Historia Incognita researches a variety of historical subjects, and those inspired by our response to history.
Dr Douglas Wilkie MPHA
- Honorary Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
- PhD – The University of Melbourne 2014 – “1849 The Rush That Never Started: forgotten origins of the 1851 gold rushes in Victoria”
- MA – Monash University 2011 – Major Research Thesis – “The Deconstruction of a Convict Past”
- MEd – Monash University 1986 – Major Research Thesis – “A History of Education in the Amherst and Talbot Districts of Victoria, 1836-1862”
- BEd – Monash University 1984
- BA – Monash University 1980 (Visual Arts; Ancient History; Renaissance & Baroque History)
- Diploma of Visual Arts; Diploma of Frontline Management; Diploma of Project Management
- Member Professional Historians Association (MPHA)(Vic)
- Member Australian Historical Association (AHA)
- Member Women’s History Network of Australia (WHNA)
Recent and Forthcoming Published Journal Articles and Book Chapters
(Full length books are listed on other pages of this website)
2022
- Douglas Wilkie, « Marie Callegari in Australia : the identity of Alexandre Dumas’s narrator in Le Journal de Madame Giovanni. » Explorations. A Journal of French-Australian Connections, number 54, Australian winter, 2013, p. 3-24. Traduction : Isabelle Safa.
- French translation of the above article republished in Cahiers Alexandre Dumas, 2022, No.49, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2022, 45-61.
2021
- ‘Riding with the Superintendent: The Other Mrs McCrae’, La Trobeana [Forthcoming: Undergoing Peer Review]
2019
- ‘‘I feel it worse than when I was transported’: Joseph Forrester’s rejection by his family’ [Working title], Heather Dalton (ed), Book chapter in Keeping Family in an age of long distance trade, discovery and settlement 1450 – 1850. [Withdrawn]
2018
- “The Convict Ship Hashemy at Port Phillip: A cautionary tale”. Circa: the Journal of Professional Historians, (6), 50-57. [Peer Reviewed Journal Article]
2017
- ‘Ballarat’s Betsy Buckley: ‘victim of circumstance’ or ‘habitual criminal?’ [Victorian Historical Journal, December 2017] [Peer Reviewed Journal Article]
2016
- ‘Femina Incognita: Alexandre Dumas’s Madame Giovanni’, Terrae Incogitae, Journal of the Society for the History of Discoveries (USA), Vol. 48 No. 1, March 2016 [Peer Reviewed Journal Article] Also available through Taylor & Francis Online
- ‘Frankenstein, Convicts and Wide-Awake Geniuses: The life and death of Charles Brentani’, Victorian Historical Journal, Vol. 87, No. 1, June 2016 [Peer Reviewed Journal Article]
- ‘Marie Callegari Finds Her Voice: How ‘She’ Became ‘I’. Writing history in the first person’. This essay is included as a final chapter in the book The Journal of Madame Callegari.
- 22 biographical entries of Convict Women researched and written for the online Edges of Empire Biographical Dictionary of Non-British Female Convicts, in collaboration with the Female Convicts Research Centre, Hobart, Lucy Frost (ed.), Convict Womens’ Press, Hobart, May 2016. [Peer Reviewed Short Biographies] All 22 entries available on Academia.
2015
- ‘To end my days in my native land: The life and death of Joseph Forrester, convict silversmith,’ Scots Under the Southern Cross, Ballarat Heritage Services, May 2015. [Peer Reviewed Book Chapter]
- ‘Eugenie Caroline Lemaire: Woman of Fashion and Influence; or con-woman?’ From the Edges of Empire: Female Convicts born or tried outside the British Isles, Lucy Frost (ed.), Convict Womens’ Press, Hobart, November 2015. [Peer Reviewed Book Chapter]
- ‘Louisa La Grange: Woman of Ten Identities,’ From the Edges of Empire: Female Convicts born or tried outside the British Isles, Lucy Frost (ed.), Convict Womens’ Press, Hobart, November 2015. [Peer Reviewed Book Chapter]
- ‘Ten Thousand Fathoms Deep: Charles Joseph la Trobe’s decision to postpone gold exploitation in Port Phillip District until after separation from New South Wales in 1851,’ La Trobeana, March 2015.[Peer Reviewed Journal Article]. Download the full edition of La Trobeana here.
2014
- ‘Panic and Exodus: Melbourne’s reaction to the discovery of gold at Bathurst in May 1851’ Victorian Historical Journal, December 2014 [Peer Reviewed] This article was shortlisted for the “Best Peer Reviewed History Article” in the 2015 Victorian Community History Awards.
