Rowan Cahill (b.1945) has worked as a farmhand, teacher, freelance writer, and for the trade union movement as a publicist, historian, and rank and file activist. In 1967 Cahill was a founder of the radical and innovative Sydney Free University (1967-1972); between 1969-1973, he was a member of the editorial board of 'Australian Left Review' (ALR), a bi-monthly journal of theory and practice published by the Communist Party of Australia. During this period, ALR had a pioneering role in introducing the work of Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) to Australian intellectual and political audiences. From 1970 to 1972, Cahill was employed by the militant Seamen's Union of Australia (SUA) as a journalist and historian. A graduate of the universities of Sydney, and New England (NSW, Australia), Cahill has published extensively in labour movement, radical, and academic publications. As a classroom teacher, he was a prolific contributor to education debate via contributions to non-academic publications, particularly 'Education', journal of the NSW Teachers Federation. Between 2001 and its final issue in December 2006, Cahill was a regular contributor to, and Picket Line Correspondent for, the internationally acclaimed Sydney based labour movement online journal 'Workers Online'. Currently he is a part-time teaching academic at the University of Wollongong (NSW).
Books
Radical Sydney: Places, Portraits and Unruly Episodes (with Terence H. Irving), 1 edn, University of New South Wales Press Ltd (2010)
A Turbulent Decade: Social Protest Movements and the Labour Movement, 1965-1975 (with Beverley Symons) (2005)
During the decade 1965-1975, a cultural revolution took place in Australia. The future was seeded...
Sea Change: An Essay in Maritime Labour History (1998)
An essay length monograph on the life and times of E.V. Elliott (1902-1984), a prominent...
Synthesis and Hope (1993)
A collection of the author's articles on school teaching and education, previously published in non-academic...
Twentieth Century Australia: Conflict and Consensus (with David Stewart) (1993)
A text book aimed at upper-secondary school students. It depicts Australian history during the twentieth...
Contributions to Books
OHS in China-Work in Progress (with Di Kelly), Work in Progress: Crises, Choices and Continuity. Proceedings of the 24th AIRAANZ Conference (2010)
This article explores the barriers and challenges to effective implementation of occupational health and safety...
'Of the Things I Know I Sing': The 'Lost' Working Class Poet Ernest Antony (1894-1960), Labour History In The New Century (2009)
An account of the life and work of Australian working class poet Ernest Antony (1894-1960)...
Introduction, Ernest Antony: The Hungry Mile and other poems (2008)
This 'Introduction' is the first detailed account of the life and work of Australian working...
Rupert Lockwood Abroad, 1935-38: genesis of a Cold War journalist, Labour Traditions: Papers from the tenth national labour history conference (2007)
An account of the travels and journalism of young Australian journalist Rupert Lockwood during the...
Sunshine and Shadows, Confessions & Memoirs: Best Stories Under the Sun (2006)
This is a memoir of the author's childhood in Australia, during the Cold War, with...
Articles
Review of Nichole Georgeou, 'Neoliberalism, Development and Aid Volunteering', Routledge, 2012., Journal of Australian Political Economy (2013)
As Nichole Georgeou explains at the start of her book, 'Neoliberalism, Development and Aid Volunteering',...
On Darkened Days and Sleepless Nights, Recorder: Official organ of the Melbourne Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (2012)
The author's thoughts on the role of radical historians, and the roles of protest and...
Notes on Radicalism, Illawarra Unity (2012)
Questions frequently asked when introduced as a co-author of 'Radical Sydney' (2010) are: “What is...
''The Two-Million Dollar Man': Bob Gould, 1937-2011, Labour History (2011)
This is an obituary of prominent Australian left activist Robert (Bob) Gould (1937-2011). Gould was...
"Never neutral": on Labour history / radical history, Illawarra Unity - Journal of the Illawarra Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (2010)
In this essay the author makes a case for the research and writing of radical...
Popular Press
Shaping Histories (with Terry Irving), Radical Sydney/Radical History (2013)
An account by Irving and Cahill of their developments as historians in Australia during the...
Martial Matters, Radical Sydney/Radical History blog (2012)
Between 2006-2009, the author published a number of commentaries relating to the Anzac tradition, and...
Press Gallery Punch-Up, 1938, and the Port Kembla Connection, Illawarra News (2012)
An account of a Canberra press-gallery punch-up in 1938, and its connection with the 1938...
Anthropologists, Spooks, and the Boys Who Went to War, 'Radical Sydney/Radical History' blog ('Radical Ruminations' page) (2012)
An account of the Australia-based US Army Small Ships Section, and the involvement of Australian...
Velvet Radicalism, Radical Sydney/Radical History blog ('Radical Ruminations' page) (2012)
Review of Nichole Georgeou, "Neoliberalism, Development, and Aid Volunteering" (Routledge, New York, 2012).
Presentations
OHS in China - work in progress (with Diana J. Kelly), Faculty of Arts - Papers (2010)
This paper explores the barriers and challenges to effective implementation of occupational health and safety...
Other
Blog: Radical Sydney/Radical History (with Terry Irving) (2010)
This blog was initiated in 2010 in association with the publication of the book "Radical...
Ernest Antony: A Forgotten Poet (2006)
An introduction to the life of Australian working class poet Ernest Antony (1894-1960), author of...
The Hungry Mile and 'Maritime Invisibility' (2006)
This is a 12pp. pamphlet published by the Sydney Branch of the Matritme Union of...
Picket line Dispatches: From the Joy Mining Manufacturing Dispute, 2000 (2002)
A pamphlet collection of the reports filed by "Picket Line Correspondent" Rowan Cahill to the...
W(h)ither Schooling? (1983)
This is an 8-page pamphlet in which the school-teacher author, Rowan Cahill, criticises education reform...