Dr Carolyn Collins

Dr Carolyn Collins

ARC Grant-Funded Researcher A

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Dr Carolyn Collins is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Adelaide with interests in political and social history in Australia and the United States, activism, women's history, journalism, biography and oral history. She is a graduate of the University of Adelaide where her PhD thesis, on women who opposed conscription during the Vietnam War, was awarded the University Medal for Doctoral Excellence.

Dr Carolyn Collins is a Research Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Adelaide where she completed an Arts degree, majoring in History and Classics, and an Honours degree in US History. Her doctoral thesis was awarded the University Doctoral Research Medal.

Her latest book, Save Our Sons: Women, Dissent & Conscription during the Vietnam War was published by Monash University Press in May 2021.She is also the co-author of Trailblazers: 100 Inspiring South Australian Women (with R. Eccleston, Wakefield Press 2019) and the biography Henry Pomeroy Davison (with M. Oppenheimer, IRC 2020). In 2018 she co-edited (with P. Sendziuk) Foundational Fictions in South Australian History (Wakefield Press).

Dr Collins is currently employed on the ARC Linkage Project, 'People, Places, Promises: Social Histories of Holden in Australia', a joint partnership between the University of Adelaide, Monash University, General Motors Holden, the National Library of Australia and the National Motor Museum. As part of this role, she is interviewing former Holden workers for the National Library's oral history collection. In May 2022, a collection of these interviews formed the basis of the exhibition 'Holden & Me: Treasures from a working life', held at the National Motor Museum.

Previously, she worked as a research assistant on the ARC Discovery Project, 'A Bold Experiment: A history of the Australian Assistance Plan' (CIs: Prof. Melanie Oppenheimer, Prof. Erik Eklund  & Prof. Joanne Scott), 2016-2018, which examined the Whitlam Government's radical social welfare agenda; and on the ARC Discovery Project, 'Second Shock: Australia's Great Depression and the Legacy of World War I' (CI: Prof: Joan Beaumont, ANU), 2016-2017.

Dr Collins is editor of the Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, a member of the South Australian Working Party for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and serves on the committee of Oral History Australia SA/NT.

Her research has been presented at conferences in Australia and overseas including, in 2018, the International Federation for Research in Women's History's conference in Canada, and the International Oral History Association's biennial conference in Finland.

Before joining the history department, she worked as a journalist, magazine columnist and communications manager.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2019 - ongoing ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2016 - ongoing Visiting Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2016 - 2018 Research Assistant, ARC Discovery Grant: 'Bold Experiment': An Historical Analysis of the Australian Assistance Plan Flinders University, Federation University & University of the Sunshine Coast (CIs: Prof. Melanie Oppenheimer, Prof. Erik Eklund & Prof. Joanne Scott)
    2016 - 2018 Research Assistant, ARC Discovery project, Second Shock: Australia's Great Depression and the Legacy of World War I (CI: Prof. Joan Beaumont) Australian National University
    2015 - ongoing Visiting Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2014 - ongoing Tutor University of Adelaide

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2019 Award International Association of Australian Studies ECR Publishing Subsidy Scheme Award 2019 University of Adelaide Australia -
    2016 Award Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence University of Adelaide Australia -
    2016 Research Award 2016 University Doctoral Research Medal University of Adelaide Australia -
    2008 Award Barony of Ithaka Prize for the most meritorious student in Byzantine Studies University of Adelaide Australia -
    2008 Award Odysseus Medal for Advanced Ancient Greek studies University of Adelaide Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Arts (Honours), History
    University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Arts, Classics and History

  • Research Interests
    Australian History Cultural Studies History Journalism and Professional Writing North American History
  • International Association of Australian Studies ECR Publishing Subsidy Scheme Award, 2019
  • Australian Postgraduate Award, 2012-2015

Since 2013, I have tutored in the University of Adelaide's first year history courses 'Empires in World History' and 'Revolutions that Changed the World', as well as marking for higher level courses, 'Migrants and Modern Australia' and 'Australia in the 21st century'. I have also presented guest lectures at UniSA and Flinders University.

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2019 - ongoing Member History Council of South Australia Australia
    2019 - ongoing Member International Association of Australian Studies Australia
    2018 - ongoing Member Berkshire Conference of Women Historians United States
    2017 - ongoing Member Oral History Association SA/NT Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Australian Women's History Network Australia

  • Editorial Boards
    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Editor Studies in Oral History Journal University of Adelaide Australia
    2019 - ongoing Editor Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia University of Adelaide Australia
  • Position: ARC Grant-Funded Researcher A
  • Email: carolyn.collins@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Napier, floor 6
  • Org Unit: School of Humanities
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