Jon Piccini
@jonpiccini.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer. Reviews editor. Union Thug. ADHD haver. Writing a history of Australian empire. Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will. Tweets mine. He/him
Pinned
Jon Piccini
@jonpiccini.bsky.social
· Nov 21
Tourism, Americanization and the Vietnam War R&R Scheme in Sydney, Australia, 1967–71 - Chris Dixon, Lisa Featherstone, Jon Piccini, 2024
Australia's addition to the Vietnam War R&R scheme in September 1967 brought some 280,000 short-stay tourists to Sydney, and particularly its notorious ‘red lig...
journals.sagepub.com
Excited to see this, the first output of our ARC project on Vietnam war R&R in Sydney, live at Journal of Contemporary history. We look at how the scheme awkwardly positioned white Australia within an emerging neo-colonial tourist economy. And it's OA! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Pictured: Sir John Kerr passes his responsibilities as Governor General of Papua New Guinea to Sir John Guise, September 16 1975. In his speech, Kerr welcomed how PNG independence was achieved peacefully and democratically, in accordance with the constitution.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
November 11, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Pictured: Sir John Kerr passes his responsibilities as Governor General of Papua New Guinea to Sir John Guise, September 16 1975. In his speech, Kerr welcomed how PNG independence was achieved peacefully and democratically, in accordance with the constitution.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Today marks 50 years since the most outrageous event in Australia's democracy. They "maintained the rage" and we are beneficiaries of that.
Yet, for a time in 1975, Australian democracy appeared a fragile thing. It proved robust in the end – thanks in large part to the creativity of ordinary Australians who agitated for their country’s democratic culture, system and institutions.
In a world with democracy in decline, we have much to learn from those who rallied against Whitlam’s dismissal | Frank Bongiorno and James Watson
In 1975, few Australians believed the dismissal of a democratically elected government was business as usual
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Today marks 50 years since the most outrageous event in Australia's democracy. They "maintained the rage" and we are beneficiaries of that.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Currently doing some marking. A reminder to everyone involved in archives and collections: digitisation is not preservation. If I digitise a box of records and put the files on a USB stick I haven't preserved a thing. It's all about what you do with the files post-digitisation. #archives #digipres
November 10, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Jon Piccini
New article out today! It's about John Okello, the Ugandan who led the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, and how a moment of deep political insecurity redrew the map of East Africa.
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
John Okello and the revolution that made East Africa
In January 1964, a manual labourer from Uganda seized power in Zanzibar. The revolution, and the violence that followed in its wake, would reshape the region
www.geeska.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:57 PM
New article out today! It's about John Okello, the Ugandan who led the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, and how a moment of deep political insecurity redrew the map of East Africa.
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
Say what you will about Maduro, his signature (via Wikipedia) is next level.
November 10, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Say what you will about Maduro, his signature (via Wikipedia) is next level.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
writing it "f*ck" sickens me. a coward's curse. say fuck or find a different word. get that nasty starfish asshole out of my sight
November 10, 2025 at 4:37 AM
writing it "f*ck" sickens me. a coward's curse. say fuck or find a different word. get that nasty starfish asshole out of my sight
Reposted by Jon Piccini
The Albanese Government is asking the High Court to create a new defence to false imprisonment to escape $10s of millions it is liable to pay 356 people it was forced to release from immigration detention.
www.afr.com//politics/hi...
www.afr.com//politics/hi...
High Court immigration test case could result in payouts of millions
More than 350 non-citizens released from immigration detention have claims worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
www.afr.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:28 AM
The Albanese Government is asking the High Court to create a new defence to false imprisonment to escape $10s of millions it is liable to pay 356 people it was forced to release from immigration detention.
www.afr.com//politics/hi...
www.afr.com//politics/hi...
Reposted by Jon Piccini
SCOOP: China's top 2 gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, became unavailable on app stores over the weekend. Apple confirmed to WIRED that it removed the two apps following "an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China."
latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social
latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social
Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order
The removal of Blued and Finka marks another setback for China’s marginalized LGBTQ+ community.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:27 AM
SCOOP: China's top 2 gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, became unavailable on app stores over the weekend. Apple confirmed to WIRED that it removed the two apps following "an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China."
latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social
latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social
Reposted by Jon Piccini
the only instance in recorded history of a traffic collision between a car and a u-boat!
November 9, 2025 at 7:36 AM
the only instance in recorded history of a traffic collision between a car and a u-boat!
Yet, for a time in 1975, Australian democracy appeared a fragile thing. It proved robust in the end – thanks in large part to the creativity of ordinary Australians who agitated for their country’s democratic culture, system and institutions.
