Dianne Hall

Irish immigrants and their offspring were the largest group to populate Australia between 1788 and 1945, after settlers of English birth and descent. The Irish comprised nearly 25 per cent of all non-Indigenous Australians by the time of Federation in 1901. A New History of the Irish in Australia, as its title suggests, offers a new look at this major group of founding peoples. The book uses source materials not employed previously; it examines topics not studied in the past; it takes approaches not attempted before; and it draws upon the latest research published, not only in Australia, but overseas as well. The book does not aspire to be a general account, like the one Patrick O'Farrell published over 30 years ago. Instead, this new history is concerned with certain key themes and topics, some dealt with previously, but many not--or at least not dealt with in Australia before. Issues around race, gender, colonialism, popular culture, immigration restriction, eugenics, crime, mental health, employment discrimination, politics, war and religion are all interrogated. While taking a traditional national approach in focusing on the Irish in one country, the book also has a trans-national dimension in that it situates the Australian Irish experience in the much broader context of the worldwide Irish diaspora. By adopting this approach, the book reveals much about what Irish Australians shared with Irish communities elsewhere, but, in addition, it throws light on the ways in which the Irish-Australian experience was unique. In doing so, this book makes a significant contribution to the history of Australia, of Ireland and of the Irish diaspora.

A Review of Ethical Issue Considerations in the Information Systems Research Literature summarizes the treatment of ethical considerations that have been made by information systems researchers. When examined in this fashion, one finds that information systems research over the years that incorporates an ethical perspective has transitioned from a focus on codes of ethics and general notions of behavior to more sophisticated models of piracy, privacy, and security. There has been a steady focus on theory development over the last ten years, as well as constant scrutiny on the obligations of information system researchers to both the subjects of studies and the consumers of the research results. The monograph begins with a brief introduction and review of major ethical theories. This is followed by the category summaries, which are listed in alphabetical order to enable a reader to jump to a specific topic. The last sections address future research opportunities and the conclusions drawn.

Imperial spaces takes two of the most influential minority groups of white settlers in the British Empire – the Irish and the Scots – and explores how they imagined themselves within the landscapes of its farthest reaches, the Australian colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. Using letters and diaries as well as records of collective activities such as committee meetings, parades and dinners, the book examines how the Irish and Scots built new identities as settlers in the unknown spaces of Empire. Utilizing critical geographical theories of ‘place’ as the site of memory and agency, it considers how Irish and Scots settlers grounded their sense of belonging in the imagined landscapes of south-east Australia. Imperial spaces is relevant to academics and students interested in the history and geography of the British Empire, Australia, Ireland and Scotland.