbane
DipCivFr
Paris-Sorbonne
1987
BA
UNSW
1986
GDipEd
UNSW
1986
MA
UNSW
1989
PhD
QUT
2004

Current Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCommenced
Could the resettlement and migration of people in the prime of their socioeconomic lifeAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2024
Effects of the Scottish Highland Clearances on migrant dispersion in Australia in the 18th and 19th Century, and what this means for cultural diversity in contemporary societyPrincipal SupervisorMasters2023
The Governors' Wives - Queensland, 1859 to 1901Principal SupervisorDoctoral2023
Indigenous Roots, Greek Migrants: Commercialisation of Australia's MacadamiaPrincipal SupervisorMasters2022
A Historical Analysis of Life-Writings of Anglo-Allied Professional Nurses on the Western FrontPrincipal SupervisorDoctoral2020
Agency and Activism: The Transnational Network of the Feminist Press in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, 1900-1939Principal SupervisorDoctoral2019
Politics of Memory: Understanding Modern Day IranAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2018

Completed Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCompleted
Reasoning Madness: Women, the Public Sphere, and the Mind Doctors in France, 1674–1838PrincipalMasters2022
Private Men, Public Intellectuals: British Historians and Changing Perceptions of Interwar GermanyAssociateDoctoral2016
‘Vi er alle Australiere’: The migrant newspaper Norden and its promotion of pan-Scandinavian unity within Australia, 1896-1940PrincipalDoctoral2015
Negotiating Custom and Being a Woman – A History of I-Kiribati Women and their Engagement with FeminismsAssociateDoctoral2013
Changing Experiences at Banyo Seminary: Students’ Oral Reflections and Recollections of Banyo Seminary (1941-2001)AssociateDoctoral2011
The Imperial woman's colonising mission: Making space in three colonial crisesAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2021
Queen Anne's Upbringing, Education, and Their Impact On Her Rein and Influence Over The Church of EnglandAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2018
Terrorist choice and the mediaAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2017
    DateNameAwarding organisationUnderpinning research
    2017‘Voices of the Australian Migrant and Minority Press: Intercultural, Transnational and Diasporic Contexts’ The Ian Potter Foundation
    2022Queensland Representative, Management Committee, 2009-2022Australasian Centre for Italian Studies

    A ‘civil minority’: Costante Danesi, minority community resilience and Australian democracy, 1918–45

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2023. "A ‘civil minority’: Costante Danesi, minority community resilience and Australian democracy, 1918–45 ." Queensland Review. 30 (1), pp. 25-44. https://doi.org/10.1558/qre.26427

    Italy and Queensland: Interconnected Histories

    Kennedy, Claire and Dewhirst, Catherine. 2023. "Italy and Queensland: Interconnected Histories." Queensland Review. 30 (1), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1558/qre.26744

    They also served: Nurses, the great war, and children's picture books

    Millward, Allison, Kerby, Martin, Dewhirst, Catherine and Baguley, Margaret. 2023. "They also served: Nurses, the great war, and children's picture books." Journal of Popular Culture. 56 (3-4), pp. 704-718. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.13268

    ‘Virtually a victory': The Australian Woman’s Sphere and the mainstream press during Vida Goldstein’s 1903 Federal candidature

    Walker, Natasha and Dewhirst, Catherine. 2021. "‘Virtually a victory': The Australian Woman’s Sphere and the mainstream press during Vida Goldstein’s 1903 Federal candidature." Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard (ed.) Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 193-219

    Australia’s migrant and minority community press and cultural heritage

    Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2021. "Australia’s migrant and minority community press and cultural heritage." Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard (ed.) Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-14

    Preface: Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press,

    Dewhirst Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2021. "Preface: Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press,." Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press,. Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. v-vii

    Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press

    Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2021. Voices of Challenge in Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Neither in ink nor in stone: Memorials to Australian Great War Nurses

    Kerby, Martin, Baguley, Margaret, Millward, Allison and Dewhirst, Catherine. 2021. "Neither in ink nor in stone: Memorials to Australian Great War Nurses." Australian Art Education. 42 (2), pp. 184-200.

