Zara

I am fortunate to have recently published my first journal article entitled Rape, law and stories of trauma: representations of sexual violence in The Australian Women’s Weekly, 1970–82 with the wonderful team at History Australia. doi.org/10.1080/1449...

‘The differing perspectives afforded by the sources – taken together, separately, for one family, or all – complicate analysis. We see multiple – contradictory – versions of the same man’ Kristen Alexander’s Archives & memory: glimpses of abuse and violence in ex-POW homes doi.org/10.1080/1449...

Are you a creative professional who created or contributed to a fictional work about child sexual abuse? We would like to learn more about your creative process. Join our research study: canva.link/csarepscreat... #callforparticipants #research #childsexualabuse

A car hit an Australian federal independent lawmaker, critically injuring her in a potentially deliberate act in Victoria state, police said. Her family confirmed that the victim was 65-year-old Helen Haines. The driver has been arrested.

The past few months has since a significant increase in sexual assault media reporting. Media commentary on sexual violence, especially those that trivialise & minimise sexual assault can cause immense distress. If this is you please know there are support services available and you deserve care 🫶

“A college student died after she was drugged with fentanyl and raped in a New York City college dorm room, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday. The student, who prosecutors did not name, and another unnamed student were drugged in a college residence hall in Manhattan in March”

‘The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that a letter from seven party members was sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge on Tuesday night. The letter states the group has been made aware of "multiple allegations" against the senator that span from 2017 to 2025.’

‘Curtin University's vice-chancellor says a planned merger of three Western Australian universities "solves problems that we don't have and creates problems that we don't need".‘ www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...

This is a great piece of the inherent limitations of consent education to prevent sexual assault. It is especially true in the Australian context with campaigns such as teach us consent that harmfully framed rape as an issue of misunderstanding or miscommunication (thus removing boys/men’s agency)

“As long as domestic and family violence endures, the history of feminist refuges, for which IWY [International Women’s Year] was a defining moment, orients itself as much to the present and the future as it does to the past.” Catherine Kevin & Zora Simic doi.org/10.1080/1031...

Nicole is a leading expert on the issue of campus sexual violence. I am floored that USA Today would do this to her. I find this kind of journalistic behavior unethical and morally reprehensible, twisting an interview with a renowned advocate for survivors into a hit piece against a survivor.

Have you experienced sexual violence and want to share your views on counselling notes requests and legal systems? We are conducting a survey to learn about the relationship between counselling and the legal system. Find out more and complete the survey: swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

PhDone. My thesis A History of Sexual Assault Reporting in The Age, 2011-20 is now online. The last month has demonstrated once again the need for ethical and responsible sexual assault reporting both in traditional media forums and on social media. doi.org/10.26199/acu...

Yay, page proofs! ✨️ I am really looking forward to this upcoming book ⬇️ Sexual Violence in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Silent Aftermaths of World War II Edited by Joohee Kim & Maren Röger, will appear @ceu-press.bsky.social soon

With this news there may be an increase in media discourse around sexual violence. I'm gently reminding you to keep in mind victim-survivors if you share any commentary. Please if you need support reach out as you are so deserving! www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

My fellow historians, which single academic article of yours do you think 'teaches best', i.e. for both staff and students it's doing work that leads to a strong class discussion + students remember it? I am interested in how people see their own work. I'll go first. Hit reply and link your pick!

I wrote about the White Australia policy, the myth, the fantasy, for the Conversation.

New #OpenAccess article by @helenaaeberli.bsky.social on pica, a lesser-known eating disorder, and its gendered associations with pregnant women and pubescent girls in early modern England. #EarlyModern #Skystorians #GenderHistory #HistMed onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/CYRU3R...

New article has just been published OA @womenshistoryrev.bsky.social ! Lots of archival work in here tracing the the women who ran “Indian houses” in #17thc London. Including one woman who may have helped plot the Glorious Revolution!! #earlymodern www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Simple explanations and contextless analysis are the death of good history. Embrace the fact that it's difficult, that it's weird, that it's convoluted, and that it's complicated. It'll give you the answers you're looking for.

Coming to a bookstore near you in February 2027.

Excited to attend the AHA 2026 Conference Opening this evening at Macquarie Uni’s Wallumattagal Campus 📚 Looking forward to the AWHN Stream across the program: event.mq.edu.au/aha-2026/pro...

History Australia 23(2) has just dropped. Time to grab a ☕ and dig in. Browse the full issue 🔗 www.tandfonline.com/toc/raha20/c...

Just 1 example of the kind of thing unis are getting for their massive spend on consultants. ANU spent $6k on a "non-significant meeting" with a reputation management firm at which apparently no one took a note. That's more than a tutor gets for a semester's work thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

My book Quiet Protest: A New History of Activism during the Vietnam War (@newsouthpublishing.bsky.social) is out tomorrow (but I have seen photo evidence that it's already out on display in an array of bookstores if you want to get in early). (1/3) unsw.press/books/quiet-...

My article in the newest volume of Lilith A Feminist History Journal is out now. 'Citrus Queens' is based on a talk I gave at the AHA conference 2024, and is about Riverland women negotiating belonging in 1960s SA. press.anu.edu.au/publications...

‘AI technology will lessen the power of “highly educated, often female voters” [as it] “disrupts humanities-trained—largely Democratic—voters, and makes their economic power less. And increases the economic power of vocationally trained, working-class, often male, working-class voters”.’

Can't tell you how thrilled I am to see my PhD student Mary Bellman's first article published! 🥳 'The Demetrius Dilemma: The Implications of Induced Love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream' in the British Shakespeare Association's journal, *Shakespeare*: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Also we should talk about the piece from The Conversation about their own survey where they don’t release the survey itself so we can’t look at the methodology, sampling or even the results You can’t do polling analysis and go ‘trust me bro’ as the source instead of a published poll