Message from the President
Dear ISFAR friends and colleagues,
We are pleased to bring you this special 40th Anniversary newsletter with a report from our recent symposium and celebratory dinner, and the first in our series of “Reflections on Forty Years of ISFAR” from our founding and/or longest-standing members. The first piece is by Emeritus Professor Ivan Barko, former editor of Explorations and its successor The French Australian Review, and the figure behind the biennial Ivan Barko Award, details of which you will also find below. Other items include news from our members and a range of events that are sure to be of interest, including the Alliance française de Melbourne’s new premises which will be open to all on Saturday 21 June (details below).
On a very sad note, I would like to acknowledge the recent untimely passing of our dear friend and colleague Professor Jarrod Hayes from Monash University, whom many of you will know. The Australian Society for French Studies have posted a tribute with a memorial wall for anyone who would like to add a message. He will be greatly missed.
Cultures Croisées: French-Australian Cultural Connections: Exploring the Dynamics of Intercultural Exchange
The 2025 ISFAR Symposium was held on Friday 2 May and Saturday 3 May 2025. Since one of our aims was to highlight and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of ISFAR and its role in stimulating research in French-Australian studies, the theme was chosen to encourage papers that reflected the wide and growing range of topics encompassed by the field. The Symposium was launched by the Consul-General, Mme Paule Ignatio, who spoke appreciatively of the contribution of ISFAR to the development of French-Australian relations and studies. Speeches by the President Kerry Mullan at the opening of the Symposium, and by Wallace Kirsop, one of the founders of ISFAR, at the dinner, outlined some of the major landmarks and important figures in the evolution of the Institute. Wallace Kirsop’s speech will be published in a later issue of the newsletter. The Friday afternoon sessions were held in person in the very pleasant surroundings of University House, at the University of Melbourne, and also broadcast online. All the life members were invited to a celebratory dinner in the evening and several were able to attend, including Dianne Reilly and Tom Rado. It was a warm, congenial and convivial event.
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Mme Paule Ignatio, French Consul-General, opening the Symposium
Wallace Kirsop, presenting
Credit: Kerry Mullan
The Saturday sessions were held online, with late afternoon sessions timed to allow two French colleagues to participate. Fourteen uniformly excellent papers were delivered on topics as diverse as the fate of rugby league under the Vichy regime and the impact of nineteenth century French restaurant culture on Australian sociability. Two outstanding and widely praised keynote presentations were given by Karin Speedy on ‘Crossing Empires, Colonies and Cultures: Exchange, Connections and Continuing Creolisation among Migrants from Reunion via New Caledonia to New South Wales’; and Valentina Gosetti on ‘Reclaiming Provincialism: Challenging the Centre-Periphery Divide Through Poetry and Translation Between France and Australia’.
We were delighted to be able to include in the program papers by two Honours students: Daniel Glover, co-recipient of the 2024 ISFAR Eloquence Art prize, on ‘Embodiment Through Glass: Émile Gallé and Yhonnie Scarce’; and Alec Bolwell, winner of the 2025 Colin Nettelbeck prize, on ‘Letters from the Left Bank: Grace Crowley’s Influence on Australian Modernism’. Their confident presentation and grasp of their subjects augur well for the future of research in our field.
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Carol Nettelbeck, Colin’s wife, awarding the Colin Nettelbeck prize to Alec Bolwell
Credit : Elizabeth Rechniewski
A selection of articles drawn from the papers will be published in a future issue of FAR.
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Elaine Lewis (r) chairing the session on Louise Dyer, with the two speakers, Rachel Orzech (l) and Kerry Murphy Credit: Elizabeth Rechniewski
The French Australian Review
The French Australian Review, number 78, will be a special issue and promises to become a useful resource for researchers and writers wishing to delve into both the Australian and French Archives. Guest Editors John West-Sooby and Jean Fornasiero have contacted those who attended a conference held in Paris in 2018 and organised by the National Archives of Australia (NAA) and the Interdepartmental Service of the Archives of France, under the banner, ‘Imagination, Exploration, Memory: French-Australian Shared Histories’.
The conference arose out of the official bilateral agreement, signed two years earlier, between the National Archives of Australia and the Interdepartmental Service of the Archives of France. It was held at the Picasso Museum in Paris on 23 April 2018, with a focus on four themes: discovery; economics; archives; and politics. Each theme featured papers by both French and Australian scholars and archivists. This special issue of The French Australian Review contains a selection of those papers, revised and updated, together with a number of other contributions.
In the words of the guest editors: ‘this issue aims to provide valuable practical information on the sources available to anyone wishing to explore aspects of French-Australian relations, and perhaps also the motivation for doing so!’
