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Artwork for History Lab

History Lab

Impact Studios
Darlinghurst
AIDS Crisis
Colonial Portraiture
Australian History
Colonialism
Indigenous History
Portraiture
Bennelong
First Nations
Democracy
Caribbean Australians
First Nations Representation
HIV
Indigenous Peoples
Sydney
Ostenaco
Empires
Peter Jackson
Queer Culture
Sydney Star Observer

History Lab || exploring the gaps between us and the past || This series is made in collaboration by the Australian Centre for Public History and Impact Studios at the University of Technology, Sydney.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes60Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationSociety & Culture

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Artwork for History Lab

Latest Episodes

What does decolonisation mean as a field of historical inquiry — and what does it demand of the historians who work in it? Jon Piccini and Angela Woollacott approach these questions from different generations and starting points. Woollacott came to p... more

YouTube

Before social media, before streaming, before algorithms decided what you'd hear next, Sydney had the street press — and the street press had the Hopetoun Hotel.

In this episode, State Library Fellow Dr Liz Giuffre takes us inside her archival foray... more

YouTube

What made Australia's fringe cultural scene so generative in the 1980s — and what can it teach us about sustaining creative industries today?

Tony Moore and Mark Gibson, co-authors with Chris McAuliffe and Maura Edmond) join Reg Mombassa (of Mental ... more

YouTube

What happens to women's art when the world stops looking?

That's the question at the heart of A Woman's Eye: Her Art, Drusilla Modjeska's book about a century of women artists who made radical, visionary work — and were then, largely, forgotten. Rec... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Jon Piccini
Senior Lecturer in History at Australian Catholic University in Brisbane
Australian Catholic University
Episode: 51. Field Notes 1: Ending Empires - Decolonisation Histories
Angela Woollacott
Distinguished Professor Emerita in the School of History at the Australian National University
Australian National University
Episode: 51. Field Notes 1: Ending Empires - Decolonisation Histories
Chit Chat von Loopin Stab
Songwriter and producer
Box The Jesuit (as a band)
Episode: 50. Spirits of the Hoey: a rock 'n' roll archive
Emily Collins
Member of Sound NSW
Sound NSW
Episode: 50. Spirits of the Hoey: a rock 'n' roll archive
Lex Davidson
Manager of Cultural Strategy for the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
Episode: 50. Spirits of the Hoey: a rock 'n' roll archive
Susie Beauchamp
Songwriter, performer, and half of Box The Jesuit
Box The Jesuit
Episode: 50. Spirits of the Hoey: a rock 'n' roll archive
Reg Mombassa
Mental as Anything founding member
Episode: 49. Fringe to Famous: building and sustaining creative industries
Paul Fenech
Television creator
Episode: 49. Fringe to Famous: building and sustaining creative industries
Drusilla Modjeska
Author of A Woman's Eye, Her Art
Author, Historian
Episode: 48. Looking back: Drusilla Modjeska on women artists and what they saw

Hosts

Catharine Lumby
Academic and journalist who hosts discussions across episodes.
Tamsin Peach
Host of History Lab Live and related discussions; multiple episode appearances.
Lorena Allam
Host of History Lab Live conversation; contributor to discussions about Australian history.
Regina Butrus
Host of History Lab; appears in multiple episodes.
Tamson Pietsch
Historian; collaborator with History Lab; discusses interviewing practices and archival work.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 154 ratings
  • Poorly researched and deceptive

    John Harris (a triple PhD) rips this podcast to shreds in his well-researched book, ‘Judging the Macquaries’. Particularly be weary of their episode, ‘The Bank, the Seargant and his Bonus’.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    1235323532
    Australia5 years ago
  • The Last Outlaws - compelling listening

    Beautifully and sensitively told, The Last Outlaws series is compelling listening. The story of the last men outlawed in Australia, tangled in histories of race, federation, truth and justice.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jumbalaya**}]
    Australia5 years ago
  • Unearthing corners of Australian history

    History Lab is a thoughtful history podcast that takes you on some surprising corners' of Australia's history. The episode on how fortune telling was illegal in Federation era Australia is perhaps one of their best!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    patronise
    Australia6 years ago
  • Interesting!!!

    Loving this fascinating history podcast! Well researched and well told! So interesting

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    2000mars
    Australia6 years ago
  • Well made

    I recommend this pod. Well made and interesting stories. Great to hear Australian voices and stories.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Greenbean33
    Australia8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Testimonials highlight empathetic and thorough exploration of complex topics.
Insightful, accessible history that emphasizes underrepresented voices.
Well-researched, engaging storytelling with strong archival basis.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

49. Fringe to Famous: building and sustaining creative industries
Q: What is the main argument of Fringe to Famous and its concept of negotiated hybridity?
The main argument is that crossing over between fringe and mainstream can be productive and creative, and hybridity merges different scenes without erasing their distinct values, challenging the idea of pure culture or pure economy.
48. Looking back: Drusilla Modjeska on women artists and what they saw
Q: How did Paula Modersohn-Becker's life and art challenge the norms for women artists in her time?
Her self-portraits and pregnancy-themed works pushed against expectations that women artists should be domestic or non-normative, and the discussion highlights the social and economic barriers she faced, including difficulty supporting herself and exhibiting, which the book reframes as part of a broader pattern of marginalization.
37. [Caribbean Echoes 6] Caribbean Convicts
Q: Cassandra, that's fascinating. So before the abolition of slavery, becoming a convict in a strange way was an improvement to being a slave. But then once they'd been free, what would it have meant to these men to be transported?
Cassandra explains that some judges perceived transportation as a punishment worse than slavery, as it permanently uprooted families and sent individuals far from home, while also allowing them a form of freedom in the British legal system.
36. [Caribbean Echoes 5]: Live from the Abercrombie with Zahra Newman and Alana Valentine
Q: Alana, could you tell us a little bit about that journey that Nellie Small made from just getting a start in the theatre to becoming a kind of national darling?
Nellie faced typecasting early and overcame it by dressing as a man to navigate her career, becoming a well-recognized figure by the 50s.
28. Fishing for Answers
Q: So, how does Tim keep his connection with his past?
He lives it. Tim performs an embodied type of archive, learning songs and fishing methods passed down across generations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About History Lab

What is History Lab about and what kind of topics does it cover?

History-focused conversations frequently explore gaps between past and present, with episodes that trace fringe culture, women artists, archival politics, and LGBTQ+ histories in Australia. Notable strands include the crossover between fringe scenes and mainstream media, the recovery and reinterpretation of women artists' histories, the diplomacy of cultural exchange during Cold War-era tours, and deeply local histories like Darlinghurst's AIDS crisis and sex-work activism. Across episodes, the show emphasizes oral history, community memory, and the role of institutions in shaping how histories are told, often blending scholarly context with firsthand testimony and personal narrative. The format tends to illuminate underrepresented voices a... more

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Which podcasts are similar to History Lab?

These podcasts share a similar audience with History Lab:

1. Full Story
2. 7am
3. What's That Rash?
4. Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today
5. If You're Listening

How many episodes of History Lab are there?

History Lab launched 9 years ago and published 60 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on History Lab?

Recent guests on History Lab include:

1. Jon Piccini
2. Angela Woollacott
3. Chit Chat von Loopin Stab
4. Emily Collins
5. Lex Davidson
6. Susie Beauchamp
7. Reg Mombassa
8. Paul Fenech

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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