Transnational Protest, Australia and the 1960s

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

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2. Introduction

   • Jon Piccini

   Pages 1-15

3. Origins

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17

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   2. From Helpless Natives to Revolutionary Heroes: An Evolving Ethic of Solidarity

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 19-40

   3. Turning Over Marx and Mao and Intently Lengthening Their Hair: Writing, Debating, and Living the Global

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 41-76

4. Comings and Goings

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 77-77

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   2. Revolutionary Tourists: Australian Activists, Travel and 1968

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 79-111

   3. Our Unpolluted Shores: Radical Arrivals and the Politics of the Border

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 113-146

5. Possibilities and Disillusionment

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 147-147

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   2. Wider Horizons: Indigenous Australians Abroad and the Limits of Global Activism

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 149-179

   3. A Dangerous Disease to Catch: Overseas Students, Transnational Policing and the Passing of an Idea

      • Jon Piccini

      Pages 181-213

6. Back Matter

   Pages 215-251

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Australia is rarely considered to have been a part of the great political changes that swept the world in the 1960s: the struggles of the American civil rights movement, student revolts in Europe, guerrilla struggles across the Third World and demands for women’s and gay liberation. This book tells the story of how Australian activists from a diversity of movements read about, borrowed from, physically encountered and critiqued  overseas manifestations of these rebellions, as well as locating the impact of radical visitors to the nation. It situates Australian protest and reform movements within a properly global – and particularly Asian – context, where Australian protestors sought answers, utopias and allies.  Dramatically broadens our understanding of Australian protest movements, this book presents them not only as manifestations of local issues and causes but as fundamentally tied to ideas, developments and personalities overseas, particularly to socialist states and struggles in near neighbours like Vietnam, Malaysia and China.'Jon Piccini is Research and Teaching Fellow at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. His research interests include the history of human rights and social histories of international student migration.'

• Australian History
• Transnational History
• History of the Sixties
• Social Movement History
• History of Travel

“Piccini’s history is impressive. … his work is carefully and richly researched, and embellished with well-chosen quotes. The book engages well with the current global literature on the global turn and multiple other subjects. Overall its crisp focus on the relationship between Australian and Asian radicalism sets a benchmark for further transnational explorations of the New Left and associated social movements, globally.” (Toby Boraman, The American Historical Review, Vol. 124 (2), April, 2019)

“Transnational Protest offers a history of Australian radical activism in the late 1960s through six case studies. Each case study examines the ways that activists in Australia received and responded to ideas from overseas, or how they themselves travelled overseas and investigated radical ideas in their original contexts. … Transnational Protest is an impressive debut and represents an injection of exciting new material into the historiography of the Australian 1960s.” (Nick Irving, Australian Historical Studies, Vol. 49 (1), February, 2018)



“Transnational Protest uses case studies drawn particularly from the student, indigenous, socialist and anti-war movements to explore how activists and their practice ‘became’ transnational, in a period often viewed as the dawn of contemporary globalisation. … This is a meticulously researched and important book which contributes a great deal to our understanding of Australia’s 1960s.” (Kate Murphy, Labour History, Issue 112, May 2017) 

“An original and accomplished contribution to the scholarly literature on Australia in the 1960s.” (Stuart Macintyre, University of Melbourne, Australia)

“The impressive strengths of this book lie in its theoretical understanding of social movements and social theory; its fine writing and organization; its handling of the theme of transnationalism and its equally original unearthing of a great deal of primary source material.” (Ian Tyrrell, University of New South Wales, Australia)

“An innovative and carefully researched work, that offers new insights into Australian history and the history of transnational protest.”  (Sean Raymond Scalmer, University of Melbourne, Australia)

• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

  Jon Piccini

Jon Piccini has held teaching appointments at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia and Macquarie University, Australia. His research interests include history of the sixties, the history of human rights and social histories of international student migration.

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