Ann M. McGrath

Ann McGrath, the WK Hancock Distinguished Chair of History at the Australian National University (ANU), is the Director of the Research Centre for Deep History with the College of Arts and Social Sciences at ANU. The Deep History project is dedicated to understanding Australia's deep past and placing it in the wider history of the world. McGrath leads the work to think differently about the practice of history and how it is seen and experienced with a commitment to learning from Indigenous history, being inspired by its ways of thinking about time, and recognizing people’s embeddedness in Country, stories, and song. The work is undertaken with community-collaborative research.

Professor McGrath strives to bridge disciplines and encourage collaboration between historians and scientists. She believes that integrating scientific disciplines such as geology and archaeology is essential for exploring deep history. Her work has influenced scholars across many disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary approaches and opening new avenues of research.

Her approach shines a light on Aboriginal historical narratives which have been relayed through storytelling devices such as dance, song, and art, emphasising the importance of understanding such stories without imposing Western historical standards or seeking validation solely through scientific evidence.

Recently, she is the co-editor (with Lynette Russell) of The Routledge Companion to Global Indigenous History, the co-editor (with Mary-Anne Jebb) of Long History, Deep Time and the author of Illicit Love: Interracial Sex and Marriage in the United States and Australia which was awarded the NSW Premiers History Prize.

McGrath's commitment to sharing scholarly history in a range of genres has led to her curating exhibitions, producing films, advising on television projects, serving as an expert witness in court cases, and developing the history project of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.