Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Ballarat 
• Master of Arts, University of Ballarat 
• Diploma TESOL, University of Ballarat 
• Preliminary Master of Arts, University of Ballarat 
• Graduate Diploma of Education, University of Ballarat 
• Bachelor of Arts, Deakin University 

Areas of interest

• Australian colonial shared history 
• Aboriginal history (post-contact period) 
• The aftermath of WW1 Australia (Australian war graves service and detachment) 
• Heritage collections and interpretations 

Areas of expertise

Fred’s collaborative research projects focusing on Australian colonial shared history are at the forefront of this field of research. Prominent examples of this are prestigious Fellowships at University of Queensland, Australian Prime Minister’s Research Centre and appointments to academic panels tasked with advancing global recognition of nomination(s) to the World Heritage List.  

Grants and consultancies 

• Wadawurrung Native Title Claim (VID693/2022) Expert Historical Report, Victorian Government Solicitor's Office. ($50,000) 
• ‘Dialogue with Difficult Objects: Mediating Controversy in Museums’, Australian National University. ARC Linkage. ($400,000) 
• ‘Dja Dja Wurrungs Goldfield History’ The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation. ($2.500) 
• ‘Bringing the Avenue of Honour to Life: the Lucas Girls and World War One Soldiers’ Victoria Remembers Grant Program, Victorian Premiers Office. ($10,000) 
• Aboriginal Heroes of Fire, Flood and Food. Telematics Trust.($50,000) 
• ‘The role of Aboriginal Knowledge in the defence of Australia during World War Two’ Australian Army History Unit Grant. ($10,000) 
• ‘Ordinary people in Extraordinary Circumstances: The Australian War Graves Workers and the Red Cross Enquiry Volunteers’. Victoria Remembers Major Grant Program. ($50,000) 
• ‘Gunbower Forest Sediment Cores for Ecological and Cultural Change’ North Central Catchment Management Authority & Barapa Barapa Traditional Owners. ($35,000) 
• ‘Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Gariwerd' Parks Victoria Grampians & Gariwerds Traditional Owners (TOs) represented by Barengi Gadjin, Martang and Eastern Maar. ($5,000) 
• ‘Aboriginal Ecological Knowledge - Gunaikurnai Information Hub. Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. CeRDI. ($58,000) 
• ‘The Burke and Wills Scientific Expedition 1860-1: The Aboriginal Story’ ARC Linkage with Royal Society of Victoria. ($104,000) 
• ‘Pest Animal Management within the Mallee Region, specifically in relation to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Sites - Literature Review’, Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Millewa-Mallee Traditional Owners. ($3,000) 
• ‘Literature Review of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge for Gunditj Mirring and Glenelg Hopkins CMA’ Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority & Parks Victoria. ($23,000) 
• ‘Fire on River Red Gum Communities – Literature Review. Report by the Centre for Environmental Management’, University of Ballarat for Parks Victoria & Yorta Yorta. ($10,000) 

