A new publication from Dr Ella Stewart-Peters examines the history of vaccination wars, while a chart-topping new book from a CMPH academic delves into historical true crime and national recognition for CMPH and CBGL academics. 

Chart-topping new book

Dr Samantha Battams from the College of Medicine and Public Health delves into historical true crime with her new book The Rhynie Poisoning Case: The True Crimes of Alexander Newland Lee. It tells the story of Alexander Newland Lee, accused of poisoning his wife and three children but who long maintained his innocence. The book delves deep into the case which captivated South Australia soon after the end of World War I.

In support of the book’s release, Dr Battams spoke about the story at the City of Charles Sturt for South Australia’s History Festival, as well as on ABC Radio, which helped the book to reach #1 on Amazon’s book charts in the ‘Biographies & Memoirs or Criminals’ category.

Accolades for CMPH academics

Congratulations to Dr Voula Gaganis and Associate Professor Christine Barry from the College of Medicine and Public Health, who this week received their Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning as part of the Australian Awards for University Teaching 2021.

The SA & NT Promotion of Excellence Network hosted the awards ceremony last Monday night, with the Flinders duo among just five South Australian educators who received a citation, which recognise Australia’s most exceptional university teachers who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to student learning through their dedication to quality teaching.

Examining 19th century anti-vaxers

Vaccination Wars is a new publication that broadens the findings of Dr Ella Stewart-Peters’ PhD examining the history of vaccine objection in nineteenth-century Cornwall, and illustrates that for as long as there have been vaccines, there have been those who oppose them. Dr Stewart-Peters says that as the world continues to grapple with the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges of managing an effective vaccination programme, Vaccination Wars (published by University of Exeter Press) shows that our experiences have more in common with those of previous generations than we may so far have understood.

Examining the history of vaccine objection in nineteenth-century Cornwall, the book looks at reasons behind resistance to the smallpox vaccine, while also profiling the lives of Cornish parents who steadfastly refused to have their children inoculated. Exploring the earliest phases of the anti-vaccination movement, the rise of middle-class resistance and organised opposition societies, and the influence of propaganda, the book presents a more nuanced understanding of the ways regional and cultural differences affect the reception of state-mandated medical practices.

Criminologist wins best publication

Dr Simone Deegan, from the College of Business, Government and Law, has been awarded the New Scholar Prize by the Australian and New Zealand Society for Criminology for her article, The meaning of murder: Family members in the lives of juvenile homicide offenders. The New Scholar Prize is awarded each year to the best publication in criminology written by an early career researcher.

Simone’s article focuses on the family members (mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents) of young people under the age of 18 who were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Published in the British Journal of Criminology, it examines their experiences leading up to the offending, after the young person was arrested, through the court process, and across the young person’s life sentence.