    Ethnic and political entanglements of Australia’s Italian migrant press [La stampa degli italiani in Australia e gli intrecci etnici e politici]

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2021. "Ethnic and political entanglements of Australia’s Italian migrant press [La stampa degli italiani in Australia e gli intrecci etnici e politici]." Deschamps, Benedicte and Sergi, Pantaleone (ed.) Voci d'Italia fuori dall'Italia: giornalismo e stampa dell'emigrazione [Voices of Italy beyond Italy: emigration journalism and the press]. Cosenza, Italy. Luigi Pellegrini Editore. pp. 239-260

    Australian Internment Life Stories: Recapturing Salvatore Ragonesi between the Public Record and Family Memories

    Dewhirst, Catherine, Kennedy, Claire and Ragonesi, Sam. 2020. "Australian Internment Life Stories: Recapturing Salvatore Ragonesi between the Public Record and Family Memories." Australian Journal of Politics and History. 66 (2), pp. 232-250. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajph.12676

    Respectability and disloyalty: the competing obligations of L’Italiano’s editors

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2020. "Respectability and disloyalty: the competing obligations of L’Italiano’s editors." Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard (ed.) The transnational voices of Australia’s migrant and minority press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 81-105

    Australia’s minority community printed press history in global context: an introduction

    Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2020. "Australia’s minority community printed press history in global context: an introduction." Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard (ed.) The transnational voices of Australia’s migrant and minority press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-17

    Preface: The Transnational Voices of Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press

    Dewhirst Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2020. "Preface: The Transnational Voices of Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press ." The Transnational Voices of Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press,. Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. v-vii

    The transnational voices of Australia’s migrant and minority press

    Dewhirst, Catherine and Scully, Richard. 2020. The transnational voices of Australia’s migrant and minority press. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Colonising Italians: Italian imperialism and agricultural ‘colonies’ in Australia, 1881–1914

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2016. "Colonising Italians: Italian imperialism and agricultural ‘colonies’ in Australia, 1881–1914." The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 44 (1), pp. 23-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/03086534.2015.1071099

    Italians

    Girola, Stefano and Dewhirst, Catherine. 2015. "Italians." Brändle, Maximilian (ed.) We are Queenslanders: contemporary multicultural tapestry of peoples. Brisbane, Australia. Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland. pp. 165-173

    The ‘Southern question’ in Australia: the 1925 Royal Commission’s Racialisation of Southern Italians

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2014. "The ‘Southern question’ in Australia: the 1925 Royal Commission’s Racialisation of Southern Italians." Queensland History Journal. 22 (4), pp. 316-332.

    The Anglo-Italian Treaty: Australia’s imperial obligations to Italian migrants, 1883-1940

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2014. "The Anglo-Italian Treaty: Australia’s imperial obligations to Italian migrants, 1883-1940." Cresciani, Gianfranco and Mascitelli, Bruno (ed.) Italy and Australia: an asymmetrical relationship. Ballarat, Australia. Connor Court Publishing. pp. 81-113

    The internment diaries of Mario Sardi by Ilma Martinuzzi O’Brien

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2014. "The internment diaries of Mario Sardi by Ilma Martinuzzi O’Brien." Queensland Review. 21 (1), pp. 112-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/qre.2014.14

    Letters to the Editor: the 'awkward truths' in Australia's Italian migration history, 1900-1915

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2014. "Letters to the Editor: the 'awkward truths' in Australia's Italian migration history, 1900-1915." Callisen, Christian Thorsten (ed.) Reading and writing history from Bruni to Windschuttle: essays in honour of Gary Ianziti. United Kingdom. Ashgate Publishing Limited. pp. 161-177

    Lifting the veil: migrant murder, a 'madre italiana', and the politics of transnational colonisation

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2011. "Lifting the veil: migrant murder, a 'madre italiana', and the politics of transnational colonisation." Emigration Studies. 48 (184), pp. 653-674.