Awards

• 2016–2026: Detailed Assessor FOR code 2022, Australian Research Council 
• 2015–2025: Detailed Assessor, Australian Awards for University Teaching 
• 2023–2025: Council Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 
• 2021: FedUni Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Community Engagement 
• 2021: FedUni Vice-Chancellor Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning 
• 2020: FedUni Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision 
• 2013–2026: Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 
• 2014–2022: Expert Academic Panel Member by appointment Gunditjmirring World Heritage Nomination Summit 
• 2021: Expert Historical Advisor, Chinese Australia Museum’s national and international exhibition ‘Our Story: Aboriginal Chinese People in Australia’ 
• 2021–2026: Board Member, Koala History and Sustainability Research Cluster (KHSRC) https://www.khsrc.com.au/  
• 2021: Expert Historical Research Advisor, World Heritage Nomination Summit, Central Goldfields of Victoria 
• 2011–2023: Editorial Board, Public Records Office of Victoria  
• 2018–2021: History Advisory Committee(s) Board, Eureka Centre Museum  
• 2018–2022: Partner researcher, Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations Cultural Fire Strategy  
• 2018: Victorian Premiers History Awards (Short Listed). ‘Kurrburra the Boonwurrung Wirrirrap and Bard (1797-1849) – a man of high degree' 
• 2019: Victorian Premiers History Awards (Short Listed) Digital Storytelling Award ‘Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances: “The Missing”’ 
• 2022: Global Short Film Awards.  Honourable Mention. 'The Missing' Wind and Sky
• 2021: Spotlight Documentary Film Awards Silver Award 'The Missing' Wind and Sky 
• 2023: Zurich and U.S.A, Inspirational Film Festival, (Winner: Best Short Documentary)
• 2022: London, Lonely Wolf International Film Festival Spring Edition, (Semi-Finalist, Best Short Documentary)
• 2022: New York and Cannes Global Short Film Awards, (Honourable Mention)
• 2022: British Short Film Awards (Nominee)
• 2022: Berlin FilmHaus Film Festival (Finalist), Best Short Documentary 
• 2022: Tokyo SENSEI FilmFest (Nominee), Best Short Documentary & Best Expository Documentary 
• 2022: Hawaii International Festival of Independent Cinema (Semi-Finalist), Best Short Documentary 
• 2022: Madrid Semi-Finalist, Best Short Documentary, Climax Film Journal and Awards
• 2022: Madrid Semi-Finalist, Best Theme-Driven Documentary, Climax Film Journal and Awards
• 2021: Atlanta (U.S.A) Spotlight Documentary Film Awards (Silver Award)  
• 2021: Ogeechee International History Film Festival (Screening) 
• 2021: Melbourne, Documentary Short, Oz Indie Film Festival, (Finalist)
• 2020: Australian Teachers of Media Awards (Finalist) Best Documentary History
• 2018: Finalist, Best Cultural Diversity, Setting Sun Short Film Festival, ‘Seeing the Land from an Aboriginal Canoe’. Wind and Sky
• 2018: Finalist, Best Documentary Metro, Setting Sun Short Film Festival, ‘Seeing the Land from an Aboriginal Canoe’ Wind and Sky
• 2017: Victorian Premiers Community History Awards for Local History Project (Commendation) The Children of the Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate
• 2015: Club Melbourne Fellowship (Finalist) 
• 2019: Victorian History Awards (Commendation). ‘Fire and Victorian Aboriginal people on the Colonial Frontier’ 
• 2016: MAGNA Museums and Galleries National Awards (High Commendation) ‘Seeing the Land from an Aboriginal Canoe’ Documentary produced by Wind & Sky Productions
• 2015: Victorian History Awards (Commendation) 'Murnong, much more than a food' 
• 2015: NSW Premier's History Awards (short listed) (Australian History Prize category) for 'The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills: Forgotten Narratives' 
• 2013: Victorian History Awards (Commendation) History Publication Award for Black Gold Aboriginal people on the Goldfields of Victoria, 1850-1870
• 2022: Victorian Premiers History Article Award (Commendation)
• 2021: Victorian Premiers History Article Award (Commendation)
• 2021: Victorian Premiers Digital History Storytelling Award (Commendation)  
• 2021: Victorian Premiers History Award (Shortlisted)
• 2018: Australian Society of Archivists Mander Jones Award for ‘best publication to engage and communicate with clients or potential clients of an Australian archive or archival collection about Australia’ 
• 2017: Victorian Premiers Local History Project Award (Commendation)
• 2016: Victorian Premiers Peer Reviewed History Article Award (Commendation) 
• 2016: Victorian Fire Awareness Award for Partnership (‘Living with Bushfire Community Conference’) 
• 2014: Victorian History Awards 'The Historic Importance of the Dingo in Aboriginal Society in Victoria (Australia): A Reconsideration of the Archival Record'
• 2015: University of Queensland Research (Industry) Fellow 
• 2015: Australian Prime Ministers Centre Research Fellowship 
• 2012–2018: Geographics Aboriginal Place Names Advisory Panel to the Victorian Surveyor General 

• Bachelor of Arts 

Specialist roles

• Founding member, Koala History and Sustainability Research Cluster (KHSRC)
• Research team member, Future Regions Research Centre (FRRC)  

• The Missing online exhibition https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/the-missing 
• Aboriginal Heroes of Fire, Flood and Food https://www.aboriginalheroesmatter.org.au/ 
• 'The Missing, the Red Cross Information Bureau and Australian War Graves Workers’ (Documentary Film)  Wind & Sky Productions 
• ‘Facing Up: A Sound Installation commenting on prime ministerial statements relating to the status and well-being of Australia’s Indigenous population from federation to the present day’, Creative Arts Australia (Victoria) & Biennale of Australian Art
• 'Seeing the land from an Aboriginal Canoe’ Culture Victoria Website. Wind & Sky Productions, State Library of Victoria, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Public Record Office Victoria, Museum Victoria and Sovereign Hill Museums Association 
• ‘Hidden Histories – The Wadawurrung People’ Digital Tour. Sovereign Hill Museum 
• ‘Aboriginal People of the Victorian Goldfields’ – Digital Tour for Telematics / Sovereign Hill Museums Association prepared for Sovereign Hill Museums Association
• ‘Iconic Rivers Program - "Yarrowee River History Peel to Prest" Historical Research Project’ Report
• ‘Summary of Dja Dja Wurrung participation in the central Victoria Goldfields’ Prepared by Fred Cahir, Federation University Australia for Dja Dja Wurrung Corporation
• ‘Invisible People’ Report for Sovereign Hill Museum and Wadawurrung Corporation’  
• ‘Gunbower Forest monitoring reports: Gunbower Forest paleoecological history intervention monitoring 2017–18’. Prepared for Barapa Barapa Traditional Owners and Murray Darling Commission  
• ‘Literature review and report on the Gunaikurnai traditional ecological knowledge of fire’ for Gunaikurnai Traditional Owner Land Management Board and Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation
• ‘Aboriginal Bio-Culture Knowledge for Gariwerd - Research Scoping Project Report for Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria’
• Historical Advisor for ‘Gold Diggers’, (2023) KOJO/CBS Studios 
• Lead Investigator/Historian ‘Murnong Citizen Science Project’