White Australia has a Blackie Blackie Brown history

The gatekeepers for institutions of fine arts, classical music and theatre in Australia are traditionally white, upper middle-class people. Nakkiah Lui’s existence and success as an Indigenous playwright is a radical disturbance in this bubble of society as, by nature, stories and storytellers that challenge cultural hegemony will always be political, and Blak artists entering theatre demonstrate a fusion and adaptation of Indigenous oral traditions into Australia’s highbrow society. Aboriginal playwrights and performances have a complex history in terms of audience reception as they often deal with difficult and confronting topics that ‘regular’ theatre audiences may not engage with (Grehan 2010). Not only do they have the burden of representing ‘all’ Aboriginal people, but the stories they share are often those whose voices were historically silenced, erased or dismissed (Morris 1992)

Meta-Study on Integrated Cooling of Modern Integrated Circuits using Microfluidics

The substantial increase in the transistor density of integrated circuits (ICs) in recent times has allowed considerable improvements in computing power. With increasing transistor and power density, the heat produced by modern ICs has increased significantly. This in turn has negative effects on the performance, reliability, and power consumption of the ICs. A solution to the IC’s complications caused by overheating is integrated cooling, in which cooling fluid is delivered through microchannel heat sinks on the backside of an IC. This meta-study will investigate two microfluidic cooling technologies. First, implementing varied size microfluidic channels close to the silicone substrate of the IC. Additionally, a micro-pin fin heat sink is integrated into the ICs’ fluidic microchannels. Different sized pin fins were used, to achieve a wider understanding of the application of pin fins in microfluidic cooling and compare the thermal performances of each cooling method. Integrated cooling subverts the need for suboptimal thermal interfaces and bulky heat-sinks, as well as reducing the intensity of localised hotspots commonly present in high-power electronics. Further, by locating the main heat exchange medium closer to the die of an IC, we reduce the number of thermal interfaces. This meta-study suggests that cylindrical micro-pin fin arrays with pitch longitude and latitude of 60μm and 120μm, are more thermally efficient than plain microfluidic cooling channels. &nbsp

The case for cultural economic participation: achieving social and political change for Aboriginal peoples through community owned and run businesses

Aboriginal community owned and run businesses have proven to instigate social and political change for Aboriginal communities in Australia, and the nation as a whole. Integral to this change is recognition of the enduring effects of colonisation and realisation of social, cultural and identity capital as valid forms of economic contribution

"Jasper Jones" as a Window into Australia’s Aboriginal history

Jasper Jones (2017) is an Australian film adaptation of Craig Silvey’s 2009 novel of the same name. The film is directed by Arrernte woman Rachel Perkins, who founded Blackfella Films in 1992 and has since been heading the initiative to include more Indigenous representation on screen. With an Aboriginal character, Jasper Jones, at the forefront of the story, the film presents a window into the lives of Aboriginal people living in 1960’s white Australia

A parametric analysis on PEFCs for high-temperature applications

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are an increasingly significant facet of modern renewable energy and transportation, providing an electrochemical method of energy generation with high power density, thermal properties, and efficiency. PEFCs tend to increase in efficiency as temperature increases but detrimental effects begin to occur, including membrane degradation and dehydration. These effects are unfavourable in the design of optimised fuel cells as they can result in reduced efficiency and lifetime. Current PEFCs are in a state where they are commercially viable but have a very limited temperature operation region (<80°C). This meta-study analysis presents research around expanding the operational temperatures of PEFCs through a parametric analysis of active cell area, phosphonic acid content, and organic/inorganic fillers. This analysis finds an increase in proton conductivity for PEFCs at higher temperature by using phosphonic acid functionalised membranes with maximised degree of phosphonation (up to 1.5 DP). It was also found that using ionic liquid functionalised carbon materials as fillers was an effective strategy to enhance the proton conductivity of PEFCs in a higher temperature environment while also providing increased thermal stability of the membrane. Additionally, higher thermal efficiency and power density may be achieved by increasing temperature and humidity to maximise proton conductivity towards theoretical maxima dictated by the active cell area, which was found to peak at 36 cm2

Increasing the efficiency of a Peltier device by assessing the thermal performance of liquid-cooled microchannel heat sinks

Water is, arguably, Earth\u27s most valuable and vital resource. Devices that extract water from the atmosphere have been intensely researched as a means of harvesting potable water in environments where it is otherwise scarce. One such device is a Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC); a device that utilises the Peltier effect to cool a system. TECs are a promising solution for atmospheric water generation (AWG) over their competitors due to their simplicity and refrigeration capabilities. Despite these advantages, TECs are still considered mostly inefficient as they demand relatively high costs and energy consumption. This meta-analysis focuses on optimising the efficiency of small-scale Peltier devices. It explores the means of optimising the liquid cooled heat sink by using a specific flow field microchannel configuration such that less pumping power is required to push the coolant and more energy can be saved. A combination of optimal operating current of the Peltier device and of a novel flow liquid-cooled microchannel heatsink configuration with bifurcated fins using Galinstan as a coolant promises a significant increase in water production per unit of energy consumption for the AWG system

Constitutional Recognition: reflecting on the prospect and direction in the 46th Parliament

In an election campaign that spent much time around esoteric ideas like dividend imputation credits and electric vehicle targets, it is strange that little time was spent discussing Labor\u27s proposal to enshrine a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people in the constitution, via referendum. Unlike nations such as New Zealand or Norway, Australia lacks a specified mechanism for First Peoples’ political representation. As with our decades of inaction on constitutional recognition of Australia\u27s Indigenous peoples, this can also be seen manifesting in our inability to improve educational, health, and justice outcomes for Indigenous Australia. Individuals like newly appointed Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Ken Wyatt, and Member for Barton, Linda Burney, can and do break through this glass ceiling. But such examples serve as outliers rather than the norm, as Indigenous Land Rights leader Galarrwuy Yunipingu noted, ‘I have had a place at the table of the best and the brightest in the Australian nation - and at times success has seemed so close, yet it always slips away’ (Yunipingu 2008, para. 20). The Uluru Statement from the Heart sought to show a path forward from the ‘torment of our powerlessness’ and for ‘reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country’

The reality of remembrance in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park

Nestled at the back of Newtown, behind the bustling King St and amongst the Camperdown suburbia, lies Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, a frequent spot for gatherings with friends, and a beloved dog hang-out for owners and canines alike. However, not many people know of the deep cultural significance that this park holds for Aboriginal people. The strong historical importance that lies beneath the surface of the park and within the park’s closed off section are found within Camperdown Cemetery

"Sweet Country"\u27s powerful depiction of racial dynamics and tensions of the 1920s

Warwick Thornton’s outback western, Sweet Country (2017) is a powerful depiction of the racial dynamic and tensions of the 1920’s. The plot follows the story of Sam Kelly, an Indigenous man, who shoots and kills a white man Harry March in self-defence. The themes of colonialism, law and power cultivate in the experiences of the Aboriginal and white characters alike. The stories of Aboriginal people from this era are still largely untold, and even a fictional representation of this history, such as Sweet Country, helps the histories of black Australia penetrate the mainstream