Writing & research
The candid smile that caused a stir
The ‘unfortunate incident’ of the queen photographed having a good time.
Love in the archives
An examination of historians’ relationship with their sources.
Marian Farquharson fought for women’s rights; she was punished when she won
The botanist was ‘prepared to take the lead and be the focus of male dissention’.
The development of commercial photography in the 19th Century was liberating for women
‘When things were at their peak of suppression for women – no formal education, no vote, legal anonymity as soon as you get married – photography just cut through all that.’
There’s a universal pattern in profanity, but it’s not what you probably think
How the sounds of a word determine its impact and insult.
The secret history of occult arts in 19th Century Australia
Folk magic and superstition were alive and well among Australia’s English colonisers.
The clock with two minute hands
As a new year stretches out before us, take a moment to learn about a timekeeping anomaly from the past.
The man on the moon
The moon has been a source of fascination (and sometimes fear) for thousands of years. Some of the earliest-known lunar calendars and celestial cave...
What we accumulate, what we create, and what we leave behind
The first human inventions may have been made by multi-tasking women gatherers.
The origin of the iconic yellow pencil
I’m a writer, a note taker, a stationery addict, and I love a good pencil! But have you ever wondered where the iconic yellow pencil ✏️ originated?...
Queens Of The Stone Age
Scientists have determined that the spread of culture, technology, and ideas in central Europe during the transition from the Stone Age to the...
They Think, Therefore They Are…?
In 2009, Monica Gagliano had what she now calls a “fish crisis”. After 10 years working as a marine ecologist, focusing on relationships between...
Save Our Scents
When people are asked about their favourite smells, very often the answer is something associated with their childhood. For Cecilia Bembibre, who...
Girl Power
Syd Moore has always felt an affinity for witches. As a child, when her Nan told her fairytales, it wasn’t the princesses Moore aspired to be, “I...
Lasting Impressions
Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor. At the time of his death in 1931, he had more than 1,000 US patents to his name; 2,000+ if you count those...