Pacific History Association
The CFP for this year’s conference has been extended by one month to 30 April. Please see the update flyer below.
Gunson Essay Prize awarded by The Journal of Pacific History in conjunction with the PHA.
A prize of AUD $1,000 will be awarded at the 2025 Pacific History Association Conference for the Gunson Essay Prize Competition winner. Postgraduate or senior students from any country are invited to submit an essay in English between 5,000 and 8,000 words on any topic relating to the pasts of the Island Pacific and its peoples to editorial@jphinc.com.au by 1 November 2025 (23:59pm, Australian Eastern Standard time).
Each entry should consist of two documents: one with the author’s name, contact details, essay title and abstract of 150 words; the other consisting of the essay itself, anonymised, with title, abstract and text. Referencing should be consistent, accurate and complete, but authors do not need to follow any one particular set of conventions for presentation. Please note that an essay submitted for the prize should not have been published or accepted for publication in any outlet by the closing date for entries.
In the eyes of the judges, the winning entry will make the most valuable contribution to our historical knowledge and draw convincingly from relevant sources to communicate effectively. The judging committee will consist of three members, including a special speaker at the PHA Conference, a representative of the PHA and a representative of The Journal of Pacific History. The prize promotes the work of scholars at the early stages of their research. It also pays tribute to Dr Niel Gunson, from the Australian National University, for mentoring so many students and scholars over a lifetime of dedication to Pacific history.
Past recipients of the Gunson Essay prize are:
• 2012. Nicholas Hoare (then at Victoria University of Wellington), for ‘“Harry” Holland and Samoa: the Labour leader’s “Samoa complex”’.
• 2014. Kristie Patricia Flannery (then at the University of Texas at Austin), for ‘“Battlefield Diplomacy and Empire-building in the Early Modern Pacific World”’.
• 2016. Benjamin Sacks (then at the University of Western Australia), for ‘“Running Away with Itself”: Missionaries, Islanders and the Reimagining of Recreation in Samoa, 1830–1939’.
• 2018. Elyssa J. Santos (then at University of Hawai‘i at Manoa), for ‘“More Better” Ideas: Chamorro Resistance to U.S. Development Projects on Guam, 1898–1941’.
• 2021. Harry Needham (then at the Australian National University), for ‘“A Story of Our People's Triumph”: Nauruan Histories of Angam.’
• 2023 (joint winners): Anaïs Duong-Pedica (then at Åbo Akademi University), for ‘“Ponochement Vôtre”: Kanak Women’s Exploitation through the Anti-colonial and Anti-capitalist lens of Kanak Women Militants’; Steven R. Talley (then at the University of Otago), for ‘“A Very Remarkable Development… Has Taken Place on Tanna:” The Albatross Scheme, 1915-1922.’
The 2025 Gunson Essay Prize winner will be announced at the PHA’s 26th conference at the National University of Sāmoa on 2-4 December 2025.
For further details, contact The Journal of Pacific History, editorial@jphinc.com.au.
The Pacific History Association Teresia Teaiwa Prize 2025
The Pacific History Association (PHA) established the Teresia Teaiwa Prize in 2018 to honour the profound legacy of Teresia Teaiwa, former President and Secretary of PHA. The inaugural prize was awarded at the PHA’s 2021 conference.
The 2025 winner will be decided and announced at the PHA’s biennial conference to be held on 2-5 December 2025 at the National University of Samoa.
The prize is for a conference presentation. Finalists will be shortlisted on the basis of an essay submitted prior to the conference.
Students and emerging scholars planning to present at the 2025 PHA conference are invited to submit a draft paper on a topic relating to the history of Pacific peoples and their islands, and which promotes the innovation, originality and critical creativity that characterized Teresia’s work. The paper should also broadly be in keeping with the 2025 conference theme: Le Solosolo’ū: Resilience in the Face of Adversity.
Co-authored and joint presentations are welcome provided that both authors meet the eligibility criteria.
The judging panel will be selected by the PHA Executive from the PHA membership and from conference delegates with standing in the field.
The 2025 winner will receive a prize of $AUD 1000.
Eligibility: Students enrolled in a postgraduate course of study in 2025, as well as emerging scholars not appointed to a full-time academic position within 2 years (in 2025) of the completion of an MA, PhD or other degree course or diploma.
Submission guidelines:
• Intending entrants should submit an abstract/paper proposal by the deadline set in the general CFP for the PHA conference (closing on 31 March 2025). When submitting your abstract please state that you intend to enter the competition.
• Entrants should then submit their written paper by email to Dr Adrian Muckle, PHA Secretary (adrian.muckle@vuw.ac.nz), by no later than: 1 November 2025 (23.59pm NZ time). Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Word limit: 3500 words, including citations. The written submission must be fully referenced. Referencing should be consistent, accurate and complete, but authors do not need to follow any particular set of conventions.
• Papers should be double spaced in 12 pt. font with minimal formatting.
• Submit two copies of the paper: one “blinded” and one with full author identification, including the author’s university affiliation and supervisors’ names.
For all queries contact Dr Adrian Muckle (adrian.muckle@vuw.ac.nz). For further information on PHA’s 2025 conference see the PHA website (https://www.pacifichistoryassociation.net/) or contact phaconference@nus.edu.ws.