Prof Robin Gerster - Researcher Profile

Biography

I was born in Melbourne and schooled in Melbourne and Sydney. I completed my undergraduate degree at Monash in the mid 1970s and returned to the university in the early 1980s to pursue postgraduate work. In 1982 I was awarded the inaugural C.W. Bean Postgraduate Scholarship from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to undertake doctoral research on Australian war writing. Revised as the monograph ‘Big-noting’, my dissertation was judged Age ‘Book of the Year’ in 1988. Over the past twenty years or so I have taught and researched at Monash, punctuated by a two-year stint in Japan at the University of Tokyo from 1996, where I was Chair in Australian Studies.

My teaching and research has formed a creative symbiosis, pursuing in particular the related fields of war and representation, travel and representation, and Australian cultural relationships with the Asia-Pacific – areas in which I have published prolifically. My recent work, Travels in Atomic Sunshine: The Australian Occupation of Japan (2008) was awarded the Australian History Prize at the New South Wales Premier’s Awards in 2009. My current research project – supported by the Australian Research Council – is on Australian atomic culture.

Qualifications

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2005

Publications

Books

Gerster, R.C., 2008, Travels in Atomic Sunshine, Scribe, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., Pierce, P., 2004, On the Warpath, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R., 1999, Legless in Ginze: Orientating Japan, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Book Chapters

Gerster, R., 2011, Hiroshima & Here: "The bomb" in the Australian imagination, in Groteske Moderne - Moderne Groteske. Festschrift fuer Philip Thomson / Festschrift for Philip Thomson, eds Franz-Josef Deiters, Axel Fliethmann, Christaine Weller, Roehrig Universitaetsverlag, Germany, pp. 227-245.

Gerster, R., 2010, Citing Hiroshima: nuclear amnesia and atomic bomb testimony, in Philosophy After Hiroshima, eds Edward Demenchonok, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, UK, pp. 121-140.

Gerster, R.C., 2009, "Legends of the terrible, laughing men": the Australian literature of war, in Reading Down Under: Australian Literary Studies Reader, eds Amit Sarwal and Reema Sarwal, SSS Publications, New Delhi, India, pp. 339-348.

Gerster, R.C., 2009, "Travelling is Victory": Australian military tourism and the occupation of Japan, in Occupying the "Other" Australia and Military Occupations from Japan to Iraq, eds Christine de Matos and Robin Gerster, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, pp. 107-122.

Gerster, R.C., de Matos, C., 2009, Introduction, in Occupying the "Other" Australia and Military Occupations from Japan to Iraq, eds Christine de Matos and Robin Gerster, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, pp. 1-11.

Gerster, R.C., 2009, Representations of Asia, in The Cambridge History of Australian Literature, eds Peter Pierce, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne Vic, Australia, pp. 303-322.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, Homeward bound: Australian literary travels in Asia, in Crossings: Travel, Art, Literature, Politics, eds Rudolphus Teeuwen, Bookman Books, Ltd, Taipei Taiwan, pp. 121-132.

Journal Articles

Gerster, R.C., 2012, Touring "Vietnam": A cultural and political map of the Australian war, Journal of Australian Studies [P], vol 36, issue 4, Routledge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, pp. 487-497.

Gerster, R.C., 2008, Daniel Reynaud, Celluloid Anzacs: The Great War through Australian Cinema, Australian Scholarly Publishing, Melbourne 2007, pp vi + 279, Labour Histroy: A Journal of Labour & Social History, issue 94, Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Canberra ACT Australia, pp. 202-203.

Gerster, R.C., 2007, Noel Rowe and Vivian Smith (eds) Windchimes: Asia in Australian Poetry, Southerly [P], vol 67, issue 3, English Association, Sydney Branch, Australia, pp. 231-234.

Gerster, R.C., 2007, Prisoners of the Japanese: Literary Imagination and the Prisoner-of-War Experience, Australian historical studies [P], vol 38, issue 130, Routledge, Australia, pp. 379-380.

Gerster, R.C., 2007, Six Inch Rule: Revisiting the Australian Occupation of Japan, History Australia, vol 4, issue 2, Monash University ePress, Melbourne, Vic, pp. 1-16.

Gerster, R.C., 2005, No man is a naked island: the Australian POW story, Southerly, vol 65, issue 2, English Association/Halstead Press, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 44-59.

Gerster, R.C., 2005, The past as a foreign country: nostalgia and nationalism in contemporary Japanese tourism, Tourism Review International, vol 9, issue 3, Cognizant Communication Corporation, New York USA, pp. 293-301.

Gerster, R.C., 2004, Hiroshima no more: forgetting 'the bomb', War & Society, vol 22, issue 1, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Canberra ACT Australia, pp. 59-68.

