Dr. Martin Thomas

Biography

Martin Thomas has a BA from the University of Sydney and a PhD from the University of Technology, Sydney. He has written and edited ten scholarly books and has extensive experience as a documentary maker and oral historian. His research focuses on Australian trans-national cultural history, particularly in relation to perceptions of place and representations of landscape, as well as narratives of cross-cultural encounters. He has extensively researched the history of early Australian anthropology and exploration, and his edited book 'Expedition Empire' became widely recognized for its critical examination of the socio-cultural forms of expeditions. Thomas has collaborated with Indigenous communities to gain new perspectives on the expeditions that impacted their cultures. He advocates for the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral remains and has conducted detailed research on the implications of scientific collecting on Indigenous beliefs about the spirit world and afterlife. Thomas’s published works include award-winning titles that explore various aspects of history and cultural representation. He is also an active supervisor of research students, particularly in the areas of exploration history, colonial and postcolonial history, and Indigenous history.

Research Interests

Experience