Lyndon Megarrity

About Me

Dr Lyndon Megarrity is an author and historian based in Townsville. He has a special interest in Queensland political history, international education and mining history.

His publications include Robert Philp and the Politics of Development (2022), Rex Patterson: A Voice for the North (2024) and Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia (2018).

General

Universities Studied At

James Cook University (BA Hons and MA). University of New England (PhD)

Universities Worked At

University of New England (casual marker of Australian History Essays) 2001

University of Sydney: ARC Research Associate (2003-2005)

University of Southern Queensland: Lecturer in History (2012-2013)

James Cook University: sessional lecturer, tutor and marker, mostly in history and political science subjects (2014-2022)

Awards

2019: Winner of the 2019 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award for the book Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia

2014-15: Council of Australian University Librarians/Australian Society of Authors Fellowship.

2010-11: Australian Prime Ministers Centre Fellow.

1998-2001: Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship

Previous teaching

University of Southern Queensland: Lecturer in History (2012-2013)

James Cook University: sessional lecturer, tutor and marker, mostly in history and political science subjects (2014-2022)

Professional Experience

1996-97: Part-time clerical and archival work (July 1996 to May 1997) at the James Cook University Archives.

2002-2004 and 2009: short contract research work for historians such as Frank Bongiorno, Geoff Sherington and Kett Kennedy.

2008: Research Librarian, Library and Research Services, Department of the Premier & Cabinet, Queensland (engaged in research to assist with an historical display within the Premier’s building, George Street, Brisbane in 2009).

2010: Researcher, Politics and Public Administration branch, Parliamentary Library, Department of Parliamentary Services (Parliament House, Canberra).

2018: Provided historical research and content as a member of Dr Claire Brennan’s project team for a public exhibition entitled “From Swords to Ploughshares: Townsville Men and Women Who Served Their Community in War and Peace” (displayed at James Cook University’s Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, the city branch of Townsville CityLibraries and the Museum of Tropical Queensland). Funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

2020: Casual Research Fellow (Deakin University): providing research assistance on Public Health historiography to Dr Carolyn Holbrook, Deakin University.

2022 (May to July): Contract researcher exploring the origins of Townsville street names for the Townsville City Council (TCC) on the initiative of TCC Heritage Officer Ted Brandi.

2025: Indexer for Challenging Anzac (NewSouth, 2026), commissioned by the editors (Mia Martin Hobbs, Carolyn Holbrook and Joan Beaumont).

Professional Memberships

Australian Historical Association

Australasian Mining History Association

Royal Historical Society of Queensland

Responsibilities

Serves on the Editorial Board of the Queensland History Journal.

Member of the Queensland Working Party of the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Professional Interests

Writing, research and tertiary teaching.

Key Achievements

The publication of several single authored, co-authored and co-edited commercially available books on Australian history-related subjects.

Winner of the 2019 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award for his book Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia.

Keynote speaker at the Australian Historical Association conference (30 June-3 July 2025), delivering an address on “Townsville in the 1960s”.