Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
An obsession with history
Professor Lynette Russell (Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow) is focussed 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.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Ceremonies of Kinship: Celebrating Kimberley Genealogies and Family Histories
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Incorporated
24/09/24 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
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ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures
Ulm, S., Russell AM, L., Fletcher, M., Nakata, N., Bird, M., Watkin Lui, F., Crayn, D., Grech, A., McNiven, I., Prendergast, A., Bradshaw, C. J. A., Wilson, C., Saltre, F., Tobler, R., Stevenson, J., Haberle, S., Sharples, J., Bashford, A., McDonald, J., Veth, P., Turpin, G., Helgen, K., Mate, G., Asmussen, B., Faulkhead, S., Henry, D. A., Treble, P., Gadd, P., Levchenko, V., Leavesley, M. G., Slack, M., Williams, A. N., Nicholas, G., Crabtree, S. & Chandler, T.
1/07/24 → 1/07/31
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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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., Nakata, N., Cooper, A., Bradshaw, C. J. A., Weyrich, L., David, B., Russell AM, L., Brook, B. W., Johnson, C. N., Asmussen, B., Knowles, C., Torrence, R., Slack, M., Delannoy, J. J., Leavesley, M. G., Miller, G., Schiffels, S., Storey, M., McNiven, I., Agostinho, S., Muller, E., Llamas, B., Mitchell, K. J. & Way, A.
Monash University – Internal University Contribution, Monash University – Internal Faculty Contribution, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Rock Art Australia Limited (trading as Kimberley Foundation Australia)
30/06/17 → 30/04/25
Project: Research
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Building culturally meaningful chronologies: negotiating Indigenous and Western temporalities in Oceania
Urwin, C., Russell, L. & Skelly, R. J., Oct 2024, In: Archaeology in Oceania. 59, 3, p. 465-478 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Yarning with the archives
Walsh, J. & Russell, L., 2024, The Routledge Handbook of Australian Indigenous Peoples and Futures. Carlson, B., Day, M., O'Sullivan, S. & Kennedy, T. (eds.). 1st ed. Abingdon UK: Routledge, p. 226-239 14 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
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Ancient sovereignty shining through: a Voice to parliament, not a Voice in parliament
Castan, M. & Russell, L. W., 3 Oct 2023, Australian Book Review, 10, 458.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article › Other
Open Access -
A racial bias test with tertiary cancer centre employees: Why anti-racist measures are required for First Nations Australians cancer care equity
D'Costa, I., Hunt, I., Russell, L. & Adams, K., 2023, In: Australian Health Review. 47, 1, p. 5-12 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
Community partnerships are fundamental to ethical ancient DNA research
Kowal, E., Weyrich, L., Arguuelles, . J. M., Bader, A. C., Colwell, C., Cortez, A. D., Davis, J. L., Figueiro, G., Fox, K., Malhi, R. S., Matisoo-Smith, E. A., Nayak, A., Nelson, E. A., Nicholas, G., Nieves-Colon, M. A., Russell, L., Ulm, S., Vergara-Silva, F., Villanea, F. A., Wagner, J. K., & 2 others , 13 Apr 2023, In: Human Genetics and Genomics Advances. 4, 2, 7 p., 100161.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
Open Access27 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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2018 Monash University Honour Roll ‘Recognising Academic Leadership.’
Russell AM, Lynette (Recipient), 28 Nov 2018
Prize: National/international honour
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2019 Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship
Russell AM, Lynette (Recipient), 10 Oct 2019
Prize: Competitive Fellowships
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2019 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship
Russell AM, Lynette (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Competitive Fellowships
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2019 Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
Russell AM, Lynette (Recipient), 2019
Prize: National/international honour
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2019 Whitley Award for Contributions made to Early Zoology
Russell AM, Lynette (Recipient) & Olsen, Penny (Recipient), 2 Oct 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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DNS XVIII. Marine Worlds of the Long Eighteenth Century Conference. (ANZSECS) David Nicholl Keynote lecture
Lynette Russell (Keynote/plenary speaker)
19 Jun 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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History Council of Australia: Maritime Worlds
Lynette Russell (Keynote/plenary speaker)
May 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Time to Listen. An Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Meet the Authors - Melissa Castan and Lynette Russell
Lynette Russell (Keynote/plenary speaker) & Melissa Castan (Keynote/plenary speaker)
31 Aug 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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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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Ocean as an Archive Conference
Lynette Russell (Speaker), Leonie Stevens (Speaker), Leigh Penman (Speaker), David Haworth (Speaker) & Lily Yulianti (Speaker)
6 Jul 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
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The referendum is unequivocally in the national interest
Melissa Castan & Lynette Russell
1/09/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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The 1967 referendum was important but achieved little. The Voice changes that
Melissa Castan & Lynette Russell
31/08/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Ethical ancient DNA research must involve descendant communities, say researchers
11/01/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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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