Dr Stephen Wilks
BEc Hons (Monash), PhD (ANU)
Research Editor, National Centre of Biography, Lecturer, School of History
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
T:
02 6125 2349
Areas of expertise
- Australian History (Excl. Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander History) 210303
Research interests
Biography, especially political biography; ideas about Australian national development
Biography
Stephen Wilks is based in the National Centre of Biography, School of History. He is a research fellow and editor for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and the Dictionary of the House of Representatives project.
He holds a 2018 doctorate in Australian history from the ANU about national economic and social development in the twentieth century, focussed on the career of Earle Page. From 1982 to 2018 he had a varied career in the Commonwealth Government, including in AusAID, the Departments of Infrastructure, Regional Australia, Innovation, Immigration, Trade and Foreign Affairs, and at Australian overseas missions in Jakarta and Hong Kong.
He has contributed over seventy book reviews and articles to Fairfax Media and other publishers, mainly on modern Australian, British and United States history and biography. He has published a book and several articles on Earle Page and his ideas, such as for the Australian Policy and History network. He twice won the ACT Writers Centre Reviewer of the Year Award, for which he subsequently served as judge.
Researcher's projects
Stephen has published with ANU Press a book on Earle Page and his ideas about national development, dealing with many important strands in Australian history including federalism, decentralisation, regionalism, economic planning, electrification and higher education. He also co-ordinated the Dictionary of the House of Representatives project, leading to the publication in 2023 of his edited Order, Order!’: A Biographical Dictionary of Speakers, Deputy Speakers and Clerks of the Australian House of Representatives. He has been a co-editor of the Australian Journal of Biography and History. Currently, he is researching Victorian politics in the Bolte era.
Publications
- Wilks, S 2023, 'McClelland, James Robert (Jim) McClelland, (1915-99)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcclelland-james-robert-jim-32753.
- Wilks, S 2022, 'Stephen Wilks review of Sean Scalmer, Democratic Adventurer: Graham Berry and the Making of Australian Politics', Australian Journal of Biography and History, no. 6, pp. 285-290.
- Wilks, S & Hawkins, J 2021, Andrew Wallace Becomes the New Speaker - A Role That's Never Been More Important in Australian Politics.
- Wilks, S 2021, 'Review of 'John Marshall: Shipowner, Lloyd's Reformer and Emigration Agent' by Elizabeth Rushen', Victorian Historical Journal, vol. 92, no. 1, pp. 217-20.
- Wilks, S 2021, 'Speakers, Deputies and Clerks: the Revealing Light of Biography'. https://aph.org.au/2021/09/speakers-deputies-and-the-clerks-the-revealing-light-of-biography/
- Wilks, S 2020, 'Backbenchers to the Front: A Case for Political History From Below?', Australian Journal of Biography and History, vol. 2020, no. 4, pp. 189-203.
- Wilks, S 2020, 'Now is the Psychological Moment': Earle Page and the Imagining of Australia, ANU Press, Canberra, Australia.
- Wilks, S 2020, 'Becoming John Curtin and James Scullin: The Making of the Modern Labor Party, 1876-1921, by Liam Byrne', Australian Historical Studies, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 506-507.
- Wilks, S 2020, 'Political biography - handmaiden to history?', Australian Journal of Biography and History, vol. 4, pp. 149-160.
- Wilks, S 2018, 'Stephen Wilks review of John Murphy, Evatt: A Life', Australian Journal of Biography and History, vol. 1, pp. 217-221pp.
- Wilks, S 2017, 'Prominent Profiles: Sir Earle Page': Australian Policy and History
- Wilks, S 2016, 'Earle Page - Ideas Man of Australian Developmentalism?': Museum of Australian Democracy website
- Wilks, S 2013, Review of Arthur Phillip: Sailor, Mercenary, Governor, Spy by Michael Pembroke, Canberra Times 5 October, Panorama p. 21.
- Wilks, S 2013, Review of The Last Blank Spaces: Exploring Africa and Australia by Dane Kennedy, Canberra Times 13 April, Panorama p. 26.
