A National Strategy for the Study of the Pacific Samantha Rose, Max Quanchi and Clive Moore Cover illustration: @ Daniel Waswas 2005 “Looking Straight (Future); Looking Sideways (Surroundings)” 56.5 x 75.5cm This was a commissioned art work for the inaugural conference of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies (AAAPS) by the noted contemporary artist from Papua New Guinea, Daniel Waswas. His comment on the painting notes: “The art is based on the Pacific region. One image is looking straight, a representation of progress, and asserts that we need to focus on the future by looking ahead. The other image looks sideways, it represents the need to move forward by looking around at our surroundings (the Pacific Islands in particular) and learning to understand our environment whilst acknowledging the difficulties faced before moving ahead together as a group.” Daniel Waswas may be contacted on: [email protected] A National Strategy for the Study of the Pacific By Samantha Rose, Max Quanchi and Clive Moore This book first published in 2009 by AAAPS (Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies) Brisbane, Australia Copyright © 2009 by Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies in Australia All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN 978-0-646-51571-7 A National Strategy for the Study of the Pacific By Samantha Rose Max Quanchi Clive Moore Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies 2009 i AAAPS National Report 2009 Contents Contents i Detailed Contents ii Preface v Executive Summary and Key Recommendations vi Characteristics of the study of the Pacific in Australia ix AAAPS Executive Committee x Acronyms xi Maps xiii Part A: Introduction Chapter 1: Why is the Pacific Important to Australia? 1 Part B: Teaching, Research and Collections in Australia Chapter 2: Teaching about the Pacific in Australian Universities 9 Chapter 3: Research on the Pacific in Australia 31 Chapter 4: Australia’s Rich Pacific Collections: Libraries, Archives, Galleries and Museums 53 Part C: Pacific Currents in Contemporary Australia Chapter 5: Historical Relationships 81 Chapter 6: People to People—Personal and Public 109 Chapter 7: Government and Other Organizations 125 Chapter 8: Schools 137 Part D: A National Strategy Chapter 9: Recommendations 145 Chapter 10: A National Strategy 153 Appendices 155 The Authors and Contributors 181 Index 183 ii AAAPS National Report 2009 Detailed Contents Part A: Introduction Chapter 1: Why is the Pacific Important to Australia? 1. The Pacific, Oceania, Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia 2 2. A History of Involvement 4 3. Regionalism, Tourism and Volunteers 5 4. Port Moresby Declaration, 2008 6 5. Collaboration 6 6. Looking Ahead, 2029 8 Part B: Teaching, Research and Collections in Australia Chapter 2: Teaching about the Pacific in Australian Universities 1. Undergraduate Teaching: A History 9 2. Current Courses 13 3. Expansion and Decline: Reasons for Change 18 4. Legal Studies 19 5. Journalism 20 6. Anthropology 20 7. Archaeology 20 8. Gender Studies 21 9. Geography 22 10. History 22 11. Fieldwork 22 12. Student Groups, Mentoring, Outreach Programs and Scholarships 26 13. Conclusion 28 Chapter 3: Research on the Pacific in Australia 1. Research Institutes and Centres 31 2. Australian Research Council 37 3. Postgraduate Student Workshop 38 4. Asia Pacific Week 39 5. Postgraduate Theses, 1964–2006 39 6. Postgraduate Theses Topics 46 7. Role of Professional Associations 47 8. The Role of National Coordinating Bodies 50 9. Conclusion: Priorities and Trends in Pacific Research in Australia 51 Chapter 4: Australia’s Rich Pacific Collections in Libraries, Archives, Galleries and Museums 1. Australian Archives and Libraries: Policies and Access 53 2. Pacific Collections in Australia: Institutions and Organizations 55 3. Online Archival Databases 63 4. Pacific Collections in Australian Art Galleries 64 5. Museums and other Institutions and Organizations 69 6. Australia-Pacific Museum Relationships and PIMA 78 7. Conclusion 79 iii AAAPS National Report 2009 Part C: Pacific Currents in Contemporary Australia Chapter 5: Historical Relationships 1. To the Islands: A Long History of Engagement 81 2. Since 1990 86 3. Parliamentary Inquiries into Australia’s Relations with the Pacific 90 4. Australian Development Assistance in the Pacific 93 5. Australian South Sea Islanders 95 6. Church Connections Between Australia and the Pacific, 1788–2008 97 7. The Pacific as a Theme in Australian Literature 101 8. Media Coverage of the Pacific in Australia 103 9. Australia and the Pacific: Chronology since 1788 104 Chapter 6: People to People—Personal and Public 1. How Many Pacific Islanders are there in Australia? 109 2. The Pacific Islander Diaspora in Australia 110 3. Pacific Islander Communities: Personal and Public 112 4. Expats: The Pacific Expatriate Community in Australia 116 5. Radio 117 6. Pacific Island Artists and Performers: Music, Arts, Festivals, Dance 118 7. Sport 119 8. Business Links 121 9. Conclusion 122 Chapter 7: Government and Other Organizations 1. Multicultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (ACT) 125 2. Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SA) 125 3. Community Relations Commission (NSW) 125 4. Pacific Islander Community Advocacy Program (Qld) 126 5. Victorian Multicultural Commission 126 6. Diplomatic Links 127 7. Conventions, Treaties and Agreements 128 8. The Role of Think Tanks 130 9. Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies 130 10. Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) 132 11. Regional Training Organizations 135 12. Conclusion 135 Chapter 8: Schools 1. Primary and Secondary Education 137 2. A National Curriculum 139 3. State and Territory Education Departments 139 4. Resources for the Classroom 142 5. Special Programs, Exchange and Outreach 143 6. Conclusion 143 Part D: A National Strategy Chapter 9: Recommendations 1. Recommendations Listed in Rank Order: iv AAAPS National Report 2009 • High Priority 145 • Medium Priority 145 • Low Priority 147 2. Recommendations to Responsible Authority: • Commonwealth Government 148 • State and Territory Governments 148 • AusAID/DFAT 149 • Australian Research Council 150 • Universities 150 • Media 150 • Education Departments/Schools 151 • Libraries, Archives, Galleries and Museums 151 Chapter 10: A National Strategy 1. Where We Are Now 153 2. Where We Want To Be In Twenty Years Time 153 Appendices 1. Publications by Australian South Sea Islander authors 155 2. Recommendations of the Australian South Sea Islander Community Workshop, June 2006 156 3. Outstanding Oceanic Art Works in the National Gallery of Victoria Collection 157 4. Examples from the Pacific Holdings of the National Film and Sound Archive 158 5. Libraries and Archives in the Pacific Islands Region 159 6. Submissions Received by the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Inquiry into the Economic and Security Challenges Facing Papua New Guinea and the Island States of the Southwest Pacific, 2008 160 7. Select List of Churches in the Sydney Area Serving Pacific Islander Congregations 163 8. Select List of Biographies and Reminiscences about Papua New Guinea by Australian Authors since 1980 164 9. Example of Treaties, Agreements and Conventions with Australia: Nauru 170 10. Example of the Geographic Range and Diversity of Fields and Disciplines in Pacific Studies Postgraduate Supervision 172 11. Proposal for a Pacific Regional Training Institute 174 12. Statement on Australia’s Engagement with the Pacific Islands Issued after the 2nd AAAPS Conference, Canberra, 2008 176 13. A National Plan for a New Relationship with Our Pacific Islands Region: A Private Submission to the Prime Minister 177 14. Declaration on Film and Pacific History: By a Concerned Group of Scholars 179 in Film Studies at the “Film and Pacific History” Workshop, ANU, February, 2008 The Authors and Contributors 181 Index 183 v AAAPS National Report 2009 Preface This Report was commissioned by the Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies (AAAPS) at its first Annual General Meeting in January 2006. A workshop in Canberra in 2004 and the subsequent first conference of the Association in Brisbane in January 2006 identified a malaise in Australia in teaching and research on the Pacific and called for a program to revive and enhance the excellence in teaching and research that had once marked Australia as the leader in the field. AAAPS also acknowledged the increasing concern in Australia about security, good governance, stability and development in the neighbouring region, which includes two territories formerly under Australian colonial control—Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The need for a review of teaching and research grew from the sense of falling behind felt among the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in universities, but equally among archives, libraries, galleries and museums. The result was that AAAPS ran a series of workshops, held its second national conference in Canberra in April 2008 and started planning for a third conference in Melbourne in 2010. An eJournal called PacifiCurrents, an AAAPS Newsletter and a website have also promoted Australia’s role in teaching and research on the Pacific, nationally and internationally. The objectives of AAAPS, a not-for-profit