King-Hall Naval History Conference Proceedings
The biennial King-Hall Navy History Conference is named after Admiral Sir George King-Hall, the last British Commander-in-Chief on the Australia Station, who hauled down his flag on 4 October 1913 with the entry of the Fleet Unit into Sydney Harbour.
The proceedings of the early King-Hall Navy History conferences were published commercially and some are still available for purchase from the relevant publisher. More recent conference proceedings are currently being edited and will be published by the SPC-A.
The War at Sea 1914-18
edited by David Stevens
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the eighth King-Hall Navy History Conference, held in Canberra on 23-24 May 2013. As we approach the centenary of the Great War, it is important that we consider all aspects of this conflict and how it shaped our modern world. The naval war, in particular, deserves reassessment, for much of what has been written previously cannot be considered either comprehensive or reliable. By bringing together naval historians from around the world, this conference provided many new insights on an often neglected topic.
Availability
The conference videos and slides are available.
Australian Naval Command and Leadership in Recent Operations
edited by John Perryman and Andrew Forbes
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the seventh King-Hall Navy History Conference, held in Canberra on 8 June 2011. Effective command and leadership in a changing maritime environment takes on many forms. Serving RAN personnel examined and discussed the role of individual and group leadership to gain a greater understanding of the many challenges faced by naval commanders and leaders in contemporary operations. A broad spectrum of operations was examined, ranging from border protection, to commanding a task force in the Middle East.
Availability
The conference papers are available for download in pdf via the link to the right.
The Commonwealth Navies: 100 Years of Cooperation
edited by Kathryn Young & Rhett Mitchell
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the sixth King-Hall Naval History Conference, held in Canberra over 30-31 July 2009. In 1909 Australia, with British encouragement, decided to acquire a modern ocean-going fleet; one which could not only protect local ports and shipping from enemy incursions but also support the Royal Navy in its determination to retain command of the sea. Other members of the Empire followed Australia’s lead, and the various Commonwealth navies have since routinely sailed together in both peace and war and with a remarkable degree of interoperability. Arguably the most successful international grouping of its type, Commonwealth naval cooperation can also be seen as the precursor for more recent initiatives such as the US Navy’s Global Maritime Partnership.
Availability
The conference papers and podcasts are available.
Naval Networks: The Dominance of Communications in Maritime Operations
edited by David Stevens
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the fifth King-Hall Naval History Conference, held in Sydney on 24 July 2007 and in Canberra over 26-27 July 2007. The conference addressed the shifting demands facing both national and combined international sea power, together with case studies of command, control, communications and intelligence taken from the ancient world through to the 21st century. It offered new insights into the future face of maritime strategy, the changing nature of global connections, and the continuing nexus between communications and command at sea.
Availability
The conference papers and podcasts of presentation are available.
Sea Power Ashore and in the Air
edited by David Stevens and John Reeve, 2007
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the fourth King-Hall Naval History Conference, held in Canberra over 21-22 July 2005. Trafalgar, Tsushima, Midway, and other epic blue-water fleet actions are not likely to have their counterparts in the early 21st century. Since the end of the Cold War there has been increased interest in the way that navies directly influence events where sea, air and land interact. Yet, in the broad sweep of military history this is nothing new. In this volume, leading historians look back over more than a hundred years, to show how navies have often made a critical difference to the fighting ashore and the contest for the mastery in the air.
Availability
Published by Halstead Press (ISBN 978 1 920831 45 5) and out of print. A PDF version is available.
The Navy and the Nation: The influence of the navy on modern Australia
edited by David Stevens and John Reeve, 2005
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the third King-Hall Naval History Conference, held in Canberra over 24-25 July 2003. Australia has often been described as a nation shaped by war. From an early age, every Australian is taught the significance of Gallipoli and the Anzac legend. This, however, is but one dimension of the military's impact on our nation's coming of age. Australia, after all, is an island. It was the Royal Navy which explored and founded European Australia, and it is the RAN which has been critical to our national security ever since. With its ancestry in the Royal Navy and the former colony-based navies, the Australian Navy was established in 1901. Since that time it has helped Australia enter the international community as a modern, self-reliant nation and has been indispensable in protecting Australia's sovereignty and national interests. Despite the RAN being one of Australia's oldest and most important institutions, the links between it and nation-building have never before received detailed study. Bringing together scholars from Australia and overseas, The Navy and the Nation examines the extent of the RAN contribution to our national development and shows how it has played a vital role in defining our independent national identity.
Availability
Published by Allen & Unwin (ISBN 1 74114 200 8)
The Face of Naval Battle: The human experience of modern war at sea
edited by John Reeve and David Stevens, 2003
Abstract
This volume is the proceedings of the second King-Hall Naval History Conference, held in Canberra over 26-27 July 2001. Naval history is sometimes criticised for concentrating on the technical side of operations at the expense of the human. The Face of Naval Battle breaks new ground in that for the first time the authors closely examine the individual and group experience of maritime warfare in the twentieth century. What is it that makes naval battle different from combat in the air or on the ground? What is the future of maritime warfare? Ranging from lively accounts of individual acts of heroism through to critical studies of the problems of command at sea, The Face of Naval Battle highlights the multi-dimensional nature of maritime warfare. Drawing on the latest research from around the world, many hitherto ignored aspects of war at sea are brought to light and placed in the context of the broader human experience of conflict.
Availability
Published by Allen & Unwin (ISBN 1 74114 154 0)
