Whitlam in Timor

As we remember 50 years of the infamous constitutional crisis and Whitlam’s dismissal and celebrate the positive aspects of his legacy like Medibank, we need to also remember the much darker stories that are rarely told – including Whitlam’s betrayal of the Timorese people.

A twist in the tale

Dogs think treat their owners as gods because they given them food, water and shelter, while cats consider themselves gods for exactly the same reason, so how did cats come to dominate our homes?

A glimpse into Sydney’s deep past

Maritime archaeologists at Flinders University have produced a striking 3D reconstruction of Sydney Harbour as it appeared thousands of years ago, when sea levels were much lower than today.

The ghost of aviation

Amelia Earhart remains an iconic figure, not least because her disappearance over the Pacific almost 90 years ago remains unsolved, despite the ongoing efforts by teams of amateur sleuths to find some trace of her.

50 years on from the ‘dismissal’

The dismissal of Gough Whitlam as Australia’s Prime Minister 50 years ago remains seared in the memory of many Australians who were adults or even children at the time, and was a life-changing day for everyone in Canberra’s Parliament House.

The ballad of the feathered front

While farmers successfully drove the Tasmanian tiger and many other native animals to extinction, the Great Emu War failed to eradicate emus from the wheatbelt of Western Australia in 1932, despite the best efforts of Royal Australian Artillery soldiers to mow down the flightless birds with lewis guns.

The legend of Troy

While its historical accuracy will always be disputed, the endless interpretations of the siege of Troy in both literature and art can show courage and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of the worst of adversities.

Uncovering the shroud of Turin

There’s nothing new about ‘deep fakes’, and the middle ages were rife with forged religious memorabilia, the most famous of which remains the Shroud of Turin.

War? What war?

A new survey has revealed younger generations’ shocking levels of ignorance about military and Australian history, with around 50% of under-30s never having heard of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour or the dropping of the atomic bombs to end the Pacific War.

Reclaiming VP Day

Victory in the Pacific Day commemorates Emperor Hirohito’s national radio broadcast on 15 August 1945 admitting Japan’s defeat and offers a chance to reinforce the values the allies fought for.

The quivering of the Earth

The recent earthquake and tsunami alert north of Japan has reminded us again of the power of such natural disasters, and their effects on human history – not least in ancient Greece and Rome.

In praise of John Hirst

John Hirst was a rigorous historian, independent thinker and passionate believer in Australia and a new edition of his selected writings underlines his commitment to intelligent and informed debate.