    Illustriousness in the farmhouse villa: reading virtue from a Flemish-Veronese merchant family's history

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2011. "Illustriousness in the farmhouse villa: reading virtue from a Flemish-Veronese merchant family's history." Parergon: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. 28 (1), pp. 113-134. https://doi.org/10.1353/pgn.2011.0014

    Historical turns in the historiography of Italians in Queensland

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2011. "Historical turns in the historiography of Italians in Queensland." Spunti e Ricerche. 24 (1), pp. 133-153.

    150 years of Italians in Queensland: an introduction

    Dewhirst, Catherine, Kennedy, Claire and Ricatti, Francesco. 2011. "150 years of Italians in Queensland: an introduction." Spunti e Ricerche. 24 (1), pp. 8-21.

    Families, Lovers, and their Letters: Italian Postwar Migration to Canada by Sonia Cancian

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2011. "Families, Lovers, and their Letters: Italian Postwar Migration to Canada by Sonia Cancian." Journal of Family History: studies in family, kinship and demography. 36 (3), pp. 359-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363199011404136

    Italians in north Queensland

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2010. "Italians in north Queensland." Queensland Historical Atlas. Dec 2010.

    A sense of being Italian: the value of family history

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2009. "A sense of being Italian: the value of family history." Ozhistorybytes.

    Collaborating on whiteness: representing Italians in early white Australia

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2008. "Collaborating on whiteness: representing Italians in early white Australia." Journal of Australian Studies. 32 (1), pp. 33-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/14443050801993800

    Ethnic identity in Italo-Australian family history: A case study of Giovanni Pullè, his legacies and his transformations of ethnicity over 125 years

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2003. Ethnic identity in Italo-Australian family history: A case study of Giovanni Pullè, his legacies and his transformations of ethnicity over 125 years. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. Queensland University of Technology.

    Italian roots: family history, intergenerational experience, and identity

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2003. "Italian roots: family history, intergenerational experience, and identity." Bradley, R., Buys, E. L. and Lyddon, J. (ed.) Social Change in the 21st Century 2003 Conference. Brisbane, Australia 21 Nov 2003 Brisbane, Australia.

    Giovanni Pullè: pioneer and founding father of Italian ethnicity

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2003. "Giovanni Pullè: pioneer and founding father of Italian ethnicity." Spunti e Ricerche. 17 (Supplement), pp. 26-49.

    Italian Roots: Family History, Inter-Generational Experience and Identity

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2003. "Italian Roots: Family History, Inter-Generational Experience and Identity." Bradley, R, Buys, L and Lyddon, J (ed.) Social Change in the 21st Century 2003 Conference. Brisbane, Australia 21 Nov 2003 Australia.

    Inventing 'Italians': experiences and responses in Australia's colonial and federation societies

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2002. "Inventing 'Italians': experiences and responses in Australia's colonial and federation societies." Hanna, B. E., Woodley, E. J., Buys, E. L. and Summerville, J. A. (ed.) Social Change in the 21st Century 2002 Conference. Brisbane, Australia 22 Nov 2002 Brisbane, Australia.

    Inventing 'Italians': Experiences and Responses in Australia's Colonial and Federation Societies

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 2002. "Inventing 'Italians': Experiences and Responses in Australia's Colonial and Federation Societies." Hanna, B E, Woodley, E J, Buys, E L and Summerville, J A (ed.) Social Change in the 21st Century 2003 Conference. Brisbane, Australia 21 Nov 2003 Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology. pp. 1-17

    Tapestry by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

    Dewhirst, Catherine. 1999. "Tapestry by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli." Australian Journal of Social Issues. 34 (4), pp. 397-400.