Dr Jennifer Debenham

Currently a Senior Research Assistant in the Centre for the History of Violence and Conjoint Lecturer in the School for Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle. Special interests in colonial Australia and first contact histories. Other interests include mythology in history, representation, memory, gender, race and class in Australian and international history over a range of time periods.  An anthropological understanding of historical issues steers the perspectives in her inquiry. Her current research is considering the way Aboriginal Australians have been represented on documentary film.

Research Expertise
My research expertise is primarily in the discipline of history. My expertise is especially developed in the history of Indigenous Australians, in particular, how they have been represented on documentary film. I also have expertise in Anthropology and Sociology. This interdisciplinary approach informs the way I approach issues of gender, class, race and ethnicity and how they influence the construction of Australian national identity. The mythological constructions of identity through individual and collective memory, particularly in film, play a central role in my research. A transnational approach to history is also a key aspect of my research. A strong consideration of the historiography of colonial encounters and shifting ideas in scientific thinking are also important areas of interest.

As well as working as a Senior Research Assistant on ARC projects - Colonial Massacres in Central and Eastern Australia, 1788 -1930, (2018) - I am a consultant historian and belong to the Professional Historian’s Association of NSW. I this capacity I have co-authored The Australia Day Regatta, (2014), provided text for signage in Pyrmont Park Redevelopment for the Sydney Harbour Authority, conducted surveys for local government authorities and constructed corporate histories. I have developed skills in oral history practice, the construction of bibliographic databases and Excel spreadsheets. My current projects include writing a history of Indigenous documentary filmmaking; working on an ARC Development Project collecting data about colonial violence on the Australian frontiers and examining the ways in which tertiary students respond to Anzac. My work is informed by interdisciplinary perspectives, especially in the use of qualitative evidence.

Teaching Expertise
Since 2005 I have developed my teaching expertise in my role of tutor. I have taught at undergraduate level and in the English Language and Foundations Studies Program (ELFS), teaching Australian History, Sociology and Lectured a course on Comparative histories of Australia and Canada. I have the ability to teach independently and in teams with both large and small groups of students. As a lecturer and tutor I have received positive feedback from students many of who continue to keep in contact after they have completed their studies. In 2006 I was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Learning Support.