Professor Tony Moore has dedicated his Monash University career to exploring the democratic reformers, freedom fighters, political prisoners and counterculture artists who have shaped Australia's national identity. In his inaugural professorial lecture, he will explore two areas of his research: the legacy of convicts in Australia; and the transformative impact of bohemian subcultures on popular culture.
Held at the State Library of Victoria on Monday 12 October, Professor Moore's lecture will examine, through his research, the impact of generations of fringe artists, including comedians, as well as political prisoners transported as convicts, on Australia.
Titled Australian Traditions of Creativity and Resistance: Public Histories Speaking to the Present, the lecture will examine how marginal movements, political rebels and fringe artists ultimately transform mainstream politics, media and culture.
Reflecting on his research, Professor Moore highlights how marginal groups or movements ultimately influence mainstream politics, media, popular culture and identities, with many themes still resonating today.
"Few Australians realise that from the earliest days of the Sydney penal colony their homeland was once the British Empire's Guantanamo Bay, where about 3600 rebels, radicals and protesters were transported as political prisoners in the late 18th and 19th centuries," Professor Moore said.
"Conviction Politics reveals the forgotten champions of trade unionism, democracy and rights modern Australians and Britons take for granted, and brings Australia's history to life for the next generation through documentaries and a travelling exhibition."
The lecture will also examine how bohemian artists and countercultures transform mainstream popular culture.
"Across generations since the 1860s, creative people have congregated in similar urban spaces to experiment with lifestyle and culture, identifying as a 'bohemian', and its ever morphing avatars - avant-gardes, 'the underground', counter-cultures, punks, indie - to help make art and make a living, to get noticed and exploit opportunities in the cultural market place, to fight culture wars and shake up Australia," said Professor Moore, author of the recent book Fringe to Famous.
"Australian history shows a far greater crossover between fringe scenes and the mainstream is generally recognised. From 1970s post-punk and pub rock to comedy, indie art, and digital DIY, mainstream popular culture has consistently been revitalised by experimentation emerging from the margins to ultimately shape shared national stories."
The lecture will highlight how blending traditional research with multimedia and cross-sector partnerships can amplify the real-world impact of social sciences.
The inaugural lecture will be hosted by Professor Jack Corbett, Acting Dean of Monash's Faculty of Arts, and will take place from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Conversation Quarter, State Library of Victoria.
