Online Scholarly Engagement with the Australian Pilgrim: The Case of the Australian History - International Explorer Guide

Abstract

<p>Between 2012 and 2015, historians from the University of New England and Monash University collaboratively developed the online Australian History - International Explorer Guide [www.ahieg.com.au]. The project was conceptualised in anticipation of a growth in Australian travel to the region to coincide with the centenary of the First World War, and the 75th anniversaries of key events during the Second World War. As such, the primary objective of the project was to provide an online tool those Australians could use to facilitate their travel to the Egypt and Lebanon, and to incorporate sites of commemorative and historical significance into their travel plans. However, despite their best interests, researchers soon found that continued political and social unrest in the region demanded a modification of their objectives and their approach towards this. In the hope that these experiences may serve as a guide for future projects of a similar nature, this paper will document the experience of researching and developing the Australian History - International Explorer Guide, and argue for continued attempts at academic engagement with the digitally-oriented and historically-minded independent traveller of the twenty-first century.</p>