John Mulvaney Fellowship awarded to Macquarie University PhD candidate Zac Roberts for research into Indigenous-Jewish relations

Zac Roberts, Yuin scholar and winner of the John Mulvaney Fellowship for 2022

Zac Roberts is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University. His PhD explores the relationship between Aboriginal and Jewish communities in Australia since 1788. Combining archive work with a wide-scale oral history project, Roberts’ research highlights the history of interactions between and types of relations formed between Aboriginal and Jewish communities.

In congratulating Zac on his Fellowship, Academy President, Emeritus Professor Lesley Head, said, “It gives the Academy great pleasure to be able to recognise and support the work of a young Indigenous researcher whose research seeks to better understand Indigenous narratives and inter-cultural relationships.”

Upon receiving the Fellowship, Roberts said, “The Fellowship will allow me to access local archives and build connections with community members that would otherwise be unavailable.”

“There’s room to widen the scope and after my PhD, I plan to take an international perspective on the topic and consider the ways Jewish and Indigenous communities globally have formed relations.”

A Special Commendation has also been awarded to Gundungurra woman and University of Wollongong PhD student Crystal Arnold for her research titled, ‘What teachings are being shared by weeds? Lessons from the Shoalhaven River’. This project looks at learning from weeds through observation, and how they respond to and might be considered as a part of Country.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Director of Communications and Engagement Carli Ratcliff carli.ratcliff@humanities.org.au / 0407 438 002

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