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Hôtel de Soubise, Paris, 2009, Public Domain
The 2024 Ivan Barko Award
On behalf of the ISFAR committee we are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2024 Ivan Barko Award is Paul Kiem, for his two-part article entitled ‘The Huybers and Loureiro Families: A Case Study in the History of Australia’s French Connection’.
The biennial ISFAR Ivan Barko Award is awarded by the ISFAR Committee on the recommendation of the editors of The French Australian Review to the author of the best article published during the preceding two years. Named after Emeritus Professor Ivan Barko to mark his long and distinguished service to ISFAR, particularly as editor of Explorations and its successor The French Australian Review, this prize is intended to stimulate research in all areas of French-Australian relations.
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Ivan Barko, ISFAR website
In 2023, ISFAR decided to change the Ivan Barko Award from an annual to a biennial award and to increase the value of the award. The 2024 Award is therefore judged between the peer-reviewed articles published in the four issues 74, 75, 76 and 77.
The Award is in the form of a certificate and is accompanied by a prize of $500. The 2024 winner, Paul Kiem, is an assistant lecturer in history education at the University of Sydney. His article ‘The Huybers and Loureiro Families: A Case Study in the History of Australia-French Connection’, was presented in two parts in issues 74 and 75 of The French Australian Review. Kiem’s detailed depiction of the lives of the members of these two families illustrates the different ways in which French influence operated and evolved. Of particular interest was the connection between the artist and art teacher Artur Loureiro and the Wurundjeri elder and artist William Barak. They had met through the Swiss settler and vigneron Frédéric Guillaume de Pury. Loureiro painted two portraits of Barak, one of which now belongs to the National Museum of Australia. Although Loureiro was born in Portugal, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and his familiarity with the French artistic trends of the time was a significant influence on his own art and his teaching. French was always his language of choice. His wife was Marie Thérèse (née Huybers), sister of Jessie (Tasma) Couvreur, who was a writer and journalist, fluent in French and who lived much of her life in Europe, between Brussels and Paris.
In Part Two of the article Kiem focuses on Artur Loureiro’s son, Vasco Loureiro who became a street artist and caricaturist; he was associated with Melbourne’s bohemian scene, a part of his bohemianism being his francophilia. Kiem’s depiction of the lives of these two families over a couple of generations illustrates the cosmopolitanism of Melbourne at the end of the nineteenth century that, as Kiem says, ‘was informed by French culture and colonial notions of Frenchness’.
More information and previous winners can be found on our ISFAR website.
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Paul Kiem, https://www.paulkiem.net/about
Reflections on Forty Years of ISFAR
Professor Ivan Barko writes the first in our series of short articles marking forty years since the founding of ISFAR.
The creation of ISFAR at Monash University in 1985 occurred in the context of the approaching Bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. The broader context was the emergence of multiculturalism in the 1970s under the governments of Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser and its blossoming in the 1980s, leading to the launch of SBS in 1980 and the formulation of a National Policy on Languages in 1987.
No doubt the study of French-Australian relations as a new field of scholarship arose from the creation of ISFAR, but it is also true that it had a rich pre-history, partly due to the contribution of French explorers to the discovery and survey of the Australian continent from well before 1788 and partly to the privileged status of the French language in post-1788 Australian culture and education.
The establishment of ISFAR in 1985 was preceded by the French-Australian Cultural Connection Symposium held at the University of NSW in Sydney in 1983.[1] It is noteworthy that both of these French-Australian initiatives sprang up not in the long-established traditional universities in Sydney and Melbourne, but in the new universities in those cities, the University of NSW and Monash. It is arguably also significant that these parallel initiatives arose spontaneously, as if the need for them had become pressing.
Not only was the UNSW Symposium a remarkable first, but it had a national scope and it was sponsored by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Several of the participants came from Melbourne and would soon become founders or supporters of ISFAR. The symposium led to the creation of a French-Australian Research Centre. The Centre’s patronage and coverage extended to science, engineering and business, and its leaders created links with local schools as well as French universities and French companies. The Centre’s last Occasional Monograph in 1988 was devoted to ‘Australian Aborigines and the French’ [sic]. However, this advance that the UNSW School of French held over ISFAR did not last: two of the three organisers of the Symposium (Anne-Marie Nisbet and Jean Chaussivert) resigned from the University, leaving Maurice Blackman as the sole remaining founder, with the result that this ambitious initiative did not survive the 1980s.
By contrast, ISFAR was created more modestly as a sequel to a two-day meeting of the France-Victoria Connection at Monash (31 May–1 June 1985), inspired by the 1984 State Library Exhibition on the French Presence in Victoria. Three Monash scholars were involved in the establishment of what became the Institute for the Study of French-Australian Relations: Wallace Kirsop and Colin Nettelbeck from the French department, and Dennis Davison, a member of the English department, who died prematurely a few years later, in 1994. The launch of a periodical publication, Explorations, later renamed The French Australian Review, was a means of guaranteeing the continuing existence of the Victorian initiative. Colin Nettelbeck became Director of the Institute and Wallace Kirsop took responsibility for Explorations.
