Professor Heidi Norman

Professor Heidi Norman

Professor

PhD History & Anthropology (USyd)

Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
Executive

I am a researcher in the field of Aboriginal political history and a descendant of the Gomeroi people from north western NSW. My research sits in the field of history and draws on the cognate disciplines anthropology, political-economy, cultural studies and political theory. I seek to contribute to understandings of Aboriginal social, cultural, economic and political history. My research addresses questions of power in relation to Aboriginal citizens, the state and settler society and Aboriginal land justice. At the heart of my research, is my support for Aboriginal peoples’ rightful place in the nation, especially within political institutions, in society and the economy as landholders.

In 2018, I am the founding Director of the Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group, which sits within Humanities & Languages in Arts, Architecture and Design. From 2020-2023, I was the Associate Dean (Indigenous) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney and Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges, where I hold an Honorary appointment

My past research has included: a history of the NSW Annual Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout; the social and economic impact of mining in relation to Gomeroi lands; study of economic change over time and relationship to Aboriginal lives in cities. In 2015, I published a book based on my PhD research titled, What Do We Want? A Political History of Aboriginal Land Rights in NSW. This book is the first-ever study of land rights in NSW. I documented the land rights and how the laws changed relationships between Aboriginal people, the state and one another. From 2018-2023, I conducted a large ARC funded study of the social, economic and cultural benefits of Aboriginal land repossession in NSW.

My research and teaching has been recognised for scholarly and real-world impact. I was a finalist for the UTS Chancellor's Medal for Research Excellence in 2021, received the UTS Research Excellence Medal for Collaboration in 2015 and the National Teaching Excellence Award for my work in Indigenous studies in 2016. I was the inaugural Gough Whitlam Research Fellowship (2017-18) and was named one of ABC's Top 5 Humanities Researchers in 2018. Over the last decade, I have won three ARC grants ($1.3million) and secured more than $400,000 in research consultancies from the NSW and Federal government.

