The National Centre of Biography, in association with the Canberra branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, is organising the Twelfth Biennial Labour History Conference, Labour History & Its People, to be held at the Manning Clark Centre, Australian National University, on 15-17 September 2011.

The conference marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History by ANU academics.

Labour historian and Director of the National Centre of Biography, Professor Melanie Nolan, is convening the conference which has as its theme the role of biography in the study of Australian labour history.

Keynote speakers:
• Kim Sattler, Secretary of UnionsACT, who has been involved in the establishment of the National Museum of Labour History in Canberra)

• Professor Stuart Macintyre (University of Melbourne), will discuss ‘50 Years Hard Labour: A Retrospect’

Call for Papers:
Contributions by way of papers, themed discussion panels, audio/visual presentations and performances are invited from history professionals, labour activists and others.

Intending contributors should send an abstract of not more than 500 words to the convenor (Professor Melanie Nolan) by 1 February 2011.

Papers may be submitted for formal academic refereeing but must reach the convenor by 1 March 2011.

All papers (maximum length 5000 words) must be submitted by 1 August 2011 for distribution at the conference.

A book of selected conference papers will be published in 2012.

For further information contact the conference convenor, Professor Melanie Nolan, at melanie.nolan@anu.edu.au

The conference is supported by the Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU, the Research School of Humanities and Arts, ANU, the College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU, and Canberra-based trade unions.