Alan George Lewers Shaw (3 February 1916 – 5 April 2012) was an Australian historian and author of several text books and
historiographies
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...
on Australian and
Victorian history. He taught at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
and the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...
, and was professor of history at
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
from 1964 until his retirement in 1981.
Early life
Shaw was born in Melbourne on 3 February 1916 to George Shaw, a solicitor, and his wife Ethel née Lewers. Shaw was educated at
Melbourne Grammar School
(Pray and Work)
, established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation)
, type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding
, denomination ...
, where he was on the debating team, played violin in the orchestra and was awarded the Frank Grey Smith Scholarship for Classics or Modern Languages. He entered
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
in 1935, where he was president of the Dialectic Society in 1938. After graduating as a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
(BA) with first-class honours in history and political science, Shaw tutored at Trinity College before leaving for further study at
Christ Church, Oxford, graduating BA (later MA) with first-class honours in
philosophy, politics, and economics in 1940. While there, he was a member of the
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
and the
Oxford University Music Society.
Academic career
Shaw returned to Australia in 1940, working for the federal
Departments of Information, Army and Post-War Reconstruction. From 1941, alongside these government positions, Shaw returned to Melbourne University as part-time lecturer in economic history and tutor at Trinity College. During 1944 Shaw was appointed as joint acting dean of Trinity College, and as
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
in 1947. Shaw was captain of the squash team, and vice-president of the Dialectic Society at Trinity from 1941 to 1950. In 1946, Shaw became lecturer in modern history. He was associate editor of the journal ''Historical Studies'' (now ''
Australian Historical Studies
''Australian Historical Studies'', formerly known as ''Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand'' (1940–1967) and ''Historical Studies'' (1967–1987), is one of the oldest historical journals in Australia. It is regarded as the countr ...
'') from 1949 to 1951, and was a member of its editorial board. In 1950 he was awarded a Nuffield Dominion Travelling Fellowship and spent a year undertaking research in England into Australia's convict period.
On his return to Australia in 1952, Shaw became senior lecturer in history at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...
, and from 1953 to 1956 was sub-warden at
St Paul's College. He was the inaugural president of the History Teachers' Association of New South Wales from 1960 to 1964, and was co-editor of its journal, ''Teaching History''. While in Sydney, he served on the council of the
Royal Australian Historical Society
The Royal Australian Historical Society, formerly Australian Historical Society, is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney, Australia in 1901Helen Doyle, "Royal Australian Historical Society" in Graeme Davison, John Hirst and Stuart Ma ...
, and was editor of their journal
from 1954 to 1964. He was the first professionally trained historian to edit the journal.
In the early 1960s Shaw was called upon to adjudicate on the long-running Australian TV quiz show ''
Pick A Box
''Pick a Box'' was an Australian game shows that first aired on radio in 1948 until the early 1960s; subsequently, the concept transferred to TV and was broadcast from 1957 and 1971. The program was hosted by the husband and wife duo Bob and Do ...
'' when contestant
Barry Jones disputed the answer given to the question "Who was the first British Governor-General of India?".
Shaw returned to an academic position in Melbourne in 1964 as professor of modern history at
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
, only three years after teaching commenced there. He held this post until his retirement in 1981, at which time he was granted the status of emeritus professor. He served as a member of the Monash University Council from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1991. He was general editor of the three-volume official history of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
published for the state's sesquicentenary in 1984. For the
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australia ...
and the
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Austr ...
he edited a series of lectures in celebration of the sesquicentenary, published as ''Victoria's Heritage'' (1986).
Reputation and service
A review of his ''History of the Port Phillip District'' (1996) thought it a "meticulously researched and carefully crafted work which Shaw's earlier writings have led us to expect." The reviewer in ''Australian Historical Studies'' noted that Shaw handed his sources "judiciously, scrupulously and respectfully," and that "in another ninety-four years, men and women will still be turning to Shaw's work with faith and confidence".
In 1987 Shaw was elected president of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, and also served as a member of their finance, fellowship, speakers and editorial committees. Upon his resignation in 1991, the society thanked him for the "benefit of his wise counsel, erudition, discernment and gentle humour,"
Shaw helped found the Friends of the La Trobe Library, now incorporated as the State Library Foundation, and was president of the C.J. La Trobe Society from 2002 to 2003. The
State Library of Victoria recognised his contributions in the naming of its annual "AGL Shaw Summer Research Scholarships". The RHSV and the La Trobe Society also conduct a joint annual A.G.L. Shaw lecture in his honour.
Shaw was a benefactor to
Melbourne Opera
Melbourne Opera was founded in 2002 as a charitable not-for-profit company dedicated to producing opera and associated art forms in Melbourne, Victoria. With philanthropic assistance it has also toured to outer-suburban and regional Victorian thea ...
, and, due to his long association through art connections of his wife, Peggy Perrins Shaw (1917–2009), a major supporter and benefactor of the
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum.
The NGV houses an encyclopedic art collection across two ...