Phone
0419855930
Location
Morven Brown
  • Books | 2021
    Thomas A; Jakubowicz A; Norman H, 2021, Does the Media Fail Aboriginal Political Aspirations? 45 Years of News Media Reporting of Key Political Moments
    Books | 2015
    Norman H, 2015, What Do We Want? A Political History of Aboriginal Land Rights in New South Wales
  • Book Chapters | 2024
    Norman H; Hunt J; Howard-Wagner D, 2024, 'Being self determining in NSW – Treaty or Not!', in Treaty-making : 250 years later
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Norman H, 2023, 'Legacies: What remains to be done?', in Women and Whitlam: Revisiting the revolution
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Norman H, 2020, 'Approaches to teaching Aboriginal history and politics', in Historical Thinking for History Teachers: A new approach to engaging students and developing historical consciousness, pp. 299 - 309, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003115977-25
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Payne AM, 2020, ''For all of us, for none of you'? Practical Reconciliation', in Thomas A; Jakubowicz A; Norman H (ed.), Does the Media Fail Aboriginal Political Aspirations? 45 Years of News Media Reporting of Key Political Moments, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, pp. 138 - 155
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Norman H, 2019, 'From recognition to reform: the Uluru Statement from the Heart', in Does the Media fail Aboriginal political aspirations? 45 years of news media reporting of key political moments
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Norman H; Payne AM; Lui-Chivizhe L, 2024, ''Indigenous Studies and Australian Studies'', Journal of Australian, Canadian, and Aotearoa New Zealand Studies, 4, pp. 169 - 181, http://dx.doi.org/10.52230/zfww7134
    Journal articles | 2024
    Norman H, 2024, 'Aboriginal Redfern 'then and now': Between the symbolic and the real', Australian Aboriginal Studies
    Journal articles | 2024
    Norman H, 2024, 'Cultural care and Aboriginal land rights in New South Wales', Australian Journal of Social Issues, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.308
    Journal articles | 2023
    Norman H; Briggs C; Apolonio T, 2023, 'Advancing Aboriginal interests in the New South Wales renewable energy transition', CAEPR Discussion Paper, 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.25911/BW7K-MM24
    Journal articles | 2023
    Norman H, 2023, 'The Voice as a Strategy for Advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Interests on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation', Public Law Review, 34, pp. 139 - 147
    Journal articles | 2023
    Payne AM; Norman H, 2023, 'Truth-telling, Ancestral Remains and the Establishment of a National Resting Place in Australia', International Journal of Transitional Justice, 17, pp. 388 - 403, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijad021
    Journal articles | 2022
    Goodall H; Norman H; Russon B, 2022, '“Proper deadly”: Student memories of adult education under Indigenous control: Tranby, 1980–2000', Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v51i2.36
    Journal articles | 2022
    Norman H; Altman J; Markham F; Williamson B, 2022, 'Booming contributions by First Nations to address Australia's Environmental Crisis must be recognised', Arena Journal
    Journal articles | 2022
    Norman H; Payne AM, 2022, 'Asserting Aboriginal polity and nationhood: The campaign for the return of Indigenous Ancestral Remains', Aboriginal History Journal, 46, pp. 29 - 52, http://dx.doi.org/10.22459/ah.46.2022.02
    Journal articles | 2022
    Norman H; Payne AM, 2022, 'Nowhere Else but Home: A National Resting Place for Indigenous Australian Ancestral Remains', Curator, 65, pp. 817 - 834, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cura.12526
    Journal articles | 2021
    Norman H; Apolonio T; Parker M, 2021, 'Mapping local and regional governance: reimagining the new south wales aboriginal sector', Cosmopolitan Civil Societies, 13, pp. 1 - 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ccs.v13.i1.7644
    Journal articles | 2021
    Norman H, 2021, 'Aboriginal Land: A Framework for Narrating the Past', Public History Weekly, 2021, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2021-18712
    Journal articles | 2021
    Norman H, 2021, 'Aboriginal Worlds and Australian Capitalism', Labour History, 121, pp. 57 - 72, http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/jlh.2021.18
    Journal articles | 2021
    Norman H, 2021, 'From Assimilation to Recognition: ABORIGINAL PARTICIPATION IN RUGBY LEAGUE IN NEW SOUTH WALES', Sporting Traditions, 38, pp. 3 - 28
    Journal articles | 2020
    Norman H; Krayem M; Bain C; Apolonio T, 2020, 'Are Aboriginal people a threat to the modern nation?: A study of newsprint coverage of a racial discrimination complaint', Australian Aboriginal Studies, pp. 18 - 35
    Journal articles | 2020
    Norman H; Newman J; Losche D; Cowlishaw G, 2020, 'First Cow, a film directed by Kelly Reichardt, based on the novel The Half-Life by Jonathan Raymond', History Australia, 17, pp. 757 - 758, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2020.1840295
    Journal articles | 2020
    Norman H, 2020, 'untitled (maraong manaóuwi), Jonathan Jones', History Australia, 17, pp. 395 - 397, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2020.1756874
    Journal articles | 2019
