Study of relationships between colonial women and black Australians

The study is concerned with the history of black and white women in Australia during the colonial period. Particular emphasis is on the variety of cross-cultural relationships which developed between women during that time. As a starting point, male frontier violence is discussed and compared with the more moderate approach taken by women faced with threatening situations. Among Europeans, women are revealed as being generally less racist than men. This was a significant factor in their ability to forge bonds with black women and occasionally with black men. The way in which contacts with Aborigines were made is explored and the impact of them on the women concerned is assessed, as far as possible from both points of view. Until now, these experiences have been omitted from colonial history, yet I believe they were an important element in racial relations. It will be seen that some of these associations were warm, friendly and satisfying to both sides, and often included a good deal of mutual assistance. Others involved degrees of exploitation. Both are examined in detail, using a variety of sources which include the works of modern Aboriginal writers. This study presents a new aspect of the female experiences which was neglected until the emergence of the feminist historians in the 1960’s. It properly places women, both black and white, within Australian colonial history.

A comparison of motivations of American and Japanese volunteers in ladies professional golf association tournaments

This exploratory study examined and compared primary motives influencing American and Japanese volunteers of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Data were collected from 281 volunteers who participated in LPGA tournament events in America and Japan. Japanese volunteers were found to be more involved in volunteer service due to “Social/Leisure” and “Material” reasons, while American volunteers were found to be associated with “Egoistic” and “Purposive” motivations. There was no significant difference in the “External Influences” factor. The study contributes to personnel and administration research and provides insight on the ways in which the LPGA event volunteers are managed in America and Japan...

Improving contaminated land remediation practices for service station sites in Queensland

The research aims to provide improvements to remediation practices for land contaminated by service station activities in the period 1988-2004 by assessing previous methods of remediation. Thirty-four such Queensland sites were examined. The resultes will be useful to government, developers, land holders, consultants and the community.

Dies of culture and religion : India and Australia, from settlement to post/modern times

In historical sketches of India-Australia or Australia-India relations, the important dimensions of the cultural and religious connections from the shared colonial period and Gandhi's nationalist voice echoing in all corners of the Empire, through to the diasporic migration, settlement and temple culture, is largely overlooked. This essay intends the redress that absence in current research and contribute toward a critical appraisal of that rather 'esoteric' part of history, arguably still in its infancy. The story begins close to the early white settlement period to the aftermath of the events of 9/11 (2001 in New York) and Bali (2002). The focus will be on Hindus with some reference to Sikhs, Muslims, Sri Lankan Tamils, and migrants from the subcontinent, as the conduits for the particular Indian-Australian diasporic connection and 'spiritual diplomacy' being explored.

Implementation and evaluation of brief depression and anxiety screening in clients contacting a drug and alcohol service

Introduction and Aims. High prevalence mental health (HPMH) comorbidity is common in clients seeking alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment yet can remain undetected. Although research has reported on the introduction of screening into AOD services, little research has reported on the processes surrounding the introduction or evaluated its effectiveness.This study reports on the implementation and evaluation of brief anxiety and depression screening within a specialised, publicly funded AOD service in South-East Victoria.
Design and Methods. Study one examined the implementation of standardised HPMH screening with 114 adult clients (Mean age = 35.49, SD = 9.53; 64% male) telephoning an AOD service over a 5 week period. Measures included severity of HPMH problems,AOD use, care plans and referrals. Study two used semistructured interviews with nine staff/managers to evaluate the effectiveness of screening and its impact on service delivery.
Results. Ninety-four per cent of clients were identified at risk of anxiety or depression. Most care plans incorporated counselling, and concurrent referrals commonly involved a general practitioner. Staff and management found systematic screening increased identification and understanding of comorbid issues and enhanced client interaction but impacted on resource requirements.
Discussion and Conclusions. Most AOD treatment seekers were identified HPMH comorbid and care plans generally included counselling.Adjunctive referrals were more common for severely depressed clients. Screening was effective and enhanced client rapport.Evaluations revealed low confidence in treating HPMH issues in-house.Training may increase worker confidence in managing mental health interventions with subclinical cases, enhancing services’ ability to move towards dual diagnosis capability.