Benjamin Jones | Lightnews

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · 14h

In Elections Matter, Richard Reid argues convincingly that 1969 was one of the most significant elections. If Gough got in 3 years earlier, it all would have looked very different.

publishing.monash.edu/product/elec...

publishing.monash.edu

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · 1d

I wonder how many fantastic scholarly books MUP knocked back to make room for this.

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · 3d

Uber driver picking me up from campus: so what do you study?

Me, choking back tears: thank you 🙏

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · 10d

It was a pleasure to deliver the keynote for the Australian Independent Schools History Symposium. My talk was titled, is real history possible in an era of fake news. You can read it here.

aristotlesaustralia.substack.com/p/is-real-hi...

Is real history possible in an era of fake news?

What is post-truth history and why the age of AI makes historical literacy more urgent than ever.

aristotlesaustralia.substack.com

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · 11d

Publication day! New issue of the Australian Studies Journal is open access. It was a pleasure to guest edit this special issue on histories of northern Australia. The articles come from papers presented at the 2025 AHA co-hosted by CQUniversity and JCU.

australienstudien.org/australian-s...

Australian Studies Journal 44/2025 – German Association for Australian Studies

australienstudien.org

Mike Jones @mikejonesphd.bsky.social · 14d

My new website is live! It's a work in progress, with lots I still want to do, but after many years my last site became completely non-functional so this is the first step: mikejonesonline.com #archives #history #historian #consultant #GLAM #academia #website

Home - Dr Mike Jones

professional historian and archivist Connect with the past I am an accredited professional historian and archivist with eighteen years experience working on public history, archives, collections, and ...

mikejonesonline.com

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · Oct 12

Design the marking rubric so that they can be failed for other factors (be prescriptive about what sources must be used etc). Sadly AI use is more or less unprovable and the uni will back the student if they challenge.

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · Sep 18

Wonderful outcome but this national treasure never should have been under threat.

Australian National Dictionary Centre @ozworders.bsky.social · Sep 18

We were very pleased to get the news today that the Australian National Dictionary Centre will be saved, thanks to an anonymous donation and the halt on involuntary redundancies under the Renew ANU plan. We thank everyone for their generous support through these difficult times.

Marija Taflaga @marijataflaga.bsky.social · Sep 18

a huge day for the ANU and the @nteuact.bsky.social campaign to stop forced redundancies in the college of arts and social sciences and the college of science and medicine. This is genuinely an incredible result!

share.google/ORnkjimiuQiK...

No more involuntary redundancies at ANU as anonymous donation aids university

Anonymous donation helps save much-loved institution.

share.google

Australian National Dictionary Centre @ozworders.bsky.social · Sep 18

We were very pleased to get the news today that the Australian National Dictionary Centre will be saved, thanks to an anonymous donation and the halt on involuntary redundancies under the Renew ANU plan. We thank everyone for their generous support through these difficult times.

Stephen Clarke @stephenclarkenz.bsky.social · Sep 18

Hear! Hear! Dr Holbrook 👏 theconversation.com/the-australi...

The Australian War Memorial’s prize controversy betrays the institution’s purpose: to tell the messy truth about war

Chris Masters’ book on Ben Roberts-Smith was chosen to win the Australian War Memorial’s Les Carlyon Prize for Military History. But the prize wasn’t awarded. Why?

theconversation.com

Emily Gallagher @as-ruby.bsky.social · Sep 15

In Canberra next week? Come along and celebrate the launch of Playtime 🧸

Delighted to have Play School actress & singer Justine Clarke launch the book!

🗓️ 22 September, 6pm
📍 ANU Harry Hartog

Book Launch of Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood by Emily Gallagher

Book Launch of Playtime : A History of Australian Childhood by Emily Gallagher

events.humanitix.com

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · Sep 11

"If the ANU is not committed to research that tells the Australian story then well may we ask, what is the point of a national university?"

theconversation.com/the-anu-was-...

The ANU was set up to be a ‘national asset’. Here are 3 ways it can return to its original mission

After months of pressure, Australian National University vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell has resigned. This creates a unique opportunity for the federal government.

theconversation.com

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · Sep 11

Gareth Evans scolds ‘bone-headed’ Meanjin publisher as imminent closure sparks protest

Exclusive: Critics want Melbourne University Publishing to transfer ownership of Meanjin rather than dissolve it. But CEO says ‘the journal is not for sale’ * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The former Labor attorney general and foreign affairs minister, Gareth Evans, has sent a scathing email to the chief executive of Melbourne University Publishing, lambasting its decision to scrap the literary journal Meanjin as “bone-headed”. Several hundred protesters gathered outside MUP’s Swanston Street headquarters in Melbourne on Thursday protesting against the imminent closure of one of the cornerstones of Australian literary culture for 85 years. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Crikey @crikey.com.au · Sep 8

Opinion | Melbourne University Press says it shut down Meanjin for "purely financial reasons". Perhaps the university could have used some of its $273 million surplus to safeguard the seminal journal, @catrionamp.bsky.social‬ writes.

