Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
An obsession with history
Professor Lynette Russell's focus is on developing an anthropological approach to the story of the past. While her historical interests are far ranging - across the 16th to the 20th centuries, from Aboriginal people in the maritime industry, the Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri people of Victoria to the last 1000 years of encounter history. She is currently examining Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Makassan encounters and contacts.
One thing Lynette enjoys most about her position is her engagement with other disciplines - she has co-authored with Monash archaeologist Professor Ian J McNiven - and she is eager to help facilitate interdisciplinary opportunities for her graduate students as well.
'As a historian, and anthropological historian, I like working with the archaeologists. I think it's great for students to be able to bounce ideas off two different schools of thought. That works really well for me.'
She also takes her engagement with other communities and cultures very seriously.
'One of those things in the area we work in is that you have to remind yourself that it's an absolute privilege to work on, and with, indigenous groups and artefacts. It's really important that you actually take it with a high standard of personal ethics. That includes engaging with the communities that are appropriate, talking to the appropriate people - just being a decent human being.'
Lynette is a strong believer in the importance of Indigenous studies as part of the curriculum.
'I'm very keen to see as many students as possible undertake Aboriginal studies units. Frankly, I think such subjects should be essential for every undergraduate, particularly arts graduates. People need to understand what it means to be living in a continent that had over 600 different tribal groups and 250 different languages.'
One of her most challenging projects has been attempting to learn one of those languages herself.
'It's important to me, but frankly, it's really, really hard to learn an Aboriginal language. My tongue does not seem to want to do what I want it to do. It dances in the wrong places, and it trips. So I would love to learn an Aboriginal language, but I think I'm going to have to content myself with maybe two sentences.'
Lynette held an Australian Research Council Professorial fellowship between 2011-2016. She is an ARC Laureate Professor (2020-2025).
Monash teaching commitment
Supervision interests
Postgraduate supervision
I am very serious about the importance of supervision and the postgraduate research process. I currently supervise a number of PhD and masters students in a range of areas. These include: Indigenous knowledge systems, Aboriginal History, Torres Strait islands settlement history, Australian archaeology and ethics of research and Indigenous education.
As a guiding principal I believe that it is a privilege to be allowed to work with ATSI people and materials. It is for that reason that I believe it is important to disseminate information in both the popular and academic arenas. I am also committed to the production of non-jargon research reports for Aboriginal communities.
Current Research Interests and Areas of Supervision
- Nineteenth Century ‘race’ relations in Australia and New Zealand.
- Historical Anthropology.
- Appropriation and identity.
- Comparative epistemologies, and cultural constructions of knowledge and knowledge production.
- Gender and the relationship between gender and ‘race’.
- Interdisciplinary Research, especially the nexus between anthropology, archaeology and history.
- Partnership Approaches to research.
- Indigenous Oral History and narrative construction.
- Museums, material culture, museum collections and exhibitions.
Research area keywords
- Indigenous
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Colonial
- Agency and Subjectivity
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Race Relations
- Material Culture
- Gender and Race Relations
- Epistemology
- Cultural Knowledge
- Indigenous Mobility
- Australian Race Relations and Cultural History
- Landscape
- Reconciliation
- Hyrbid Identities
- Aboriginality
- Cultural Archaeology
Network
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The Cultural Impacts of Introduced Animals in Australia
Probyn-Rapsey, F. & Russell, L.
18/08/21 → 17/08/24
Project: Research
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Global Encounters & First Nations Peoples: 1000 Years of Australian History
2/04/20 → 1/04/25
Project: Research
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Gippsland Lakes Co-Managed National Parks Proposal
David, B., Russell, L. & Birkett-Rees, J.
15/01/20 → 30/06/23
Project: Research
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ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage
Roberts, R. G., O'Connor, S., Lawson, J., Jacobs, Z., Cohen, T., Haberle, S., Bird, M., Ulm, S., Turney, C. S. M., Nakata, N., Cooper, A., Bradshaw, C. J. A., Weyrich, L., David, B., Russell, L., Brook, B. W., Johnson, C. N., Asmussen, B., Knowles, C., Torrence, R., Slack, M., Delannoy, J., Leavesley, M. G., Miller, G., Schiffels, S., Storey, M. & McNiven, I.
