Historian in Residence

The Historians in Residence selected for 2024-2025 are Dr Martina Muller and Dr Kate Kirby. 

Historians in Residence - Research Revealed

Join us as Historian in Residence, Dr Kate Kirby presents fascinating insights into Sunshine Coast history.

• Dr Kate Kirby - Topic: Bounce, sprint, and spirit: three stories of Sunshine Coast sport history.

Location	Date and Time	Registration
Landsborough Museum	Friday 18 July 2025 10–11am	Register

Free. Registration essential. Includes morning tea.

Community invitation
You are invited to help fill in the missing gaps in Sunshine Coast’s history. Share your knowledge and photos on the historians’ chosen topic at any time. To participate, contact Cultural Heritage Services by emailing [email protected] or phone 5420 8600. Below is a brief introduction to the historians and their topic.

Dr Kate Kirby

Topic: Bounce, sprint, and spirit: three stories of Sunshine Coast sport history.

Dr Kate Kirby is a historian researching sport history and heritage, often focusing on sporting narrative and memory in regional and rural areas. Kate’s recently completed PhD utilised prosopography to explore the history of high-performance sport in regional Queensland. Kate currently works as a casual academic teaching business at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) and history at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). A qualified librarian, Kate was previously a Board Director of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and is an advocate of the role libraries and museums play in supporting community connections.

Project outline – three stories

Dr Kirby’s first story ‘Bounce' explores how Sunshine Coast locals have historically come together in teams for sporting glory across local fields and courts. She will explore the emergence of team ball sports on the Sunshine Coast with the focus on six team ball sports, including: Australian Rules football, basketball, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and soccer. Understanding team sports contributes to understanding of the historical character of the region, particularly in relation to working together with our neighbours for a win. The second story ‘Sprint’ will explore Sunshine Coast athletics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, highlighting: athletes, clubs, race formats, and results. The third story ‘Spirit’ focuses on the history of sport for athletes with disability living on the Sunshine Coast. 'Spirit in motion' is the motto of the Paralympic Games, and this story brings together primary sources to begin to document a history of sport for athletes with disability living on the Sunshine Coast. Dr Kirby will highlight, amongst other elements, the sporting achievements of Vic Renalson, local inclusion initiatives to support children with disability to compete in sport, the development of the Spartans Paralympic swimming squad, and local athlete participation in key Games and competitions.

Background

The Historian in Residence Program is now in its fourth year.

Two contract positions are offered each financial year for qualified and experienced historians or other relevant professionals.

This flexible program is linked to the following sites where historians can access council’s collections:

1. Heritage Library, Nambour
2. Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct or Landsborough Museum

The Program enables historians to immerse themselves in a project that will reveal, document, and showcase Sunshine Coast’s heritage.

To find out more about the program, download the guidelines.

For enquiries contact [email protected] or phone 5420 8600.

This program is supported by the Arts and Heritage Levy.