    Goodall H; Norman H; Russon B, 2019, '‘Around the Meeting Tree’: Methodological reflections on using digital tools for research into Indigenous adult education in the networking tranby project', Archives and Manuscripts, 47, pp. 53 - 71, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01576895.2018.1551144
    Journal articles | 2018
    Collins J; Norman H, 2018, 'Indigenous entrepreneurship and indigenous employment in Australia', Journal of Australian Political Economy, 2018, pp. 149 - 170
    Journal articles | 2018
    Payne AM; Norman H; Newman J, 2018, 'Preface', NEW: Emerging scholars in Australian Indigenous Studies, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/nesais.v2i1.1491
    Journal articles | 2016
    Norman H, 2016, 'Coal Mining and Coal Seam Gas on Gomeroi country: Sacred lands, economic futures and shifting alliances', Energy Policy, 99, pp. 242 - 251, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.06.006
    Journal articles | 2015
    Norman H; Morrissey P, 2015, 'Preface', NEW: Emerging scholars in Australian Indigenous Studies, 1, pp. 1 - 1, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/nesais.v1i1.1425
    Journal articles | 2014
    Norman H, 2014, 'Mapping more than aboriginal studies: Pedagogy, professional practice and knowledge', Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 43, pp. 42 - 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jie.2014.6
    Journal articles | 2013
    Norman H, 2013, 'Indifferent Inclusion: The Aboriginal People and the Australian Nation', Australian Historical Studies, 44, pp. 302 - 304, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1031461x.2013.793235
    Journal articles | 2012
    Norman H, 2012, 'A modern day Corroboree - the New South Wales Annual Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival', Sport in Society, 15, pp. 997 - 1013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2012.723370
    Journal articles | 2012
    Norman H, 2012, 'Australian indigenous tertiary studies: A discussion with professor david boud on experience-based learning and the transformation of university courses', Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 41, pp. 34 - 39, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jie.2012.6
    Journal articles | 2009
    Norman H, 2009, 'An unwanted corroboree: The politics of the new south wales aboriginal rugby league knockout', Australian Aboriginal Studies, pp. 112 - 122
    Journal articles | 2009
    Norman H, 2009, 'Land Rights at Last!', Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 1, pp. 142 - 165, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ccs.v1i2.1138
    Journal articles | 2008
    Norman H, 2008, 'Reflections on "Social Justice in the Forest": Indigenous engagement with Australia's forest industries', Transforming Cultures eJournal, 3, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/tfc.v3i1.688
    Journal articles | 2004
    Norman H, 2004, 'Exploring Effective Teaching Strategies: Simulation Case Studies and Indigenous Studies at the University Level', The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 33, pp. 15 - 21, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1326011100600820
  • Reports | 2024
    Payne AM; Norman H, 2024, Coming to terms with the past? Identifying barriers and enablers of truth-telling, Reconciliation Australia, Sydney, https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Barriers-and-enablers-to-truth-telling-report.pdf
    Conference Presentations | 2023
    Norman H, 2023, 'Not Going Away: First People and the Australian Economy', presented at 16th Annual Wheelwright Lecture, Lecture Theatre 200, Social Sciences Building (A02), The University of Sydney, Science Road, 06 September 2023
    Other | 2023
    Norman H, 2023, The Routledge Companion to Global Indigenous History, Taylor and Francis Group,
    Reports | 2020
    Norman H; Payne AM, 2020, Nowhere Else But Home. A National Resting Place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ancestral Remains
    Other | 2020
    Norman H, 2020, Walter Woodman (Jacky) Brooks (c. 1906–c. 1968), Australian National University, , https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brooks-walter-woodman-jacky-29911/text37026
    Reports | 2019
    Norman H; Steele A; Ingrey C; Snape F; Freeman N; Scott G; Parker M; West M; Moran N; Apolonio T, 2019, Local Aboriginal Land Councils’ evaluation of the Land Negotiation Program
    Theses / Dissertations | 2012
    Norman H, 2012, From Activism To Enterprise: A Political History of the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act, 1983

  • 2021: Finalist, Chancellor's Medal for Research Excellence, University of Technology Sydney. 
  • 2018: Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award, Australian Research Council. 
  • 2018: ABC's Top 5 Humanities Researchers
  • 2015: Vice Chancellor's Medal for Research Excellence through Collaboration, University of Technology Sydney.
  • 2015: National Award for Teaching Excellence: Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Education, Australian Commonwealth Government.
  • 2014: Delegate, United Nations Permanent Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
  • 2012: Best Paper, International Australian Studies Association Conference.
  • 2004: Teaching Award for creating new dialogues about race, power, subjectivity, and intercultural communication, University of Technology Sydney.  

My current research projects are:

 

Current service

 

Past service