Living the
French Revolution
A symposium in honour of Peter McPhee
9-10 July 2019
Why is the French Revolution still relevant today, 230 years after the fall of the Bastille? The Living Revolution symposium will explore this question.
About the symposium
Celebrating the career of the great revolutionary historian, Emeritus Professor Peter McPhee AM, the symposium takes its name from a key dimension of his work - the experience of ordinary people living through extraordinary times, from rural peasants to Maximilien Robespierre. More than a dozen leading experts from around the world - one of the largest gatherings of revolutionary historians ever in Australia - will trace McPhee's legacy across a range of current topics in historical scholarship, from emotions, war and the "Terror", to global networks and environmental degradation. This symposium will offer an unparalleled opportunity to gain an up-to-the-minute picture of one of history's most dramatic events, and to learn more about one of Australia's great historians.
Download the Symposium Program
About Emeritus Professor Peter McPhee AM
Peter McPhee completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Alison Patrick. After teaching at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, he returned to a lectureship at Melbourne in 1987 and was appointed to a Personal Chair in History in 1993. He was Head of Department in 1996-99. He was appointed to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2003 before becoming the University's first Provost in 2007-09, with particular responsibility for the design and implementation of the University's new curriculum structures, the ‘Melbourne Model’. He is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Academy of Social Sciences. He became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012. Peter has published widely on the history of modern France, most recently Robespierre: a Revolutionary Life (Yale University Press, 2012); and Liberty or Death: the French Revolution (Yale University Press, 2016). He also wrote a biography of a Chancellor of the University, R.D. ('Pansy') Wright. Although formally retired, Peter continues to teach history to undergraduates, and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
Contact
For more information about the symposium please contact:
Ellie Clay, Public Programs and Events Coordinator
Email: ellie.clay@unimelb.edu.au
Download the Symposium Program
Keynote speakers
John Merriman, Yale University, USA
Keynote: Misery, Hope, and Terrorism in Paris during the Belle Epoque that Wasn't
I will consider Anarchism and Anarchist terrorists in Fin-de-Siecle Paris, in the 'Belle Epoque that Wasn't'. Most anarchists of course were not terrorists, but some among the 'illegalist' faction were. Two of my heroes were not. I will follow Victor Kibaltchiche (later Victor Serge) and Rirette Maitrejean, anarchist ideologues and peaceful people, and their relations to opposition to the Bonnot Gang, which terrorised Paris and its environs, 1911-12. And I will ask who really had the power of violence in these years?
John Merriman is Charles Seymour Professor of History at Yale University. In 2018, the American Historical Association honoured him with the annual award for lifetime scholarly distinction. His most recent books include History on the Margins; Ballad of the Anarchist Bandits; Dynamite Club; Massacre: the Life and Death of the Paris Commune; and the fourth edition of A History of Modern Europe since the Renaissance. Six of his books have been translated into various foreign languages. He lives in Balazuc, France, and North Haven, Connecticut.
Timothy Tackett, University of California - Irvine, USA
Public Lecture: Living in Paris during the French Revolution: The Story of an Ordinary Citizen
Under ordinary circumstances, the life of Adrien-Joseph Colson (1727-1797), before and during the French Revolution, would be totally unknown and forgotten. A petty lawyer residing in Paris, he never held any positions of authority; he never published any newspapers or pamphlets; he was never a member of a Revolutionary club. But nevertheless, he did write over a thousand letters to a friend in the provinces that have been almost miraculously preserved and that provide a remarkable account of his experiences. His correspondence is particularly fascinating in that it serves not only as a record of his own life but of that of his neighbours and his neighbourhood in the very centre of Paris where he lived. The paper will provide an overview of his biography, with particular emphasis on what it reveals of the intense emotions generated by the rumours, the denunciations, and the panic that swept through his neighbourhood and measurably affected the dynamics of the Revolution.
Timothy Tackett is an Emeritus Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. Among his more important books are Priest and Parish in Eighteenth Century France (1977); Religion, Revolution, and Regional Culture (1986); Becoming a Revolutionary (1996); When the King Took Flight (2003); and The Coming of the Terror (2015).
Registration
Registration for this event has closed.
Cost: $80 / $70 for University of Melbourne Alumni, Staff and Students
Prices are inclusive of GST.
Registration includes:
- Attendance at the symposium on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July 2019
- Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on Tuesday
- Reception drinks and nibbles prior to the Public Lecture
- Lunch and afternoon tea on Wednesday
Location
The symposium will be held in the Forum Lecture Theatre, Room 153, Arts West (Building 148) on The University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus.
Travel options
Getting into the city from the airport
Skybus
From Melbourne Airport, take SkyBus to the Melbourne city terminal situated at Southern Cross Station (in Spencer Street). This normally costs approximately $18.00 each way, and does not need to be booked in advance. For information about the public transport services which run to and from Melbourne Airport, including SkyBus and bus routes 478, 479, 500 and 901, please see the Public Transport Victoria Airport buses web page.
Taxis
A taxi from the airport will take around 40 minutes and will cost approximately $50.00. Taxi ranks are located on the ground floor outside Terminals 1 and between Terminals 2 and 3.
Public transport to the University
Please note: Please be aware there are road closures and major works in Grattan Street.
The best way to get to the University is by public transport. Trams run along Royal Parade and Swanston Street.
The University is located outside of the Tram Free Zone in the CBD. You will need a myki card when travelling on public transport in Melbourne. You can buy and top up a myki:
- At all 7-Eleven stores, plus other retailers displaying the myki sign
- At myki machines (full fare only) at all metropolitan train stations
- Online
- By calling 1800 800 007 (6am - midnight daily, all night Friday and Saturday)
- At Melbourne Airport, myki machines have been installed in Terminals 2, 3 and 4; concession myki cards can be purchased from the SkyBus Terminal.
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) has useful resources; a Journey Planner and Tram Tracker.
How to travel to Melbourne University Parkville campus
Bicycle routes
The University has plenty of bicycle parking across the campus. For more information please see the Sustainable Campus Cycling/Walking web page.
Bicycles can be hired through the Melbourne Bike Share system at the University and at several locations around the city. Helmets are required by law, and can be purchased for $5 from 7-Eleven stores, vending machines and the Nona Lee Sports Centre (Building 103), Tin Alley at the University. Helmet locations are listed on the FAQs for Bike Rental Options in Melbourne web page.
Car Parking
On-street parking is very limited. There are multi-storey car parks within walking distance of the University. For more information please see the University's Parking on campus web page.
Taxis
There is a taxi rank outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Grattan Street. Major Melbourne taxi companies include:
- 13 Cabs - 13 2227
- Arrow - 13 2211
- Black Cabs Combined - 13 2227
- Yellow Cabs - 13 1924
- Maxi Taxi - 13 6294
- Wheelchair accessible taxis - 9277 3877
Rideshare
Install the Uber app on your smart device.
Contact
For more information about the symposium please contact:
Ellie Clay, Public Programs and Events Coordinator
Email: ellie.clay@unimelb.edu.au