- ‘The convict ship Hashemy at Port Phillip: a case study in historical error’ Victorian Historical Journal, vol 85, no 1, June 2014 [Peer Reviewed]. Also reviewed by Honest History.
- ‘Finding Forrester: The life and death of Joseph Forrester, convict silversmith’, History Scotland, Part One, vol 14, no 4, July/August 2014: 22-29 [Peer Reviewed]
- ‘Finding Forrester: The life and death of Joseph Forrester, convict silversmith’, History Scotland, Part Two, vol 14, no 5, September/October 2014 [Peer Reviewed]
2013
- ‘Madame Callegari in Australia: The identity of Alexandre Dumas’s narrator in Impressions de voyage: journal de madame Giovanni’ Explorations, Winter 2013 [Peer Reviewed]
- ‘Earth, Wind, Fire, Water – Gold.’ History Australia, August 2013. [Peer Reviewed]. Also available through Taylor & Francis Online DOI: 10.1080/14490854.2013.11668463
- ‘Eugenie Caroline Lemaire: Woman of Fashion and Influence; or con-woman?’ Chainletter 13, May 2013.
2012
- Finding Forrester: The life and death of Joseph Forrester, convict silversmith’, Tasmanian Historical Studies, vol 17, 2012 [Peer Reviewed]
- ‘Take the times as the go and the men as they are: The story of Louisa La Grange’, Tasmanian Historical Research Association Papers & Proceedings, vol 59, no 1, April 2012.
2011
- ‘The Life and Loves of Eugene Rossiet Lennon’, Tasmanian Historical Research Association Papers & Proceedings, vol 58, no 1, April 2011.
Articles and Books In Preparation
- ‘Strangers In Paradise: The European Settlement of Australia Felix’ [Book in research stage]
- ‘Pirate women and female sailors: Cross-dressing female sailors in the early nineteenth century’. [In research stage].
- ‘Emotivation for Action: Emotion and motivation in the Romantic Age of the Port Phillip District’. [In research stage]
- ‘Charles La Trobe and the Great Exhibition of 1851’ [Article in preparation]
Professional Conferences and Seminars
2021
- ‘Dr Farquhar McCrae of La Rose and Moreland‘, Presentation to Coburg Historical Society, October 2021 [Forthcoming]
2017
- ‘Self Publishing History: alternatives to commercial publishing‘, presented to the University of Melbourne, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies Fellows Group, 25 January 2017.
2016
- ‘1849 The Rush That Never Started‘, presented to the Australian Historical Association Conference ‘From Boom to Bust’, Ballarat, 4-8 July 2016.
- ‘Duchene/Hargraves and the Discovery of Gold Three or Four Days Journey from Sydney‘, University of Melbourne, SHAPS Fellows Research Day, 1 July 2016.
- ‘The convict ship Hashemy at Port Phillip: a case study in historical error’, Professional Historians Association Conference, Melbourne, 19-20 August 2016.
2015
- ‘The adventures of a brothel keeper: Bad Girl Bess and Polly the Nipper’, Female Convicts Research Centre Seminar, Hobart, 9 May 2015.
2014
- ‘Alexandre Dumas’s Madame Giovanni,’ Australian Society for French Studies (ASFS) Conference, RMIT, December 2014.
- ‘A micro-historical re-evaluation of the origins of the 1851 Victorian gold rushes,’ paper presented to The University of Melbourne History Department Fellows Group meeting, September 2014.
- ‘The Discovery of Madame Giovanni through Digital Research,’ paper presented to The University of Melbourne History Department Fellows Group Research Day, 25 July 2014.
- ‘Digital Research Methods’, Panel Member, The University of Melbourne History Department Fellows Group Research Day, 25 July 2014.
- ‘Impressions of a Van Diemonian Convict Woman: The true identity of the narrator in Alexandre Dumas’s, Impressions de voyage: journal de madame Giovanni. CAIA Symposium, ‘Travelling—Writing—Tasmania’, 6 February 2014, Launceston.
2013
- ‘Eugenie Caroline Lemaire: Woman of Fashion and Influence; or con-woman?’ Seminar presentation by invitation of Professor Lucy Frost, FCRC, Hobart, 9 November 2013.
- ‘Earth, Wind, Fire, Water – Gold.’ Paper presented to Australian Victorian Studies Association (AVSA) conference, The University of Melbourne, February 2013.
2012
- ‘A Man of Most Exemplary Conduct: Alexandre Duchene’s Role in the Australian Gold Rushes of 1851’. Paper resented to AHA Conference, Adelaide, July 2012.
Historia Incognita 