In this erudite and beautifully written history, Rohan Howitt shows that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Australia aspired to be more than a federated nation. It imagined itself as an empire stretching from the Equator to the South Pole, from nearby islands to Norfolk Island, Macquarie, Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory. Australia’s claim to Antarctica rested on geographical proximity, scientific and climatic utility, imagined economic opportunities, national security and maritime connection.

This highly original book combines environmental and political history with the histories of science, culture and settler colonialism. Based on extensive archival research, The Southern Frontier moves through telling episodes from the 1840s to the 1930s, revealing popular Antarctic fascination, amateur and learned scientific curiosity, and private and government-sponsored expeditions. With amusing vignettes, gripping narrative and lucid argument, Howitt compels us to see national history as exceeding the continent and immediate surrounds. His significant scholarly accomplishment is to show that the Australian nation was born with a sense of territorial rights extending much further south. 

Judges’ Comments, Prime Minister’s Award for Australian History

Sandro Antonello‘s project aims to investigate the history of Antarctica’s scientific stations as sites of knowledge production, environmental impact and geopolitical action from 1945 to the present. Using diverse archival, oral history and material sources, it expects to generate new knowledge about human presence in Antarctica and global histories of scientific field sites and environmental ideas in the period. Expected outcomes include long-term and critical perspectives on, and case studies of, human habitation of Antarctica. As station building and growth continues amid geopolitical tension and environmental concerns, this new knowledge will inform national and international policymaking about human actions and cultural and heritage practices there.

Ruth Morgan‘s project aims to deliver the first comprehensive history of water in Australian foreign aid since 1949, analysing how past initiatives can inform present and future programs and policies. This project expects to generate new knowledge in understanding Australia’s evolving role in global water aid and how historical experience can shape ethical, sustainable, and effective development practices. Expected outcomes of this project include new historical insights and policy tools to strengthen the design and delivery of Australian water aid. This should provide significant benefits, such as enhancing policymaking, capacity-building to improve regional water security, and reinforcing Australia’s leadership in tackling the global water crisis.

Ruth Gamble: The Asia-Australian Monsoon Zone is home to half the world’s population, a growing majority of carbon emissions, and an increasingly erratic climate. Its shift to renewables is vital but complex. To understand this challenge, this project aims to produce the first study of the zone’s 20th century energy transitions. It expects to show how historical forces shaped interconnected energetic systems—climate, fuel, food-labour, plantations, industries—creating unequal socio-ecological impacts that hinder renewable adoption. Anticipated outcomes include a book, articles, interactive maps, op-eds, videos, and a policy brief. These outputs aim to equip stakeholders and policymakers with insights to guide their decisions in climate-vulnerable areas.