I’m really pleased to share that I’ve been awarded a 2026 Libraries Tasmania Research Fellowship. The project is on Tasmania’s space history, from the establishment of Rossbank Observatory in 1840 through to the contemporary work being done here on tracking interplanetary spacecraft. There’s a surprisingly long thread connecting convict-era astronomy in Hobart to the antennas, satellites, and deep-space tracking that I talk about most months on ABC Radio, and I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in the State Library and Archives pulling that thread.
A big thank you to Libraries Tasmania and to everyone who has supported the application. Tasmania’s archives are genuinely world-class, and this kind of programme is a reminder of how lucky we are to have them.
Congratulations also to the other 2026 recipients: Liz Tew (Aboriginal Fellowship, examining colonial surveyor records from 1803 to 1840), Robert Jarman (Writing Fellowship, on the convict actor Alonzo Johnson), and Sam George-Allen (Writing Fellowship, forest-themed short stories). Looking forward to seeing all of this work emerge.
I’ll write more as the research takes shape. There’s a great deal more space in Tasmania’s history than most people realise.
Header photo: Libraries Tasmania.