Neither ISFAR nor Explorations was restricted to Monash staff – Patricia Clancy and Colin Thornton-Smith, both of the University of Melbourne French Department, were active contributors, as was Dianne Reilly, LaTrobe Librarian at the State Library of Victoria. ISFAR was also supported by other Francophiles and French Australians, such as Tom Rado and Jacques de Saint-Ferjeux.
With Colin Nettelbeck’s appointment in 1994 to the then newly named A. R. Chisholm Chair of French at the University of Melbourne and Wallace Kirsop’s plans to retire from Explorations, both ISFAR and Explorations moved from Monash to Parkville.
News from our members
Peter Hodges reports that, on Sunday 18 May 2025, Tillermans Restaurant in Tea Gardens NSW celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of Antoine de Tounens, the first ‘King’ of Araucania-Patagonia.
Born in the small village of Chourgnac in Périgord in 1825, de Tounens worked as a notaire in Périgueux until he was overcome by the desire for adventure. In 1858 he set sail for Araucania-Patagonia which lies across the southern extremities of Chile and Argentina where he made contact with the Mapuche Indians. Quillipan, one of the chiefs of the Mapuche, told de Tounens of his people’s struggle to retain their independence from Argentina and Chile. De Tounens told Quillipan that French assistance could help them achieve this goal.
In 1860 de Tounens united the various tribes of over a million people within a constitutional monarchy based on the system of Napoleon III. With the support of the indigenous people he was proclaimed King of Araucania-Patagonia under the name of Orélie-Antoine I. This new kingdom was known as New France and had its own flag, currency, national anthem and other symbols of an independent nation. In 1862 he was arrested by Chilean authorities, imprisoned for subversion and declared insane by the Court of Santiago. In the same year French diplomatic efforts assisted in his repatriation by agreeing that he was insane. He tried unsuccessfully to return to South America on a number of occasions and died penniless in Tourtoirac in 1878.
This sometimes divisive character has been often ridiculed in France but adored in Araucania-Patagonia because he has managed to raise awareness of the plight of the Mapuche Indians. In France his memory is evoked annually during the celebration of the Saint Rose of Lima, the patron saint of indigenous South Americans. His adventures are undergoing somewhat of a resurgence as well with an array of books, films, documentaries and conferences becoming more readily available. As part of the 2021 Latin American Film Festival, SBS On Demand screened ‘Rey’, the story of de Tounens; while on 17 March 2022 ‘Foreign Correspondent’ aired the documentary ‘Chile’s Secret War: its First Nations and fighting for their ancestral lands’ which detailed the Mapuche struggle for self-determination.
The 70 people who were present to learn about this unique piece of French folklore were treated to a reworked Patagonian menu of salmon ceviche, brisket with chimichurri, and creamed rice with dulce de leche and caramelised pecans, matched by fine wines from Argentina and Chile, and accompanied by a Sydney duo playing Latino jazz. Despite the torrential rain, everyone left late that afternoon well-fed, well-oiled and well-versed in the life of Antoine de Tounens.
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Celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Antoine de Tounens
Credit: Benjamin Hodges
FACCI report on French business in Australia
The French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI), in collaboration with Team France Business, has just released a landmark first report on the French business footprint in Australia. The report captures data from 342 businesses, revealing the scale, diversity and economic impact of the French business community, including: over 80,000 jobs supported by French-owned entities and representation across 89 industries. You can download the full report for free.
ISFAR attends FACEF-hosted meeting
On 23 April 2025 ISFAR was represented by Dr. Alexis Bergantz at a meeting convened by Mme Paule IGNATIO, Consul-General of France in Melbourne, and hosted by FACEF (Fondation pour les Alliances Culturelles et Éducatives Francophones). This event provided an opportunity to engage with Anne Genetet, the Deputy for the 11th constituency of French citizens living abroad (Eastern Europe, Russia, Asia, and Oceania), on a visit to Australia, to discuss cultural issues and the promotion of the French language in Melbourne. Mme Genetet, a member of Renaissance (formerly République en Marche), has represented her constituency since 2017 and was re-elected in 2024 following the dissolution of the French National Assembly. She served as France’s Minister of National Education earlier this year.
The meeting, facilitated and attended by Cybèle Panagiotou (FACEF), Marie-Hélène Predhom (Directrice de l’Alliance Française de Melbourne), and Michael Bula (Director of Melbourne French Theatre), took place at FACEF’s venue, which previously served as the Honorary Consulate General of France in Melbourne, adding historical significance to the discussions.
