Western Front Association
The Western Front Association has a long history of engaging in quality scholarship - which, these days, you can often access online. You can find my contributions below, but don't miss more excellent historians speaking here.
Investigating the Australians at Pozieres
3 Mar 2023, The Western Front Association
The victorious capture of the village of Pozieres on 23 July 1916 won the 1st Anzac Corps a reputation as a competent and polished formation, but a closer examination of ongoing activity along the Pozieres Ridge indicates that this is anything but the case.
The Australian Corps in 1918: Glory or Vainglory?
11 Dec 2023, The Western Front Association
There is no doubt the Australians were involved in some of the most significant victories of 1918, and among the best examples of how successful the British could be at limited, set-piece attacks. But that is only part of this story.
Bullecourt, Staff Planning Processes for the Australian Operations in 1917
17 Dec 2021, The Western Front Association
The two battles for Bullecourt in 1917 are well known disasters, but just how did everything fall apart?
Public Talks
Artillery, Tanks, and a Man Named Watson
22 Apr 2021, ANU Coral Bell School
An examination of the battle plans at Bullecourt to reveal soe startling influences on the planning from unexpected places.
Bullecourt and Beyond
10 July 2019, UNSW (Canberra)
A public talk hosted by the HASS Humanities Research Group at UNSW (Canberra) and The Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict. On the eve of the Great War centenary we looked at where historians could go next.
What the Infantry Did: Individuals and Initiative at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm
1 July 2013, Australian War Memorial
How could a single man make a difference on the great, churning battlefields of the First World War? It sounds unlikely, but events Pozieres shows it was possible.
Interviews
History of the First World War - a Behind the News Special
10 January 2022, ABC's Behind the News
Speaking about the history of the First World War for a younger audience.
The role of Australian women during the First World War
2021, ABC News (Australia)
While much of our understanding of the First World War comes from the activities of soldiers on the battlefield, women had a role to play, too.
Anzac Day traditions
22 April 2021, Australian War Memorial
A conversation about some of Australia's traditions surrounding Anzac Day, old and new.
Significance of the Last Post
24 April 2020, Channel 9's Today
We all hear the last post at commemorations of the Firsts World War, but where did it come from, and why is it significant?
How Historians Research for the Last Post Ceremony at the AWM
16 October 2020, Australian War Memorial
As the first historian to work on the Last Post Ceremony, Meleah is ideally placed to explain the process.
The Minute's Silence
26 October 2020, Australian War Memorial
Why a minute's silence? Where did it come from? And what did an unusual Australian journalist have to do with it?
How Good was the AIF?
22 May 2019, Mat McLachlan Living History podcast
An interview by Australia's most enthusiastic battlefield tour guide and media presenter, Mat McLachlan for his podcast Living HIstory. Was the AIF truly any good?