You have unlocked the Cabinet. Now... explore! First section | Second section | Third section

First Section All things queer and opposite How have scientists perceived Australia? Culture shapes our ways of seeing and understanding, thus science in Australia was long bound by Eurocentric expectations. But interaction with this new environment helped reshape these expectations, science itself grew and changed. What has been achieved by this process, and what remains undone? First tray - Remaking the land - 'Views of Tower Hill' Second tray - Charting success Third tray - New Horizons - 'Avec un ciel vierge' Fourth tray - Silences

Second Section Isolation and independence How has a scientific community been established? The development of Australian science is often portrayed as a march to independence - a triumphant victory over colonial mentalities, isolation and distance. But what did isolation mean to scientists? Why was it felt, and how was it overcome? First pair of drawers - Room to move? - 'I have much pleasure in sending you... some preparations...' Second pair of drawers - Networks within networks Third pair of drawers - Two-way traffic - 'Dear William, Thank you for your letter...'

Third Section The handmaiden of empire How have political and economic objectives shaped scientific research? In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were strong links between science and imperial expansion. In the twentieth century, war and economic development have made their demands. How has science responded? Where are the benefits, and the tensions? First drawer - Exports for empire Second drawer - Winning weapons and beyond

Prepared by Tim Sherratt (Tim.Sherratt@asap.unimelb.edu.au)
for publication on ASAPWeb. Last modified 9 March 1997.