Topics discussed during the meeting included the changing geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific, as well as ISFAR’s multifaceted cultural activities. Highlights included the recent 40th anniversary symposium, the Melbourne Salon, Dr Bergantz’s walking-tour app currently being designed, and the French-Australian Dictionary of Biography (FADB). This gathering underscored ISFAR’s ongoing commitment to engaging with key stakeholders to strengthen French-Australian cultural relations.
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Alexis Bergantz (far left)
Credit: Paule Ignatio, Consul-General of France in Melbourne
FAR Children and Screens Conference
The Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) Inc. will be holding the FAR Children and Screens Conference on 30 June 2025 at the University of Sydney. At the conference panels will discuss: children in the digital world – risks and benefits; AI and digital tools in education; and regulation of children’s access to screens.
This event is part of the series of events FAR (French-Australian Research), organised annually by AFRAN in partnership with the Embassy of France to Australia and local stakeholders. FAR events aim to promote French and Australian research to the general public and to create opportunities for meetings and discussions between the French and Australian research and innovation communities, and governments, with the ambition of creating new collaborations and the legislative and economic frameworks necessary for their development.
Further information on the conference including registration details is available on the AFRAN website.
French Impressionism Exhibition at the NGV
The Melbourne Winter Masterpieces Exhibition 2025 – French Impressionism – opens on Friday 6 June 2025 at the National Gallery of Victoria. This is a major exhibition developed by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in partnership with the NGV, and drawing on MFA Boston’s rich collection of Impressionist masterworks, with over 100 paintings from key figures including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir and Pisarro.
Alliance Française de Melbourne new hub opening
A Warm French Escape – everyone is invited to the opening of The French Hub of Melbourne – a brand-new space dedicated to culture, community, and all things French! Saturday 21 June 2025 12pm to 5pm. Free event with:
- Winter-themed French food stalls, offering raclette, hot beverages (including mulled wine and hot chocolate), pastries and crêpes.
- Live music performances to enhance the festive atmosphere.
- Unique installations and surprises throughout the venue.
May68 Project
Paris May68 Revolt: The Struggle Continues is a three-day event that explores the creative shockwaves and lasting cultural impact of the events of May 1968 in Paris. The program includes the launch of the new book Synths, Sax and Situationists, an upcoming publication exploring the development of the French music underground from its beginnings in the aftermath of the May 1968 upheavals in France up to its maturity in the late 1970s. The program also includes an accompanying vinyl LP launch, a compilation of seminal French music of the era, film screenings, a rare poster exhibition of original work from the barricades, and discussions and performance.
The program will be held across the weekend preceding 14 July 2025, to coincide and partner with the popular Bastille Day events and supported by the French Embassy.
Event details: 11–13 July 2025; Wardlow II Moving Image Gallery, 72 Webb Street, Fitzroy
Bastille Day French Festival Melbourne 2025
Bastille Day French Festival is thrilled to celebrate 10 years of bringing a touch of France to Melbourne! For a decade, BDFF has been providing a platform to showcase French culture, cuisine, wine and so much more.
To be held 12–13 July 2025 at Queen Victoria Market, this year’s festival features French cuisine, artists and performers, and a cultural program filled with Les Lumières talks, walking tours and masterclasses, right in the heart of the city. Among the favourite events: an online Trivia on Thursday 10 July; a Lumières talk by Dr Ted Gott, NGV senior curator, International Art, on Sunday 13 July, Veriu Hotel, 10.30am, “End Game: The Final Group Impressionist Exhibition in 1886”.
Check the BDFF website for all the details!
Contact us at ISFAR
ISFAR: isfarinc@gmail.com
The French Australian Review: french.australian.review@gmail.com
ISFAR Research Committee co-chairs: alexis.bergantz@rmit.edu.au; elizabeth.rechniewski@sydney.edu.au
Join ISFAR or renew your ISFAR membership. Membership includes subscription to The French Australian Review journal.
Follow us
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/theISFAR
Useful links
Alliance Française de Melbourne www.afmelbourne.com.au
Association of French Teachers in Victoria (AFTV) www.aftv.vic.edu.au
Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) www.afran.org.au
Australian Historical Association www.theaha.org.au
Bastille Day French Festival Melbourne www.bastilledaymelbourne.com
Bleu Blanc Rouge (Consular newsletter) www.bbrvic.com/en
French Assist Melbourne www.frenchassistmelbourne.org.au
French Australian Chamber of Commerce www.facci.com.au
ISFAR resources
ISFAR provides resources to researchers in the field of French-Australian studies, with the support of the authors or contributors who give their approval to publish this material. Access all ISFAR resources www.isfar.org.au/resources.