Gerster, R.C., 2003, Oh Japan! Coming to terms with the bogeyman, Ritsumeika Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, vol 11, issue March, Ritsumeika Center for Asia Pacific Studies, Beppu-Shi Oita Japan, pp. 129-135.

Gerster, R., 2002, (Dis)orientating Japan: confessions of a literary traveller, Southerly, vol 62, issue 1, Halstead Press, Rushcutters Bay NSW Australia, pp. 137-148.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, Geographies of the imagination, The Lancet, vol 359, issue 9301, Lancet Publishing, London UK, p. 178.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, Hiroshima and all that: revisiting the bomb, REA: A Journal of Religion, Education and The Arts, vol 2, issue 2, Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin Ireland, pp. 6-16.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, Missing the zeitgeist, Australian Book Review, vol 243, Australian Book Review Inc., Richmond South Vic Australia, p. 61.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, Singapore fling, The Lancet, vol 359, issue 9315, Lancet Publishing, London UK, p. 1443.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, Memoir from a vanished Sydney, Australian Book Review, vol 235, Australian Book Review Inc., Richmond South Vic Australia, pp. 26-27.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, The Ned Kelly myth and Australian identity, The Lancet, vol 357, issue 9253, Lancet Publishing, London UK, p. 401.

Gerster, R., 1999, A Hermeneutical Problem, Australian Book Review, vol issue 208, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, p. 15.

Gerster, R., 1999, Fu Manchu Days, Australian Book Review, vol issue 215, APAL Inc, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 19-20.

Gerster, R., 1999, Future Shock, The Bulletin, vol 117, issue 6173, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 119.

Gerster, R., 1999, Inside the Dead Heart, The Bulletin, vol 117 issue 6163, ACP Publishing, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 75.

Gerster, R., 1999, Revolutionaries, Australian Book Review, vol issue 211, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, p. 17.

Gerster, R., 1999, The Land of Vicaria, Australian Book Review, vol issue 217, Australian Book Review Inc., Melbourne Vic Australia, p. 32.

Gerster, R., 1999, The Theoretical Tourist, The Australians Review of Books, vol 4, issue 8, Mationwide News Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 5-6-27.

Gerster, R., 1998, Fault Lines: Australian Inscriptions of Japan, Meanjin, vol 57 no 3, Meanjin in Assoc with the Aust Centre, Melb Uni, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 473-485.

Gerster, R., 1997, Australians in Asia: A Letter of Introduction, Odysseus, vol 1, University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan, pp. 21-36.

Gerster, R., 1997, Brian Castro: Stepper, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 74-75.

Gerster, R., 1997, Brian Johnston: Boxing with Shadows and Donald Denoon et al. (eds): Multicultural Japan, Australian Book Review, vol -, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 8-9.

Gerster, R., 1997, Elizabeth Jolley: Lovesong, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 75.

Gerster, R., 1997, Marele Day: Lambs of God, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 76-77.

Gerster, R., 1997, Mark Baker: The Fiftieth Gate, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 75.

Gerster, R., 1997, Mordecai Richler: Barney's Version, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 75.

Gerster, R., 1997, Paul Theroux: Kowloon Tong, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 74-75.

Gerster, R., 1997, Peter Murphy and Sophie Watson: Surface City, Australian Book Review, vol -, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 32-33.

Gerster, R., 1997, Riding Santa's Surfboard: Teaching "Australia" in Japan, Quadrant, vol 41, Quadrant Magazine Co Inc, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 45-47.

Gerster, R., 1997, Stephen Fitzgerald: Is Australia an Asian Country?, Australian Book Review, vol -, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 24-25.

Gerster, R., 1997, Stephen Heighton: Flight Paths of the Emperor, The Bulletin, vol 116, ACP Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 82-83.

Gerster, R., 1997, The Larrikin as Australian Allegory: Louis Stone's Jonah, Gaikokugo Kenkyu Kiyo, vol 1, University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan, pp. 85-99.

Gerster, R., 1997, Us and Them (And Them as Well): Australian Multiculturalism and the Asia Bogey, Language, Information, Text, vol 4, University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan, pp. 61-75.

Gerster, R., 1997, William Yang: Sadness, Australian Book Review, vol -, National Book Council, Melbourne Vic Australia, p. 24.

Conference Proceedings

Gerster, R., 2011, CONTACT! Cultural impacts of the Australian post-war occupation of Japan, Outside Asia: Japanese and Australian Identities and Encounters in Flux, 09 December 2006 to 13 December 2006, Japanese Studies Centre Monash University, Clayton Vic Australia, pp. 86-98.

