Dr Patrick White ~ Adjunct Lecturer

Dr Patrick White works with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and leads a team that provides direct support to current serving ADF members. Patrick's team assists ADF members to set the conditions for a successful transition to civilian life by enabling them to understand and access key supports and veteran entitlements. Patrick is also an officer in the Australian Army Reserve and coaches junior cricket and soccer at local clubs in Townsville. In addition to these roles, Patrick is an Adjunct Lecturer in the College of Arts, Society and Education, with degrees in both History and Politics.

Patrick’s primary research focus is the political history of development and population growth in northern Australia. His research has demonstrated how Australian governments attempted to incorporate the north into the nation's foreign and defence policies in the twentieth century. Patrick has previously published research exploring environmental, political, and military history. His PhD research illuminated the politics, people, and ideas behind campaigns to defend, develop, and populate the Australian Tropics.

Currently, Patrick is working on multiple research projects including the publication of a book about influential political voices in the Australian Tropics, including the rise of Townsville and Cairns based First Nations political activists; the impact of defence development and national security initiatives on northern Australian communities; and the role of the New Zealand-born academic, economist, and diplomat, Douglas Copland, in promoting arguments for decentralised development--and a focus on the north--in mid-twentieth century Australian policy debates.

Research Disciplines

• Historical studies (4303)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• White P (2020) Many voices, one ambition: local government, post-war reconstruction and northern development in Australia. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 66 (4). pp. 578-595
• White P (2015) 'A Chain of Fortuitous Circumstances': the sudden rise of a military base in Townsville. History in the Making, 4 (1). pp. 65-78

Book Chapters

• Lloyd R, White P and Brennan C (2020) Escaping water: living against floods in Townsville, North Queensland, from settlement to 2019. In: Disasters in Australia and New Zealand: Historical Approaches to Understanding Catastrophe. Palgrave McMillan, Singapore, pp. 99-117

Other research outputs

• White P (2023) Developing northern Australia to defend the nation. The Strategist, "North of 26° south" (4 July 2023).
• White P (2021) The 2019 flood in Townsville: politics and water crises in Queensland's dry tropics. 2021 Queensland Disaster Management Research Forum: presentation abstracts. 14 July 2021, Online
• White P (2021) What if the Burdekin was never bridged? S?d? Journal, 3 ('Burning Bridges'). pp. 11-23 [Creative Work - Article]
• White P (2020) A city of droughts and flooding rains. Townsville Bulletin, 6 March 2020. p. 34
• White P and Brennan C (2020) Lessons from history point to local councils’ role in Australia’s recovery. The Conversation, 4 June 2020.
• White P (2020) Archive noir. S?d? Journal, 2 ('Hot Under the Collar'). pp. 59-62 [Creative Work - Article]
• White P (2020) The competing influences of deluge and drought in Queensland’s dry tropics. Arcadia, Spring 2020.
• White P (2019) Book Review of "Tourism and Cricket: travels to the boundary" by Tom Baum and Richard Butler (eds), Bristol, UK, Channel View Publications, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-84541-452-8. Sporting Traditions, 36 (1). pp. 84-86
• White P, McGregor R and Gertz J (2019) 'New Bradfield': rerouting rivers to recapture a pioneering spirit. The Conversation, 27 November 2019.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 13+ research outputs authored by Dr Patrick White from 2015 onwards.