Australian Environmental History

Just two centuries after European settlement, the human impact on the land, massive species extinction, and climate change, pose serious threats to the continent's fragile ecology. Students will consider Australia's early geological history; Indigenous land use; the competing ideas of land and land use among early settlers; and how various forms of land use shaped, and changed the environment.

The History of a Dry Continent

Michael Cathcart speaks to Pofessor Katie Holmes (History Program, La Trobe University) about his new book 'The Water Dreamers', and the history of Australia as dry continent. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

11-23
31:06

The Australian Environmental Movement

Wayne Wescott speaks to Pofessor Katie Holmes (History Program, La Trobe University) on the history of the environmental movement in Australia, and key issues in addressing climate change. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

11-18
32:50

Aboriginal Land Management

Professor Bill Gammage (Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University) talks to Professor Richard Broome (History Program, La Trobe University) about Aboriginal land management prior to European arrival. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

11-09
21:16

Antarctica: The Crystal Desert

Professor Tom Griffiths (Environmental historian, Australian National University) talks to Professor Katie Holmes (History Program, La Trobe University) about his book 'Slicing the Silence' on the continent Antarctica. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

11-06
26:35

Growth in Environmental Thought and Politics

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on the shift in the view of 'wilderness' to a fondness for the environment. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

10-21
27:55

The Great Barrier Reef

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on the Great Barrier Reef, and the environmental history of the oceans. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

10-14
21:00

Drought and Fire

Professor Katie Holmes (History, La Trobe University) on the effects of drought and fire on Australia's landscape. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

09-23
21:43

Melbourne's Natural History

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on the relationship of city people to nature. Do cities have an environmental history - if so what is it like? Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

09-16
18:19

Environmental Consciousness in the 19th Century

Professor Katie Holmes (History, La Trobe University) on when and how did different attitudes to nature developed, what ideas shaped this new view, and the impact it had on human-nature relationships. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

09-07
14:39

Mining in Australia

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on the environmental impact of mining, which is the second great economic staple of this continent. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

08-31
20:08

Invasive Pests

Professor Katie Holmes (History, La Trobe University) on how pastoralism became the first land-based economic staple of European Australia, its impact, and the introduction of pests. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

08-26
17:50

Pastorialism and the Shock Troops of Empire

Professor Katie Holmes (History, La Trobe University) on how the land was first settled by Europeans and what they thought of the place they'd come to possess. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

08-18
21:49

Aboriginal People, Fire and the Land

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on the early fire history of Australia and what part humans might have played in this. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

08-12
15:54

Gondwana to Australia

Professor Richard Broome (History, La Trobe University) on where Australia came from and what it was like when humans first entered it. What underpinned the extinction of some of the land’s most distinctive fauna - humans or nature? Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

08-05
20:18

Introduction to Australian Environmental History

This week we consider the birth of environmental history and what is the nature of this sub-discipline of history. Is it a discipline marked by pessimism or neutral in its view of the world? Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

07-29
21:46

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