Monash University – Internal University Contribution, Monash University – Internal Faculty Contribution
30/06/17 → 29/06/24
Project: Research
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Research services relationship between Monash Indigenous Studies Centre and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation Project
Standfield, R., Bradley, J. & Russell, L.
6/01/20 → 15/06/20
Project: Research
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The Routledge Companion to Global Indigenous History
McGrath, A. (ed.) & Russell, L. (ed.), 2022, 1st ed. Abingdon Oxon UK: Routledge. 798 p.Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
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50 years and worlds apart: Rethinking the Holocene occupation of Cloggs Cave (East Gippsland, SE Australia) five decades after its initial archaeological excavation and in light of GunaiKurnai world views
David, B., Fresløv, J., Mullett, R., Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Delannoy, J-J., McDowell, M., Urwin, C., Mialanes, J., Petchey, F., Wood, R., Russell, L., Arnold, L. J., Stephenson, B., Fullagar, R., Crouch, J., Ash, J., Berthet, J., Wong, V. N. L. & Green, H., 2021, In: Australian Archaeology. 87, 1, p. 1-20 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
A Trip to the Dominions: The Scientific Event that Changed Australia
Russell, L. (ed.), 2021, Clayton Vic Australia: Monash University Publishing. 160 p.Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
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Magic, culture and stalactites: how Aboriginal perspectives are transforming archaeological histories
David, B., Urwin, C., Delannoy, J-J., Russell, L. & Mullett, R., 6 Jan 2021, Melbourne Vic Australia : The Conversation.Research output: Other contribution › Other
Open Access -
Paradigm shifts and ontological turns at Cloggs Cave, GunaiKurnai Country, Australia
David, B., Fresløv, J., Mullett, R., Delannoy, J. J., Petchey, F., Mialanes, J., Russell, L., Wood, R., Arnold, L. J., McDowell, M., Berthet, J., Fullagar, R., Wong, V. N. L., Green, H., Urwin, C., Metz, L., Crouch, J. & Ash, J., 4 Mar 2021, Ontologies of Rock Art: Images, Relational Approaches, and Indigenous Knowledges. Abadia, O. M. & Porr, M. (eds.). Abingdon Oxon UK: Routledge, p. 135-160 26 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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2018 Monash University Honour Roll ‘Recognising Academic Leadership.’
Russell, Lynette (Recipient), 28 Nov 2018
Prize: National/international honour
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2019 Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship
Russell, Lynette (Recipient), 10 Oct 2019
Prize: Competitive Fellowships
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2019 Whitley Award for Contributions made to Early Zoology
Russell, Lynette (Recipient) & Olsen, P. (Recipient), 2 Oct 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Mapping the Pacific Conference
Lynette Russell (Speaker) & Leonie Stevens (Speaker)
3 Mar 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Australia’s Marine Environment: The History and Politics of Exploitation and Conservation
Lynette Russell (Invited speaker)
22 Jul 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Biennial Conference of the Society for Australian Studies 2021
Lynette Russell (Keynote/plenary speaker)
30 Sep 2021 → 2 Oct 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Athenaeum Club event keynote address
Lynette Russell (Keynote/plenary speaker)
16 Nov 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Global Encounters & First Nations Peoples Seminar Series: Ongoing Monthly Seminars
Leonie Stevens (Organiser), Leigh Penman (Member of programme committee), Lily Yulianti (Member of programme committee), Lynette Russell (Session chair) & David Haworth (Member of programme committee)
2021 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
Press / Media
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The Tasman Map held by the State Library of New South Wales
Lynette Russell, Leonie Stevens, Leigh Penman, Lily Yulianti & David Haworth
9/03/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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A tale of subterfuge, rivalry, Napoleon and snakes: how the NSW State Library came to own the map of Abel Tasman’s voyages
Lynette Russell & Leonie Stevens
3/03/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
-
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Why do First Nations people continue to be history's outsiders? Republished by Phys Org
Lynette Russell & Ann McGrath
27/10/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Why do First Nations people continue to be history’s outsiders?
Lynette Russell & Ann McGrath
27/10/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature