Vibrant, oppositional culture : the media and Australian political culture, 1880-1910

The notion that Australia has an entrenched “utilitarian political culture” has predominated in representations of political life and political culture in this country. Ostensibly, political life has been characterised above all by materialism and pragmatism, largely devoid of meaningful debate over ideas. There has, however, been a growing recognition that Australian political culture has been richer, more complex and less settled than commonly believed.

This paper examines the experience in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Australia, focussing on the role of the media in tandem with a burgeoning reading public as integral elements of a vibrant oppositional culture. Here, a passion for knowledge and self-improvement combined with a strong sense that cultivation of the mind was intrinsic to goals of moral, political and social development existed. The print media was centrally important in catering to and stimulating the interests, outlooks and aspirations of a diverse community of readers. Radical papers and journals jostled for attention alongside the mainstream press, supported by a spreading carpet of Mechanics Institutes and Schools of Arts, bookshops stocking a vast array of titles, and a comparatively large and increasingly professionalised literary-artistic intelligentsia.

Many different publics were being engaged and indeed constituted, from the very pragmatic to the strongly idealistic; from anarchists through to conservatives; from the strongly nationalistic through to those deeply loyal to God and Empire. Moreover, potentially quite complex patterns of understanding and attachment were being stimulated during this time. Taking clearer account of the media’s contribution to intellectual and literary pursuits during this period increases our understanding of the diverse and often contradictory traditions that have been part of Australian political culture.

Colonising Poso : the diary of Controleur Emile Gobee, June 1909 - May 1910

"While the colonisation of Central Sulawesi was a process that was unique to the particular demographic, social, political and economic characteristics of the region, in broad terms it replicated Dutch colonial policy and practice in the rest of the archipelago at the beginning of the 20th century. The diary of Aspirant Controleur Emile Gobee, records the process which imposed the relocation and resettlement of the Pamona people of the Poso region of Central Sulawesi into villages and therefore began a dramatic process of change. The document provides a rare example of the process of colonialism and goes to the heart of understanding the nature of the colonial project in the Dutch East Indies."--Publisher's website.
"The 1909-10 diary of Aspirant Controleur Emile Goběe, of Poso, Sulawesi in the Dutch East Indies, with a scholarly introduction that explains the significance of Dutch colonial and missionary intervention, which intentionally destroyed traditional cultures and lifestyles. During the time covered by this diary, the administration moved entire villages to places where they could be observed, changed their farming practices, and introduced trade and Christianity." -- Publisher.

Australian perceptions of the Orient 1880-1910

Abstract not supplied. Keywords taken from contents page.

The high commissioners : Australia’s representatives in the United Kingdom, 1910-2010

Marks the centenary of the posting of the first Australian High Commissioner in London, so beginning what is today Australia's oldest diplomatic mission. In 1910, when Sir George Reid was appointed its first High Commissioner in London, Australia was a self-governing but not yet sovereign state and the Australian Governor-General remained the most important channel of communication between the Australian and United Kingdom governments until the late 1920s. The book traces the history of the office and in doing so illuminates the larger story of Australian-United Kingdom relations in the twentieth century, the evolution of Australia from British colony to sovereign state and the gradual transition of the United Kingdom from head of an empire to member of the European Union.

The M4 muscarinic antagonist MT-3 inhibits myopia in chick: evidence for site of action

It is well established that the broad-band muscarinic antagonist, atropine is effective at inhibiting the progression of myopia and does so by preventing the elongation of the vitreous chamber of the eye. However, uncertainty remains as to whether this effect occurs through a receptoral mechanism and, if so, which muscarinic receptor subtype mediates this effect. Previous work, in avian and mammalian models of myopia, implicates the M1 and M4 receptors as potential targets. The current study used physiologically relevant concentrations of highly selective muscarinic antagonists (MT-3 and MT-7) to further characterise the role of the M4 receptor in the control of myopia in the chick model of refractive development.

Uneasy alliances: Traditional dynamics in women's relationships in urban Hindu society (1910-2010)

This paper argues that in spite of the phenomenal economic progress made by India, the urban Indian Hindu woman still faces major challenges and hindrances in charting the course of her existence, some aspects of which are still located within a very traditional discourse. Women of particular age groups combine highly competitive careers in medicine, management, engineering, and other demanding professions with marriage and motherhood, while simultaneously juggling the eternal roles of the docile, hardworking daughter-in-law and the dutiful daughter. It is, yet again, another sacrifice of individual needs and time on the part of the urban Indian Hindu woman within a discourse that imposes constant adjustment and compromise from one's birth as a female child. The economic context might appear to be very different in this century, and the socio-cultural discourse may appear to have changed along with it, but the expectations and the status quo of the urban Hindu woman has not changed very much, given the underlying historical and socio-cultural discourse that is still extant.

A comparison of M1 and M4 muscarinic receptors in the thalamus from control subjects and subjects with schizophrenia

Having shown a decrease in muscarinic M1 receptors in Brodmann’s area (BA) 9 from subjects with schizophrenia we have extended our studies to determine if this receptor is decreased in the thalamus from the same cohort of subjects. Levels of Full-size image (<1 K)pirenzepine binding to and mRNA encoding for M1 and M4 receptors were measured throughout the thalamus. Levels of M1 and M4 receptor proteins were measured in the mediodorsal nucleus. Two-way ANOVA revealed a variance in Full-size image (<1 K)pirenzepine binding (F=4.69, d.f. = 1.190, P=0.03), but there was no significant change in radioligand binding in any thalamic region in schizophrenia. Neither levels of mRNA encoding the thalamic M1 or M4 receptor nor levels of M1 or M4 receptor protein in the mediodorsal nucleus differed between the schizophrenic and control subjects. We therefore conclude that the M1 and M4 receptor are not altered in the thalamus from subjects with schizophrenia. These data add weight to the hypothesis that changes in M1 receptors in selective regions of the CNS are associated with the pathology of schizophrenia.

Establishing insurance markets in settler economies. a comparison of Australian and South Africa insurance markets, 1820-1910

How did insurance markets in the settler economies of Australia and South Africa develop? This paper investigates the establishment of the local insurance industries in two settler economies in the wake of the absence of comparative studies in the emergence of insurance markets in the periphery. The paper compares conditions in these settler economies and notes the innovative role of local entrepreneurs. British insurance companies extended operations into the British colonies, but local interests emerged to challenge their dominance. Innovations in organisational form, product offerings and distribution channels afforded local entrepreneurs a competitive advantage in the life market. Collusion in the fire market restricted innovative practices and retained foreign control. This article explains the agency of local entrepreneurs in the emergence of insurance markets in two settler societies at the end of the nineteenth century. This historical development path has notable implications for the current development of insurance markets in Africa.