- Wilks, S 2013, Review of Age of Assassins: A History of Conspiracy and Political Violence 1865-1981 by Michael Newton, Canberra Times 19 January, Panorama p. 20.
- Wilks, S 2012, Review of 26 Views of the Starburst World: William Dawes at Sydney Cove 1788-91 by Ross Gibson, Canberra Times 17 November, Panorama p. 20.
- Wilks, S 2012, Review of Neither Power nor Glory: 100 Years of Political Labor in Victoria 1856-1956 by Paul Strangio, Canberra Times 14 July, Panorama p. 25.
- Wilks, S 2012, Review of A Steady Hand: Governor Hunter & His First Fleet Sketchbook by Linda Groom, Canberra Times 10 March, Panorama p. 28.
- Wilks, S 2012, 'Johnson in the White House', a review of The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume Four: The Passage of Power by Robert Caro, Quadrant, vol. LVI, no. 9. pp. 21-23.
- Wilks, S 2012, 'Prime Ministerial Memoirs and Canberra: The Truant Surgeon Approves', Canberra Historical Journal, no. 69, pp. 25-28.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of Australians: Eureka to the Diggers by Thomas Keneally, Canberra Times 29 October, Panorama p. 23.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of A Nation in the Making: Australia at the Dawn of the Modern Era by Alasdair McGregor, Canberra Times 10 October, Panorama p. 28.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of Into the Unknown: The Tormented Life and Expeditions of Ludwig Leichhardt by John Bailey, Canberra Times 1 October, Panorama p. 29.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of The Rise and Fall of Squizzy Taylor: A Larrikin Crook by Hugh Anderson, Sunday Canberra Times 4 September, Relax p. 26.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia by James Boyce, Canberra Times 2 July, Panorama p. 29.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of The First Fleet: The Real Story by Alan Frost, Canberra Times 28 May, Panorama p. 26.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of Great Central State: The Foundation of the Northern Territory by Jack Cross, Canberra Times 16 April, Panorama p. 27.
- Wilks, S 2011, Review of Turning Points in Australian History, edited by Martin Crotty and David Andrew Roberts, Canberra Historical Journal, no. 67, pp. 44-46.
- Wilks, S 2010, Book Review: A Private Empire by Stephen Foster, Canberra Times 23 October, Panorama p. 27.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of A Three-Cornered Life: The Historian W.K. Hancock by Jim Davidson, Canberra Times 3 July, Panorama p. 21.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of What Were they Thinking?: The Politics of Ideas in Australia by James Walter with Tod Moore, Canberra Times 29 May, Panorama p. 16.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of Australian Voices edited by Ariana Klepac and John Thompson, Canberra Times 3 April, Panorama p. 14.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of Beyond Belief: Skepticism, Science and the Paranormal by Martin Bridgstock, Canberra Times 9 January, Panorama pp. 16-17.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of The Great Crash 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith, Sunday Canberra Times 3 January, Relax p. 18.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of Botany Bay: The Real Story by Alan Frost, Canberra Historical Journal, no. 65, pp. 42-44.
- Wilks, S 2010, Review of The Shortest History of Europe by John Hirst, Canberra Historical Journal, no. 65, pp. 39-41.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of Sydney Harbour: A History by Ian Hoskins, Canberra Times 21 November, Panorama p. 14.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillan, Canberra Times 19 September, Panorama p. 19.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of Australians: Origins to Eureka by Thomas Keneally, Canberra Times 29 August, p.16.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of The Revolt of the Pendulum: Essays 2005-2008 by Clive James, Canberra Times 15 August, Panorama p.11.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of Our Dry Continent by Michael Cathcart, Canberra Times 8 August, Panorama p. 17.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of Possession: Batman's Treaty and the Matter of History by Bain Attwood, Canberra Times 25 July, Panorama p.17.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of Men of Yesterday: A Social History of the Western District of Victoria 1834-1890 by Margaret Kiddle, Sunday Canberra Times 14 June, Relax p. 26.
- Wilks, S 2009, Review of The Zealous Conservator: A Life of Charles Lane Poole, by John Dargavel, Canberra Times 18 April, Panorama p. 15.
