The Greg Dening Memorial Prize

The Greg Dening Memorial Prize is awarded for the best graduate work in History, Classics or Archaeology. Established in 2009, the prize is offered to honour the wide-ranging contribution of Emeritus Professor Greg Dening to Melbourne Historical Journal over the years. We are delighted to be able to offer this prize, and do so with the strong support of Greg’s wife and fellow historian, Donna Merwick, and with the generous assistance of Fellows’ Group of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies.

The Greg Dening Memorial Prize is awarded to the graduate article which best engages with the broad themes and methodologies that were resonant in Greg’s own work and ideas. These include (but are not limited to):

  • Work that places a high emphasis on creativity
  • The engagement with cross-cultural history, particularly between European and Indigenous peoples
  • Work that emphasises performance and the performative nature of historical writing
  • Work that emphasises the use of metaphor
  • Interdisciplinarity, particularly between History and Anthropology
  • Work that explores an element of religious history
  • Articles that are in some way reflective in nature and, like Greg’s own work, display a sharp awareness of audience

Winners include Elizabeth Tunstall (2019/2020), Nat Cutter (2018), Toby Nash (2016), Rula Paterson (2015), Marianne Schultz (2011) and Kiera Lindsey (2009).

School of Historical and Philosophical Studies Fellows’ Group Annual History Essay Prize

The prize, worth $1000, is awarded for the best published essay submitted by a School of Historical and Philosophical Studies student undertaking a Masters or PhD thesis on a historical topic.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you need to:

  • In the year the article is submitted for the Prize, be or have been enrolled in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne, to undertake a Masters or PhD thesis on a historical topic within the twelve months before the closing date stated on the application form
  • Have had the essay published or accepted for publication in a refereed journal, including Melbourne Historical Journal, within twelve months before the closing date stated on the application form

Successful recipients are required to:

  • Accept award online within 21 days
  • Give a paper to the SHAPS Fellows’ Group at a mutually convenient date.

Selection criteria

  • Essays should be up to 9,000 words in length inclusive of Endnotes and/or Footnotes
  • Co-authored essays will be considered if authors meet the conditions above
  • The author/s may submit more than one entry
  • The decision of the judging panel will be final
  • The judging panel will assess essays by reference to the following: scholarly quality of research, writing and presentation and contribution to a new understanding of history
  • Copies of the successful publication will be deposited in the National Library of Australia

For more information and to apply please see the SHAPS Essay Prizes page on the Unimelb scholarships website.