Greg Dening
Encyclopedia
Greg Dening was born in Newcastle, New South Wales
. He was educated at the Jesuit School, St Louis in Perth and at Xavier College
in Melbourne
. He earned an MA from Melbourne University and his PhD from Harvard where his doctoral dissertation was a historical ethnography of the Marquesas Islands
. From the late 1960s he became the centre of an ethnographic history school called the 'Melbourne Group'. He taught Sociology
and History
at La Trobe University
, Melbourne and one semester of Anthropology
at the University of Hawai'i before being appointed Max Crawford Professor of History at the University of Melbourne
in 1971. As Emeritus
Professor of History at the University of Melbourne
, he was one of Australia's most eminent historian
s, and one of the preeminent historians and anthropologists of the South Pacific. From 1998 to 2004 he taught ten day graduate workshops at the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research at the Australian National University
, Canberra. He died on 13 March 2008 in Hobart
. Vanessa Smith, University of Sydney
, described "...his unique gift as a historian, unobtrusively demonstrating that the most acute critical perception is not incommensurate with the deepest appreciation of his subjects’ human circumstances."
in 1948. In 1970 he left the priesthood because he could not preach against the use of birth control, the banning of which was outlined by Pope Paul VI
in his encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968. Together with his wife, American-born Donna Merwick (another significant historian who dealt mainly with the early colonial histories of New York) Greg Dening served as a mentor for many and often described history-making as a process of "performance." They thus centered their collaborative seminars around this notion of performing and "Doing History," as Greg called it, since it involved "present"-ing the past. His personal life was deeply entwined with his professional life, as he inspired generations of Pacific and Australian historians and taught a special brand of humility toward his subject material. He devoted much of his time to nurturing students and exploring his own fascinations with Oceania and encounters between indigenous people and outsiders on the in-between spaces of the "beach," a metaphor he developed rigorously.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He was educated at the Jesuit School, St Louis in Perth and at Xavier College
Xavier College
Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He earned an MA from Melbourne University and his PhD from Harvard where his doctoral dissertation was a historical ethnography of the Marquesas Islands
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
. From the late 1960s he became the centre of an ethnographic history school called the 'Melbourne Group'. He taught Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
, Melbourne and one semester of Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the University of Hawai'i before being appointed Max Crawford Professor of History at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1971. As Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor of History at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, he was one of Australia's most eminent historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s, and one of the preeminent historians and anthropologists of the South Pacific. From 1998 to 2004 he taught ten day graduate workshops at the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra. He died on 13 March 2008 in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. Vanessa Smith, University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, described "...his unique gift as a historian, unobtrusively demonstrating that the most acute critical perception is not incommensurate with the deepest appreciation of his subjects’ human circumstances."
Personal life
He entered the Society of JesusSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1948. In 1970 he left the priesthood because he could not preach against the use of birth control, the banning of which was outlined by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
in his encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968. Together with his wife, American-born Donna Merwick (another significant historian who dealt mainly with the early colonial histories of New York) Greg Dening served as a mentor for many and often described history-making as a process of "performance." They thus centered their collaborative seminars around this notion of performing and "Doing History," as Greg called it, since it involved "present"-ing the past. His personal life was deeply entwined with his professional life, as he inspired generations of Pacific and Australian historians and taught a special brand of humility toward his subject material. He devoted much of his time to nurturing students and exploring his own fascinations with Oceania and encounters between indigenous people and outsiders on the in-between spaces of the "beach," a metaphor he developed rigorously.
Quotes
- ‘the abiding grace of history’ is that ‘it is the theatre in which we experience truth’(Performances, 1996)
- "In the theater of my history, I want the reader to go where I haven't been. It is not for me to say whether I have succeeded in doing that. I know I try to give my readers freedom by being mysterious." “Enigma Variations on History in Three Keys: A Conversational Essay.”
- “I cannot cope with an anthropology of natives and a history of strangers. I have ambitions to do an anthrohistory of them both. I have a passionate belief as well that I am a story-teller. Story is my theatre. Story is my art” (p. 170).Dening, G. (1998) ‘Writing, Rewriting the Beach’, Rethinking History, 2 (2): 143-72.