, creating the Shaw Research Library, now home to over 50,000 volumes. In his retirement, he did not give up teaching altogether, presenting lectures for the
University of the Third Age
The University of the Third Age (U3A) is an international movement whose aims are the education and stimulation of mainly retired members of the community—those in their third 'age' of life.
There is no universally accepted model for the U3A. I ...
(U3A) for many years.
Honours and awards
Shaw was elected as both a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (FAHA) and of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia (FASSA) in 1967, a Fellow of the
Royal Historical Society of Victoria
The Royal Historical Society of Victoria is a community organisation promoting the history of the state of Victoria, Australia. It functions to promote and research the history of that state after settlement, and as an umbrella organisation for m ...
(FRHSV) in 1973, a Fellow of the
Royal Australian Historical Society
The Royal Australian Historical Society, formerly Australian Historical Society, is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney, Australia in 1901Helen Doyle, "Royal Australian Historical Society" in Graeme Davison, John Hirst and Stuart Ma ...
in 1979, and as the first Fellow of the
Federation of Australian Historical Societies
The Federation of Australian Historical Societies (FAHS) is the peak body for historical societies throughout Australia.The Federation of Australian Historical Societieshome page Retrieved 24 August 2010.Cathy Pryor, "A force for the regions", ...
in 1998. In 2002, having sat on the editorial board from its formation in 1960 until 1999, as well as being section editor for the first two volumes and contributing ten articles, he was awarded the inaugural Medal of the ''
Australian Dictionary of Biography''.
In the 1982
Queen's Birthday Honours, Shaw was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to education. He was bestowed with an Honorary Doctor of Letters (HonLittD) from the University of Newcastle in 1984.
At Trinity College, Shaw was elected an honorary fellow in 1983 and elevated to senior fellow in 2011. In 1962 the distinguished artist
John Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO (born 7 June 1945) is a former Australian politician, diplomat and football commissioner. He was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001. He is now President of the Federal Liberal Party, C ...
completed an oil portrait of Shaw, which, since 2007 when Shaw donated it to Trinity College, has been part of the college's art collection.
Trinity Remembers AGL Shaw
/ref>
Public offices held
* Council of the Royal Australian Historical Society (1954–1958, 1960–1962, 1964)
* President of the History Teachers' Association of New South Wales (1960–1964)
* Council of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (1965–1971)
* Trinity College Council (1968–1978 and 1984–2005)
* Inaugural president of the Australian Historical Association (1973–1974)
* Member of the Library Council of Victoria (1976–1985)
* Monash University Council (1977–1979 and 1989–1991)
* President of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia (1978–1981)
* Chairman of the Public Records Advisory Council of Victoria (1979–1986)
* Chairman of the History and Literary Committee of the 150th Anniversary of Victoria Celebrations (1980–1983)
* Associate editor for Australia of the '' New Dictionary of National Biography'' (1984–2002)
* President of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (1987–1991)
* President of the C. J. La Trobe Society (2002–2003)
Bibliography
Books
* ''Economic Controls and Australia'' (Australian Army Education Service, ca. 1944)
* ''The Economic Development of Australia'' (1944)
* ''The Empire'' (Australian Army Education Service, ca. 1945)
* ''Australia and the British Commonwealth'' (RAAF Educational Services, ca. 1946)
* (with G R Bruns) ''The Australian Coal Industry'' (University of Melbourne, 1947)
* ''Our Coal'' (1949)
* ''The Story of Australia'' (1955)
* ''Modern World History: Social, Political and Economic Development, 1780–1950'' (1959)
* (with H.D. Nicholson) ''An Introduction to Australian History'' (1961)
* ''Emergence and Expansion: A Modern World History'' (1964)
* ''Convicts and the Colonies: A Study of Penal Transportation from Great Britain and Ireland to Australia and other Parts of the British Empire'' (1966)
* (with H.D. Nicholson) ''Growth and Development in Australia: An Introduction to Australian History'' (1966)
* ''Heroes and Villains in History: Governors Darling and Bourke in New South Wales'' (1966)
*
* ''A Short History of Australia: Part 1'' (1967)
* (with H.D. Nicholson) ''Australia in the Twentieth Century: An Introduction to Modern Society'' (1967).
* ''Great Britain and the Colonies, 1815–1865'' (1970)
* ''Ralph Darling'' (1971)
* ''Sir George Arthur, Bart, 1784–1854'' (1980)
* ''Reflections on Australian History and its Writings'' (1985)
* (ed.) ''Victoria’s Heritage'' (AAH and ASSA, 1986)
* (ed.) ''Gipps – La Trobe correspondence 1839–1846'' (1989)
* ''History of the Port Phillip District'' (1996)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, A.G.L.
1916 births
2012 deaths
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Officers of the Order of Australia
People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne)
People from Melbourne
University of Melbourne faculty
University of Sydney faculty
20th-century Australian historians
Monash University faculty
21st-century Australian historians