The workshop 'Decolonisation in Australia and our region in the 20^th century and today', organised by Angela Woollacott (ANU); Heather Goodall (UTS); David Lowe (Deakin) and Jon Piccini (ACU) took place on September 26-27 at the Research School of Social Sciences. This event brought together 20 scholars from around Australia and New Zealand to explore together how decolonisation has shaped and continues to shape Australia and its region in interconnected ways.

Postwar decolonisation has been a paramount force shaping Australia and its regional neighbours. Since 1945, India, Indonesia, Fiji, East Timor and Papua New Guinea, for example, achieved formal independence from their imperial rulers through both bloody struggle and peaceful transition. Australia, however, has remained a constitutional monarchy while gradually moving towards national and cultural independence. For the First Nations peoples of Australia and many others across the Pacific, decolonisation is an ongoing process framed by an evolving UN-inspired human rights and self-determination language. Currents of decolonisation have also crossed the Indian Ocean. Activists and networks seeking legal, social, economic and environmental justice have long transcended borders in our region.

The papers presented looked at the histories and legacies of the British, French, German and Dutch empires, as well as considering Indonesia and Australia as regional imperial powers. Around the world, 20th-century decolonisation challenged the racialised structures and techniques developed by colonialism to sustain power, by mobilising calls for universal human rights, non-racialised civil rights, and anti-colonial thought. The workshop brought together social science, humanities and legal scholars working on various aspects and locations to form a larger picture of how these interconnected strands of decolonisation have combined to shape change, and current challenges.

Although most participants were historians, the group also included experts in the fields of Indigenous studies, anthropology, law and literature studies. Through multi-disciplinary research, it set new directions in decolonisation scholarship. Attendees included participants from the Australian National University as well as the University of Canberra, University of Technology Sydney, Australian Catholic University, Deakin University, the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Monash University, Flinders University, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, Curtin University and the University of Otago. This workshop was supported by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA).