The Australian History Prize for 2023 was won by Emeritus Professor Alan Atkinson (in College 1964-67, Fellow 2011-16, Senior Tutor 2010-16) for his recent book Elizabeth and John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm, 2022. The NSW Premier The Hon Chris Minns congratulated Alan and the other prize winners at an awards ceremony at the State Library on 7 September. He has spent his much of his life researching and writing about the Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm and this most recent book is a wonderful product of that work.

Alan previously won the same Prize in 2015 for his monumental work The Europeans in Australia: Volume Three, Nation which took him 10 years to write, twice as long as the first two volumes of The Europeans in Australia. He also won the 2015 Victorian Prize for Literature for Volume Three.

The NSW Premier’s History Awards were first presented in 1997 to honour distinguished achievement in history by Australian citizens and permanent residents. The awards acknowledge the contribution of historical research to our culture and communities, and to society at large.

Alan is the author of the College’s history Hearts and Minds, 2017. While Senior Tutor and resident at Paul’s he contributed to the improvement of the College’s library and archival collection and the importance of protecting and preserving the College’s history. He is an honorary professor and Doctor of Letters with The University of Sydney, and an honorary senior research fellow with The University of Western Australia.

The College community congratulates Alan on his 2023 prize winning work Elizabeth and John available in all good bookshops.

For those interested copies of Hearts and Minds can be purchased by contacting the College.