The study will produce the first comprehensive history of Australian press photography, spanning newspapers in all states and territories.

Lead researcher and prominent journalist Michael Gawenda said he was thrilled to have secured an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant.
 
“This project will enable us to look at an area of journalism that is often neglected: the place of photography in Australian journalism and the way photography has recorded major events in Australian history,” he said.

“It will also look at how the photograph - and now video – has been used in journalism to record social and political change.”

The project attracted $203,627 from the ARC, and will also receive support from the National Library of Australia and the Australian Walkley Foundation.

14 other University of Melbourne projects will share in a further $4.3m from the latest round of ARC funding, announced by the Science and Research Minister, Senator Chris Evans, today

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Professor Jim McCluskey, said the awards were recognition of the University’s status as a leading research body.

“It’s really a testament to the depth, quality and range of research at the University of Melbourne,” he said,

“I warmly congratulate all our grant recipients on their achievements and commend their hard work to date.”

A History Of Press Photography in Australia will explore the history, ethics and editorial prominence of press photography, as well as issues of censorship.

The professionalisation of press photographers and the shifting role of amateur and citizen photographers will also be scrutinized.

“This is a wonderful project at a time when journalism is in a great period of change and the use of photography and video is increasingly important in the digital age,” Mr Gawenda said.

In a journalism career spanning more than three decades, Mr Gawenda has been a political reporter, foreign correspondent, columnist and Editor-in-Chief of The Age from 1997 to 2004.
 
“The whole research team and our partners will be thrilled as well and eager to get on with this exciting project,” he said.

Associate Professor Sally Young from the University’s School of Social and Political Sciences and Dr Fay Anderson and Professor Kate Darian-Smith, both from the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, will also work on the research project.