Dr. Samuel Furphy

Biography

Sam Furphy is a historian based at the National Centre of Biography, School of History, with expertise in Australian colonial history, Aboriginal history, and British imperial history. He works as a research editor for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and was a recipient of the Australian Research Council early career fellowship from 2014 to 2017. His recent research has focused on Indigenous Australian experiences during the home front of the World Wars and the role of Aboriginal protectors in colonial Australasia. Furphy convened the 2018 Australian Historical Association Conference and is known for his authorship of 'Edward M. Curr: The Tide of History' (2013), a biography discussing a pastoralist and stock inspector whose writings were influential in the Yorta Yorta native title case (1994-2001). He has also edited and co-edited significant works, including 'Aboriginal Protection Intermediaries in Britain’s Antipodean Colonies' (with Amanda Nettelbeck, 2019). Before joining the National Centre of Biography, he worked as a professional historian, writing commissioned histories, including the 'Australian Year Awards: Fiftieth Anniversary History' (2010).

Research Interests