- Wilks, S 2008, Review of Andrew Fisher: Prime Minister of Australia by David Day, Canberra Times 25 October, Panorama p.15.
- Wilks, S 2008, Review of Land of Vision and Mirage by Geoffrey Bolton, Canberra Times 9 August, Panorama p. 16.
- Wilks, S 2008, Review of A Delicate Mission: The Washington Diaries of R.G. Casey 1940-42 edited by Carl Bridge, Canberra Times 28 June, Panorama p. 15.
- Wilks, S 2008, Review of Enid Lyons: Leading Lady to a Nation by Anne Henderson, Canberra Times 21 June, Panorama p. 17.
- Wilks, S 2008, Review of The Decline and Fall of the British Empire 1781-1997 by Piers Brendan, Canberra Times 12 January, Panorama pp. 14-15.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 17, Canberra Times 8 December, Panorama pp. 14-15.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics edited by Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts, Canberra Times 27 October, Panorama p. 11.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of Richard Milhous Nixon: The Invincible Quest by Conrad Black, Canberra Times 28 July, Panorama p. 14.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of The Road to Gundagai by Graham McInnes, Sunday Canberra Times, 15 July, Relax p. 20.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of Cultural Amnesia: Notes in the Margin of My Time by Clive James, Canberra Times 31 March, Panorama p. 11.
- Wilks, S 2007, 'Review of Mutiny, Terrorism, Riots and Murder: A History of Sedition in Australia and New Zealand by Kevin Baker', Canberra Historical Journal, no. 59, pp. 21-22.
- Wilks, S 2007, Review of Sense & Nonsense in Australian History by John Hirst, Canberra Historical Journal, no. 58, pp. 34-35.
- Wilks, S 2006, Review of Colonial Ambition: Foundations of Australian Democracy by Peter Cochrane, Canberra Times 30 December, Panorama p. 16.
- Wilks, S 2006, Review of A History of Victoria by Geoffrey Blainey, Canberra Times 16 December, Panorama p. 16.
- Wilks, S 2006, Review of John Kenneth Galbraith: His Life, His Politics, His Economics by Richard Parker, Canberra Times 4 March, Panorama pp. 14-15.
- Wilks, S 2006, 'Review of A Short History of the 20th Century by Geoffrey Blainey', Canberra Historical Journal, no. 57, pp. 40-42.
- Wilks, S 2005, Review of In the Footsteps of Churchill by Richard Holmes, Canberra Times 2 July, Panorama p. 16.
- Wilks, S 2005, Review of Reformation: Europe's House Divided 1490-1700 by Diarmaid MacCulloch, Canberra Times 12 February, Panorama p. 18.
- Wilks, S 2005, 'Review of Bypass: The Story of a Road, by Michael McGirr', Canberra Historical Journal, no. 55, pp. 35-36.
- Wilks, S 2004, Review of Nightingales: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gillian Gill, Canberra Times 11 September, Panorama p. 22.
- Wilks, S 2004, Review of Great Southern Land: A New History of Australia by Frank Welsh, Canberra Times 7 August, Panorama pp. 2a.
- Wilks, S 2004, Review of Lost Libraries: The Destruction of Great Book Collections Since Antiquity edited by James Raven, Canberra Times 26 June, Panorama p. 7a.
- Wilks, S 2004, Review of Charmian and George: The Marriage of George Johnston and Charmian Clift by Max Brown, Canberra Times 1 May, Panorama p. 3a.
- Wilks, S 2004, Review of Car Wars: How the Car Won Our Hearts and Conquered Our Cities by Graeme Davison with Sheryl Yelland, Canberra Times 20 March, Panorama pp. 6a.
- Wilks, S 2003, A Bush Experience that Helped Trigger the Sexual Revolution: Havelock Ellis in Australia, Canberra Times 4 January, Panorama p. 9.
- Wilks, S 2003, 'Celebrated Foreign Visitors to Canberra, 1914-66: The Capital City as Theatre', Canberra Historical Journal, no. 51, pp. 17-24.
- Wilks, S 2000, The Visitation of 1939: H.G. Wells in Canberra, Canberra Times 29 June, p. 11.
