Past Events

The Centre for the Study of the Inland runs events to celebrate the work done by our members and bring together researchers focused on our key research areas.

On  the 25th of September, CSI held a screening of award-winning documentary 'Franklin'. Co-hosted with the Office of the Vice -Chancellor and hosted by Professor of Public Engagement, Clare Wright, this event gave the La Trobe community an opportunity to see this documentary full of never-before-seen archival footage and interviews about the  Franklin Campaign of the 1980s.

We were lucky enough to be joined by star of the film Oliver Cassidy, as well as Director of the Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, Professor Nick Bond and Associate Professor of History, Liz Conor for a panel discussion about the film, activism and our river systems.

The crisis of climate change demands more than scientific understanding and technical solutions. It requires us to think again about the demarcation between humans and nature, to revisit the legacies of colonialism and our fossil-fuelled industrial past and to imagine a radically different future.

This Melbourne event, in partnership with La Trobe’s Centre for the Study of the Inland, brought together museums, music, research and creative thinking from across the environmental humanities to reflect on how our disciplines are engaging with the challenge of living with climate change and acknowledge the personal stress, the responsibility and the injustice of the Great Acceleration.

Gold, from antiquity through to the present day, is the iconic symbol of wealth. What is less appreciated is the lasting environmental cost associated with the prospecting, extraction, and processing of gold. Held in conjunction with the exhibition of an international print exchange, this symposium brought together humanities scholars, scientists, Traditional Owners and visual artists to reflect on the role of mining in shaping Victoria’s landscapes, past, present, and into the future.

In just a few months, our lives were upended in so many ways by the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic  created challenges for our everyday lives and raises critical questions about the shape of all our futures.

But what has been its impact in regional Victoria? And what lies ahead as different regions face the on-going challenges of a changing climate, employment, water management, healthcare, transport and infrastructure.

The line-up included former member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, CEO of the Committee for Great Shepparton Sam Birrell, and Mildura businessman and community activist, Ross Lake. Moderating the discussion was Professor Katie Holmes, Director of La Trobe’s Centre for the Study of the Inland.