Meanjin's 'financial' shutdown doesn't add up

www.crikey.com.au

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · Sep 2

I don't fall into the extreme camps that see generative AI as either the end of the humanities or its saviour. That said, I would never use AI in any of my writing and would request my name be taken off any joint paper that uses it. Imperfect, and frequently with typos, my voice is my own.

Benjamin T. Jones @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social · Aug 25

"Despite my role in authoring a hybrid model, I am increasingly convinced that a direct-election model has the best chance of passing the high bar of a referendum."

A mea culpa of sorts from me and a concise history of the Republic debate in Australia.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The Elusive Australian Republic: A Short History of the Debate

For most of the 1990s a clear majority of Australians wanted to change the constitution to replace the British monarch with an Australian head of state. Despite this, the republic referendum of 199...

www.tandfonline.com

Professional Historians Association (Vic & Tas) @phavictas.bsky.social · Aug 24

ANU School of History invites applications for a PhD scholarship to research the Communist Party of Australia, 1970-91. The project continues the work of the late Prof Stuart Macintyre and is valued at AU$100,000 over a four year period.

programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/9520...

#phavictas

Laura Rademaker @laurarad.bsky.social · Aug 15

Chancel Culture, David Pope

Jayne Persian @drjpersian.bsky.social · Aug 12

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Julie Bishop accused of bullying by ANU staff member, senate inquiry hears

Former member of the Australian National University council Liz Allen has used a Senate inquiry investigating university governance to allege Chancellor Julie Bishop harassed, bullied, and threatened ...

www.abc.net.au

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Aug 12

Help us reach our target of 5000 signatures - please sign and share!

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 30

It baffles me that @australianlabor.bsky.social wants to hang this failed, unfair policy around its neck, when they could condemn it as a folly of the unpopular Morrison government and ditch it. Sign our petition to urge them to abolish it now!

www.openpetition.org/au/petition/...

Repeal Job-Ready Graduates Policy Now: Restoring Equity in Higher Education - Online petition

We sign this petition in solidarity with those who signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister on 28 July 2025 (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/28/open-letter-to-australian-govern...

www.openpetition.org

Jayne Persian @drjpersian.bsky.social · Aug 1

www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/31/a...

The disastrous dismantling of the humanities in Australia’s universities has begun

A crisis is unfolding for the humanities and social sciences at universities across the country.

www.crikey.com.au

History Australia @historyaustralia.bsky.social · Jul 31

Your #openaccess ☕📘 coffee read 📘☕ sorted! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... #historyaustralia
@dranastevenson.bsky.social on ‘Workin’ 9 to 9, 24/7’: political humour about Australian politicians and ministerial staffers during the Rudd-Gillard era

AHA (Australia) @austhistassoc.bsky.social · Jul 31

Labor's bill to cut HECS debts by 20%, which passed this morning, leaves unchanged the structural inequalities built into tertiary education through Job-Ready Graduates. Sign our petition calling for the repeal of this destructive and unfair policy here: www.openpetition.org/au/petition/...

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 30

It baffles me that @australianlabor.bsky.social wants to hang this failed, unfair policy around its neck, when they could condemn it as a folly of the unpopular Morrison government and ditch it. Sign our petition to urge them to abolish it now!

www.openpetition.org/au/petition/...

Repeal Job-Ready Graduates Policy Now: Restoring Equity in Higher Education - Online petition

We sign this petition in solidarity with those who signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister on 28 July 2025 (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/28/open-letter-to-australian-govern...

www.openpetition.org

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 28

And it’s not just writers: comedians, business leaders, academics, musicians and chefs have signed our letter:

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 28

A great comment piece on @austhistassoc.bsky.social open letter urging the PM to repeal Job-Ready Graduates:

theconversation.com/top-australi...

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Peter Garrett are just a few of the high-profile signatories to an open letter against Job-Ready Graduates – and for the humanities.

theconversation.com

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 28

A great comment piece on @austhistassoc.bsky.social open letter urging the PM to repeal Job-Ready Graduates:

theconversation.com/top-australi...

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Peter Garrett are just a few of the high-profile signatories to an open letter against Job-Ready Graduates – and for the humanities.

theconversation.com

Deborah Lee-Talbot @colourfulhistories.bsky.social · Jul 28

'The independent member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, will this week table an amendment to the student debt bill to reverse the JRG package and change the timing of Hecs/Help indexation until after prepayments are made.'

#highered #auspol #academicsky

Young Australians have much higher student debt than generations before them, data shows

The average Hecs/Help debt held by younger Australians increased by a third between 2009 and 2024

www.theguardian.com

Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 27

More than 100 high-profile and distinguished Australians -and BA graduates- have signed the @austhistassoc.bsky.social open letter calling for the repeal of Job-Ready Graduates: a policy that punishes humanities students with life-changing debts: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students

Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

www.theguardian.com

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · Feb 5

A reminder that the BBC can still do accurate, informative analysis when it wants to.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

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