Colourful Histories is the professional writing blog of Deborah Lee-Talbot. Deborah is a historian fascinated by materiality, religion, gender, archives, libraries and community engagement. With financial support from a scholarship at Deakin University, these interests are expressed in her PhD thesis ‘Kaleidoscopic archives: finding hidden histories in the Pacific records of the Australian Joint Copying Project’.
Deborah has proven her dedication to historical research, community linkages and achievable project outcomes time and time again. In 2023 she will conduct research at the State Library of New South Wales as CH Currey Fellow. She received a National Library of Australia Summer Scholarship in 2022 and was a highly commended author at the Pacific Historians Association conference for her paper in 2021. For her academic record and contribution to the University and wider community while studying, Deborah was awarded the Alfred Deakin Medal in 2018. Deborah volunteers in Victorian museums, researching the Pacific collections, whenever possible.
Published research and book reviews are available in History Today, Journal of Pacific History, Limina, Australian Policy and History, and the Professional Historians Association (Vic & Tas). Deborah’s research has also been presented at public events, seminars and conferences.
Inquiries are welcomed for commissioned histories, public speaking events, podcast appearances and research assistant contracts.
Latest posts
- From the archive of the archivist: a transcript of Phyllis Mander-Jones’ diary from Mailu, Papua, 1932.
- From the archive of the archivist: celebration menus
- From the archive of the archivist: 19th century Magic Lantern Slides.
- From the Archive of the Archivist: Mount Wilson, ‘Where the cow bells ring’.
- From the archive of the Archivist: Phyllis Mander-Jones’ ‘Librarian’s Lunacy’ script.
Deborah Lee-Talbot
Credit Joy M Lai
Colourful Histories 