Nick Ferns

There is a PhD scholarship on offer for someone to come and work on Asterix, with me, at Monash:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...

Nick Ferns compares the north of Australia with the south of Italy through the lens of development in looking at the World Bank. #AHA2025 #OzHA2025

Nick Ferns in Brighton Beach Marathon 2025

On 31 August I am going to run my first ever half marathon! As part of the run I’m trying to raise some money for the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation. If you have anything to spare it would be wonderful if you could support me by clicking this link:
brightonbeachmarathon25.grassrootz.com/peter-maccal...

One of the most grim things I’ve ever seen

For context, her claim was that Woolworths is not a supermarket

Conversation with 4yo where she was very wrong on a particular point, her follow up: ‘no it’s not, I’m right you’re wrong’. If only academia could work like that when I disagree with someone

In this article I examine how Australian representatives formed part of a ‘colonial bloc’ in the UN to defend their continued possession of trust territories. They did this well into the 1960s, even as UN criticism of colonialism intensified.

Colonialism on the Defensive: Australia in the United Nations Trusteeship Council In the years following the Second World War, the United Nations (UN) Trusteeship Council was vital to the evolution of colonial practices throughout the world. Predicated on the liberal imperial pr...

Very excited to see my newest article, ‘Colonialism on the Defensive: Australia in the UN Trusteeship Council’ has now been published in the International History Review! I started working on this in 2020 so I’m glad it’s finally out! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Sometimes being a historian of development leads one to read very dry material, sometimes it leads to articles about hovercraft

Close call today with a big tree branch falling on our roof. Thanks SES!

Today is a day where I have article revisions due (after already obtaining an extension) so of course it’s also a day where I have a compulsion to tackle random household chores

Another highlight of country towns: their timely political commentary

A view of the coastline in Merimbula

Happy to be on holiday with a pretty amazing view

A bookshelf with two labels: ‘war’ and ‘cricket’

The best thing about visiting small country towns is the op shops that contain the two book genres

Back at work today. Glad the cricket finished early so as not to keep taking up all of my attention between the hours of 10:30 and 6pm

Few things better than the drama of the final stages of a close test match. Last night in South Africa also had it going on

sesame street isn't supposed to make money. the post office isn't supposed to make money. not everything is supposed to MAKE MONEY

Was this written in 1963 or 2024 (or insert every other year in Australian history)?

So turning a couple of years worth of archival work into *actual written words* is pretty hard. Who’d have thought?!

Congratulations! This is such a cool project!

Three SSPP researchers win prestigious EU grants £4.5m of ERC grants will go to researchers in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

My project, DEVHIST, will focus on how aid workers and Global South communities renegotiated development projects at the point of implementation, to better understand the material outcomes of development aid. I’m so thrilled this was funded and can’t wait to get started
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/three-s...

Would love to be added to this!

For those who were unable to make it, here is the video of my talk about the World Bank and its interactions with Australia in the 1940s and 1950s! For fans of both international development as well as random facts about a racehorse named Bretton Woods!

www.youtube.com/live/qzGszuc...

Nice one Anna! Can confirm that it’s a pretty good way to spend three months!

Get to it people. Nick's a great speaker and well versed in this topic:

This is tomorrow! If you’re in Canberra come along at 12:30 to hear me talk about Australia and the World Bank. For those not in Canberra, you can watch online

www.nla.gov.au/whats-on/eve...

Australian Policy and History is on Bluesky!

We are a network of historians that provides politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and the public with historical knowledge in the pursuit of better public policy outcomes.

You can read our latest pieces and find out more here: aph.org.au

Lake burley griffin looking towards the national gallery and high court

I’ve had worse morning commutes

Next week I will be presenting the results of my NLA fellowship, exploring what Australia’s relationship with the World Bank tells us about Australia’s post-war economic growth. It will also be streamed online for those unable to make it in Canberra.

www.nla.gov.au/whats-on/eve...

This is a super interesting conversation that resonates with my current research into the World Bank in the 1940s and 1950s