I am an Australian historian whose research explores the relationship between technology, public policy and national strategy. My work focuses particularly on British and Australian aviation, defence policy and military history during the first half of the twentieth century, examining how governments and institutions responded to technological change and the strategic challenges it created.
My research is based primarily on archival sources in Britain and Australia and combines detailed empirical investigation with broader questions about the development of public policy in a liberal democracy. A recurring theme is the way governments and institutions respond to technological innovation: why some innovations are embraced, others resisted, and how those decisions shape long-term strategic outcomes.
I am the author of five books, most recently The Political History of British Aviation 1909–1949: Technology in a Liberal Democracy (Routledge, 2026). My articles have appeared in journals including the Journal of Military History, the International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology, Australian Historical Studies, the Journal of Transport History and Cross & Cockade International.
My doctorate, awarded by RMIT University, examined the political development of British aviation between 1909 and 1949. That research forms the foundation of a continuing programme examining the interaction between technology, public policy and national strategy, using aviation history as a lens through which to understand broader questions of government decision-making and institutional change.
Alongside my academic research, I have held senior leadership roles in the Victorian public sector and have been involved in documentary production examining both military history and contemporary social policy. These experiences have strengthened my interest in the ways organisations make decisions, adapt to changing circumstances and construct narratives about their own past.
My current research examines the relationship between technology, public policy and institutional decision-making, particularly the ways governments identify, support—or fail to support—technological innovation. Other work explores military strategy, civil–military relations and the limits of institutional knowledge in the making of public policy.
Away from my historical and policy work, around 2000 I was the principal songwriter for the Melbourne band Little Red Look. We recorded an eight-track album, Better Than This, in Melbourne. The songs were written in a broadly guitar-based pop/rock style, and the album was eventually released digitally in 2021. It is now available on the major streaming services.
Thank you for visiting. I hope the books, articles and current research presented here contribute to a wider understanding of the relationship between technology, public policy and national strategy.