In a world with democracy in decline, we have much to learn from those who rallied against Whitlam’s dismissal | Frank Bongiorno and James Watson
In 1975, few Australians believed the dismissal of a democratically elected government was business as usual
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Yet, for a time in 1975, Australian democracy appeared a fragile thing. It proved robust in the end – thanks in large part to the creativity of ordinary Australians who agitated for their country’s democratic culture, system and institutions.
The local community Facebook group had a post headed LOST HELICOPTER which was unfortunately not as exciting as it seemed
November 8, 2025 at 8:30 AM
The local community Facebook group had a post headed LOST HELICOPTER which was unfortunately not as exciting as it seemed
Reposted by Jon Piccini
The National Socialist Network held an antisemitic rally outside New South Wales Parliament today - astoundingly, it's emerged this afternoon that they did this with approval from NSW Police. www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Police allowed Nazi rally outside NSW parliament
More than 60 people attended Saturday morning’s rally after notifying police more than a week ago. The police commissioner said he had no idea it was going to happen.
www.smh.com.au
November 8, 2025 at 6:23 AM
The National Socialist Network held an antisemitic rally outside New South Wales Parliament today - astoundingly, it's emerged this afternoon that they did this with approval from NSW Police. www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Moron Neighbor
United States, Census, 1930
United States, Census, 1930
November 7, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Moron Neighbor
United States, Census, 1930
United States, Census, 1930
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Sometimes I see people like 20 tweets deep into an argument with Grok. Like, what are you doing brother? You are trying to win an argument with a vending machine.
August 18, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Sometimes I see people like 20 tweets deep into an argument with Grok. Like, what are you doing brother? You are trying to win an argument with a vending machine.
Frank is now tasked with ensuring all politicians and commentators have read more than the first part of the 'lucky country' sentence.
Delighted that the University of Canberra has announced my appointment as Donald Horne Professor of History and Public Ideas, and Director of UC's new Vice-Chancellor's Centre of Public Ideas. Looking forward to developing this exciting initiative from early 2026. www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/med...
UC launches newly established Vice-Chancellor’s Centre of Public Ideas and appointment of inaugural director
UC to establish the Vice-Chancellor’s Centre of Public Ideas, and Prof Frank Bongiorno AM to take up Donald Horne Professorship as Centre director.
www.canberra.edu.au
November 7, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Frank is now tasked with ensuring all politicians and commentators have read more than the first part of the 'lucky country' sentence.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
I love that Mamdani is what the right claimed Obama was: A Muslim socialist born in Africa. The right practically manifested Mamdani into existence.
November 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I love that Mamdani is what the right claimed Obama was: A Muslim socialist born in Africa. The right practically manifested Mamdani into existence.
In a 500-strong @nteunion.bsky.social meeting about the damage AI is doing to higher ed, or more specifically, about how terrible management responses are making its rise so much harder for staff and students.
November 7, 2025 at 3:53 AM
In a 500-strong @nteunion.bsky.social meeting about the damage AI is doing to higher ed, or more specifically, about how terrible management responses are making its rise so much harder for staff and students.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Ok, just wow. If the content of this article is right, this is depressing. We're slowly reaching the point where ~100% of what I was taught in Social Psych was either innocently wrong or plainly frauded
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Debunking “When Prophecy Fails”
In 1954, Dorothy Martin predicted an apocalyptic flood and promised her followers rescue by flying saucers. When neither arrived, she recanted, her group dissolved, and efforts to proselytize ceased....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Ok, just wow. If the content of this article is right, this is depressing. We're slowly reaching the point where ~100% of what I was taught in Social Psych was either innocently wrong or plainly frauded
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Rock Chugg might be the hardest name ever.
We have put a lot of effort recently in making available the entire archive of OVERLAND’s 70+ year history.
In that spirit, on the penultimate day of Subscriberthon we bring you this previously unpublished interview with historian Humphrey McQueen on state violence and the arming of the police.
In that spirit, on the penultimate day of Subscriberthon we bring you this previously unpublished interview with historian Humphrey McQueen on state violence and the arming of the police.
Back when they armed the police: an interview with Humphrey McQueen - Overland literary journal
In this interview with Rock Chugg, commissioned some twenty years by then-editor Nathan Hollier for a monographic issue that didn't eventuate, Australian historian Humphrey McQueen discusses the armin...
overland.org.au
November 6, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Rock Chugg might be the hardest name ever.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Another world is possible, if we fight for it
November 5, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Another world is possible, if we fight for it
Reposted by Jon Piccini
I'm happy that Mamdani won. But I won't let that get in the way of my celebrating Cuomo losing.
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I'm happy that Mamdani won. But I won't let that get in the way of my celebrating Cuomo losing.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Hey can you do something about climate change? No but here's some free electricity! Cool no worries tku. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Three hours of complimentary artisanal electricity? What will you do with yours? | First Dog on the Moon
Mine bitcoin (do not do this)
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Hey can you do something about climate change? No but here's some free electricity! Cool no worries tku. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...