Events

In this Spotlight program archivist Morgan Flack, along with Queer Archive specialist Dr Elliot Freeman, will highlight the possibilities created by re-describing archival collections and the impact that social politics, stigma and law had on queer lives that are ambiguous on the record.

Within the University of Melbourne Archives (UMA) repository sit six boxes of records documenting the life of June Barnett, her diplomatic career, testimony as witness at the 1954 Royal Commission on Espionage along with records detailing her personal life including hundreds of photos, travel documents and correspondence. In this session, Barnett’s archive will be considered through a lens of queer curiosity and contemporary archival practices including how records are now being re-interpreted or re-described for students, scholars and other audiences.

Join us for this talk and conversation and discover the current state of community-led archiving and considerations for building future queer archives.

Join experts from academia, industry and government for a fascinating exploration of the quantum world in the next instalment of The Future of series.

What is quantum? For 100 years, physicists and the public have puzzled over the mysterious behaviour of waves and particles at the subatomic scale. Now, with the rise of quantum computing and the promise of a new leap in technological capability, quantum science is back in the spotlight.

The event will begin with an introductory demonstration the foundational concepts of quantum computing, including the qubit, entanglement, and superposition. An expert panel will then explore some of the most pressing questions facing the field: What are the real-world applications of quantum technology? What could go wrong? And where does Australia stand in the global quantum race?

The Future of 2026 series is presented in partnership with Lendlease.