Gerster, R.C., 2005, Coming to terms: fear, loathing, revenge & reconciliation in Australian Stories of Japanese Occupation, Proceedings and Papers of The Japanese Occupation: Sixty Years After the End of the Asia Pacific War Conference, 05 September 2005 - 06 September 2005, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, pp. 133-146.

Other

Gerster, R.C., 2008, American Raj, Perspective, ABC Radio National, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/perspective/stories/2008/2435725.htm.

Gerster, R.C., 2006, Garrie Hutchinson (editor) Eyewitness, The Times Literary Supplement, The Times Literary Supplement Ltd, London England.

Gerster, R.C., 2006, Hotel Japan, Wartime: Official Magazine of the Australian War Memorial, Nuance Multimedia Australia Pty Ltd (for the Australian War Memorial), South Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2006, Ross McMullin Will Dyson (review), The Times Literary Supplement, The Times Literary Supplement Ltd, London England.

Gerster, R.C., 2006, The forgotten veterans of World War II, The Age, Fairfax Media, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2005, Ground zero rising, The Weekend Australian, News Limited, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2005, Writer turned captivity into creative experience, The Age, Fairfax Media, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2004, Darwin dreaming, Travel essay in Wartime, Official Magazine of the Australian War Memorial, Nuance Multimedia Australia Pty Ltd, South Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2004, Dutch treats in Nagasaki, Travel essay in Review magazine, Weekend Australia, News Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2004, The secret annexe: an anthology of war diarists (review), The Age, Fairfax Media, Melbourne Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, Taking Turkey, Eureka Street: A Magazine of Public Affairs, the Arts and Theology, Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, Richmond Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2002, The art of nostalgia, Weekend Australian Review - travel article, News Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, Citing Hiroshima, Eureka Street - Political/cultural essay, Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, Richmond Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, On the war path, Eureka Street - Literary/cultural studies essay, Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, Richmond Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, Recurring images, Eureka Street - cultural studies essay, Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, Richmond Vic Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2001, Sun, sea & sashimi, Weekend Australian Review travel article, News Ltd, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R.C., 2000, Changing Identities, Eureka Street, political/cultural essay, Eureka Street Magazine, Melborune Vic Australia.

Gerster, R., 1998, Pamela Stratham and Rita Erickson (eds) A Life on The Ocean Wave: The Journals of Captain George Bayly, The Bulletin, ACP Publishing, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R., 1998, Bruce Bennett and Jennifer Strauss (eds) The Oxford Literary History of Australia, The Bulletin, ACP Publishing, Sydney NSW Australia.

Gerster, R., 1998, James Davidson: Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Greece, The Bulletin, ACP Publishing, Sydney NSW Australia.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

The Interdependency of Constructions of Masculinity and the Environment in Australian Literature.

Supervisors:

Rigby, C (Main), Gerster, R (Associate).

Program of Study:

(MASTER'S BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

WWII homefront narratives in post-war British popular culture.

Supervisors:

Foster, K (Main), Gerster, R (Associate).

Completed Supervision

Student:

Askew, R.

Program of Study:

Nakajima Atsushi (1909 - 1942) and the Cultural Paradox of Modern Japan. (Masters) 2002.

Supervisors:

Tokita, A (Main), Gerster, R (Joint).

Student:

Askew, R.

Program of Study:

Reading Lafcadio: culture, nationalism and the making of "Koizumi Yakumo". (PHD) 2009.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main).

Student:

Dann, C.

Program of Study:

Constructing Thailand: A literary history of western representation. (PHD) 2006.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main).

Student:

Fitch, A.

Program of Study:

The Role of the Outsider's Voice in Representation: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Fiction of Toni Morrison and Michael Ondaatje. (Masters) 2006.

Supervisors:

Lokuge, C (Joint-Co), Gerster, R (Joint).

Student:

Giffard-Foret, P.

Program of Study:

Place tectonics in Austral/Asia: hybridity and identity drift in Southeast Asian Australian women's literature. (PHD) 2012.

Supervisors:

Lokuge, C (Main), Gerster, R (Associate).

Student:

Kovacic, K.

Program of Study:

The Lost Dog - Domestic Animals in Australian Art 1788-1945. (Masters) 2011.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main), Black, D (Associate).

Student:

Magner, B.

Program of Study:

TRANS-TASMAN: PROXIMITY AND DETACHMENT IN NEW ZEALAND/AUSTRALIAN LITERARY RELATIONS. (PHD) 2003.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main).

Student:

Sayed Hassen, S.

Program of Study:

Rejecting Hybridity?: The 'Native Foreigner' in the Novels of Meera Syal and Hanif Kureishi. (Masters) 2002.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main).

Student:

Tripasai, P.

Program of Study:

Simulating Siam: Case Studies in the Imaginative Colonisation of Thailand. (Masters) 2003.

Supervisors:

Gerster, R (Main).