John Hirst

John Hirst
John Hirst is a historian, social commentator and emiritus scholar in the history program at La Trobe University. His books include The Australians: Insiders and outsiders on the national character since 1770, Freedom on the Fatal Shore: Australia’s first colony and The Shortest History of Europe.

By this author

A young boy holding two dead possums at a trappers camp in the Blackall district, Queensland, 1908

October 1, 2014

Shaped for good purpose

Don Watson

From stick insects to swagmen in Don Watson’s ‘The Bush’

The Australian Garden. © John Gollings / Taylor Cullity Lethlean

February 1, 2013

Work of wonder

Horticulture

The Australian Garden

July 2, 2014

Why is Australia not a republic?

Australian history

With all the changes wrought by World War II, Australia was in the 1950s still a British society. I can testify to that. In school I learnt British history, geography and poetry. At recess we played a rough game known as British bulldog. On Monday morning …

Manning Clark with his image, as sculpted by Ninon Geier, c. 1985. Courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

May 5, 2011

A grand history

Culture

Mark McKenna’s ‘An Eye for Eternity’

February 4, 2009

Public goods & pipe organs

nation_reviewed

If a town hall has an organ should it also have an official town-hall organist? I thought I took a wide interest in public affairs but until I met Professor Ian Harper, who was in charge of refurbishing the organ in the Melbourne Town Hall, I had never …

November 5, 2008

Following Menzies

Politics

What should the Liberal Party do when Labor governments favour private enterprise, contracting out and selling off? Join in, of course. In August, Barry O'Farrell, the leader of the New South Wales Liberals, refused to join in when Morris Iemma's Labor …

September 2, 2008

An indigenous game

Society

Aboriginal people make up 2% of the population and 10% of footballers in the Australian Football League. As anyone who has seen them in action will attest, they seem made to play the game, but were they makers of the game as well? Their role in the game's …