Graeme John Davison, (born 1940) is an Australian historian who is the Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor in the School of Historical Studies 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 has a ...

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...

. He is best known for his work on Australian urban history. Davison won the prestigious

Ernest Scott Prize Ernest Scott Prize The pre-eminent prize for "original published research that contributes to the history of Australia or New Zealand or to the history of colonisation in these countries." Awarded since 1943, the prize is named in honor of Ernes ...

in 1979 for ''The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne''.

Early life and education

Davison was born to a Methodist family that viewed itself as being of "modest respectability". Davison received a Bachelor of Arts from 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 nor ...

and then attended the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

as part of his Rhodes Scholarship. Returned to Australia in the mid-1960s, Davison received his PhD from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...

in 1969 for his thesis,''The Rise and Fall of "Marvellous Melbourne" 1880–1895'' under the supervision of John Andrew La Nauze and F. B. Smith. He was married by the time he completed his thesis.

Academic career

Davison turned his doctoral thesis into a book in 1979, which won the

. His supervisor, La Nauze, had won the same prize for a second time in 1973. After teaching at Melbourne University, Davison began lecturing at Monash University in 1982 as the Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor in the School of Historical Studies. In his academic career Davison has written or co-written over ten books, over 30 peer-reviewed articles, 28 book chapters and edited three books. He has developed a reputation as "one of Australia’s leading experts on the elusive notion of national identity". He is often interviewed and his work is quoted in the news media on topics ranging from rural history to the history of home ownership.

Bibliography

Author

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davison, Graeme Living people 20th-century Australian historians Historians of Australia University of Melbourne alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford Australian National University alumni 1940 births Officers of the Order of Australia 21st-century Australian historians Writers from Melbourne