The Vaughan Evans Memorial Lecture
This lecture is an annual series of lectures designed to commemorate the memory of Vaughan Evans and honour his outstanding commitment to the Australian Association for Maritime History (AAMH). Vaughan Evans was born in England in 1924 and served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. After the war he worked for Lloyd's of London until 1955, when he migrated to Australia. He worked for the Prudential Assurance Company until his retirement in 1984.
Vaughan developed his interest in maritime history in England, where he founded the Thames Shiplovers' Society and was an active member of the Society for Nautical Research. In Australia, together with Frank Broeze and John Bach, Vaughan established the AAMH in 1978. He served as the first Secretary and edited the quarterly newsletter from its inception in January 1980 until shortly before his death on 17 November 1993. The Newsletter was designed to cater to everyone interested in maritime history, and included anecdotes, responses to questions, and short notes on various aspects of maritime history. Every issue was a gem overflowing with his knowledge and wit. Vaughan also co-edited, with John Bach, the AAMH's journal, The Great Circle, between 1983 and 1988.
Vaughan played a key role in the establishment of the Australian National Maritime Museum, in Sydney, which opened in 1991 and named its reference library after him in 1993. Meanwhile, in 1988, the Australian bicentennial year, Vaughan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to maritime history.
The inaugural Vaughan Evans Lecture was delivered by Rear Admiral James Goldrick in 1994 and was entitled “The Problems of Modern Naval History”.
Subsequent lectures included:
| 1995 | Stuart M Frank of the Kendall Whaling Museum, Sharon, Massachusetts USA Sea Chanteys and Sailor’s Songs |
| 1999 | Dr Kathy Abbas, President of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) Is it Endeavour? |
| 2000 | Professor Lewis R. (Skip) Fischer, Memorial University of Newfoundland Nineteenth century merchant shipping |
| 2001 | Emeritus Professor Greg Dening Melbourne University (lecture read by Dr Mark Staniforth) Encompassing Oceania: Beach Crossings for a Pacific Maritime History |
| 2005 | Andrew D. Lambert The Glory of England: Nelson, Trafalgar and the Meaning of Victory |
| 2007 | Edward Duyker Uncovering the life of Daniel Solander |
| 2009 | Dr D.M Stevens, Director Strategic and Historical Studies Sea Power Centre – Australia Australian sea power |
| 2011 | Professor Iain McCalman, University of Sydney Lost in the Labyrinth: Re-enacting and Rethinking James Cook's Endeavour Voyage through the Great Barrier Reef |
| 2012 | Dr Ruth Balint, University of New South Wales Boats, bodies and borders: the story of Australia's Timor Sea |
| 2013 | John Longley The History and Future of the America’s Cup marking the 30th anniversary of Australia II’s win |
| 2014 | Captain Ian Pfennigwerth PhD RAN (Rtd) The Royal Australian Navy at war in 1914 |
| 2015 | Dr Cindy McCreery The Sailor Prince who got shot: Prince Alfred, HMS Galatea, and Australia's First Royal Tour, 1867-68 |
The Kenneth McPherson Memorial Lecture
Dr Kenneth McPherson was an eminent historian of India’s Muslim communities and an internationally acknowledged authority on the peoples and cultures of the Indian Ocean. Ken’s 1993 book, The Indian Ocean: a History of People and the Sea is a critical source for those interested in maritime history. Ken was President of the Australian Association for Maritime History at the time he took ill early in 2009. He died in early 2010.
The inaugural Kenneth McPherson Memorial Lecture was delivered by long-time colleague and friend Dr Brian Stoddart in June 2011. The second lecture delivered in 2012 by Dr Jeremy Green, eminent maritime archaeologist and Head Department of Maritime Archaeology, WA Museum was titled ‘Kenneth McPherson and his role in the development of maritime archaeology in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka in particular’.
Subsequent lectures included:
| 2012 | Dr Jeremy Green Kenneth McPherson and his role in the development of maritime archaeology in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka in particular |
| 2013 | Emeritus Professor Alan Powell The sea and monsoon Australia: stories from the north |
| 2015 | R.T. Sexton Building their Majesties Ship Roebuck |
| 2017 | Nigel Erskine Passages to India: Exploring Pacific pathways to Asia during Australia’s colonial period |
| 2019 | Professor Pier Larson Family and History in the Indian Ocean |