Briony Neilson
@brionyneilson.bsky.social
3.8K followers 700 following 1.4K posts
Historian:19th-century France—juvenile incarceration, prisons, settler/penal colonies (esp New Caledonia) Book "Dangers of Youth" www.mqup.ca/dangers-of-youth-products-9780228024330.php Based in Sydney, Australia
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
brionyneilson.bsky.social
There's something about holding an actual copy of your book that makes it all feel real. Thanks to everyone who nourished this piece of work and thanks to @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social for making it look lovely. Official publication is in May. You can order a copy here: www.mqup.ca/dangers-of-y... 🗃️
photo shows copies of a book in a cardboard box photo shows a book opened to its contents page
Reposted by Briony Neilson
nposegay.bsky.social
If this ceasefire happens - and I hope it does - Western media will talk about 'peace'. This will be inaccurate. What they will mean is 'quiet', a reversion to the background level of violence that Palestinians have faced for decades. Peace can only come with the end of the occupation and apartheid.
Reposted by Briony Neilson
brianconnolly.bsky.social
It’s wild that there are people who are like “I’m scared my professor is anti-fascist”
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Striding towards the ferry to head north over the harbour – Sydney in February 1968 (photo by R. Donaldson, State Library of New South Wales)
b&w photo of an everyday scene near a ferry wharf taking passengers to Neutral Bay and Cremorne and Mosman – at the centre of the shot is a woman wearing a dress that's billowing to the right. Other people are all and a newspaper headline 'Don Lane in Court' is displayed.
brionyneilson.bsky.social
A beautiful little butterfly fluttered calmly around the cafe before settling on the edge of the screen of the laptop of the person sitting working at the next table. It didn't seem remotely disturbed by her typing and was still there when I headed off twenty mins later. A good omen – it has to be 🦋
brionyneilson.bsky.social
What do a Sydney dog transport business and the Paris public transport system have in common? Absolutely nothing. But I’ve been seeing a Donny’s Dog van increasingly often and every time I wonder: what’s the RATP doing in Sydney. Thank you for your attention 🙃
Reposted by Briony Neilson
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Attention French historians and researchers in adjacent fields: the call for papers is now open for the next George Rudé conference. 8–10 July 2026, in Perth, Western Australia. Generous funding ($3300AUD) is available to support research students' travel. Deadline for proposal is 15 December 2025.
georgerudesociety.bsky.social
We're very excited to announce our Call for Papers for the 25th George Rudé Seminar, the largest gathering of scholars of French history & culture in the southern hemisphere! Taking place in beautiful Boorloo/Perth at the Uni of Western Australia 8-10 July 2026. Pls share!
h-france.net/rude/cfp/
Reposted by Briony Neilson
sophieloywilson.bsky.social
“We have survived”

At the Bicentenary 1988, as a recreation of the 1788 white invasion of Australia came into view on La Perouse headland in Sydney, indigenous Australians watched the tall European ships approach, and quietly, furiously protested from the shore :
Reposted by Briony Neilson
olebirklaursen.bsky.social
Looking forward to talking about my next book "The Indian Revolutionary Movement in Europe, 1905-1918" in the Séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire on 7 May 2026 in Paris. Thanks to @johnerik-h.bsky.social for the invitation. sfbh.hypotheses.org
Séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire | Actualités du séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire
sfbh.hypotheses.org
Reposted by Briony Neilson
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Meanwhile over on 1st dibs, this 9m² prefab capsule used as athletes' housing during the Munich Olympics in 1972 is available for purchase.
Designed by Peter Hübner, the model was originally intended for affordable student housing.
All yours for €80,000 (+ €3,000 for shipping from Spain).
photo shows a prefab unit with stairs leading down and open door. Munich 1972 and the Olympic rings are stamped on the outside interior view of the prefab capsule with blue carpet and aqua rug, green frame metal bed with aqua mattress, posters on the far wall, window at right, green metal frame chair at left
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Attention French historians and researchers in adjacent fields: the call for papers is now open for the next George Rudé conference. 8–10 July 2026, in Perth, Western Australia. Generous funding ($3300AUD) is available to support research students' travel. Deadline for proposal is 15 December 2025.
georgerudesociety.bsky.social
We're very excited to announce our Call for Papers for the 25th George Rudé Seminar, the largest gathering of scholars of French history & culture in the southern hemisphere! Taking place in beautiful Boorloo/Perth at the Uni of Western Australia 8-10 July 2026. Pls share!
h-france.net/rude/cfp/
Reposted by Briony Neilson
booklearning.bsky.social
The planning and heritage industries do a terrible job in general of engaging with the horrors of what went on in these sites, often with grotesquely whitewashed results (e.g. "Springthorpe", the generic suburban estate built on the grounds of Mont Park Hospital in northeast Melbourne).
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Art photography shop in Paris in 1948 (photograph by Édouard Boubat, Centre Pompidou)
b&w photo of a shopfront with 'Photographie d'Art' written along the top and the glass in the windows and front doors whited out
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Thanks to everyone who zoomed in from near and far – some from very, *very* far away indeed – to this event today. Very grateful to everyone for your interest and especially to @petermcphee.bsky.social for being such a generous interlocutor 📖 📕
georgerudesociety.bsky.social
Our next event is this Monday! Briony Neilson's new book on children and crime in turn-of-the-century France is out (🥳) and we're hosting one of our semi-regular book talks. Briony will be discussing it with the great Peter McPhee. Register via the link!
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Thank you so much for zooming in and for your interest!
Reposted by Briony Neilson
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.
brionyneilson.bsky.social
I'm honoured to be speaking to @petermcphee.bsky.social on Mon 6 Oct at 1pm AEDT about my book Dangers of Youth: Age, Criminality, and Juvenile Justice Reform in Third Republic France at an online event hosted by the George Rudé Society. Please register here: uni-sydney.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Picture shows a book cover for Dangers of Youth
brionyneilson.bsky.social
"THIS is the BEETLE with her thread and needle" – costume design for a character in a pantomime, c.1860 (pencil and watercolour by Richard Wynn Keene, V&A)
drawing in pencil and watercolour of a beetle standing on her back legs and working a large needle with front legs into a cloth edged with lace
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Visited Parramatta's Female Orphan School today. Built in 1813 to house young girls in colonial New South Wales, in 1880s it became Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital. In 1980s it was left derelict and hundreds of its convict-made bricks were removed and used to restore Hyde Park Barracks over in Sydney
colour photo of a three-storey sandstone and brick building: Female Orphan School in Parramatta colour photo of a wall the top of which has bricks exposed showing that several layers of bricks have been removed
Reposted by Briony Neilson
georgerudesociety.bsky.social
Our next event is this Monday! Briony Neilson's new book on children and crime in turn-of-the-century France is out (🥳) and we're hosting one of our semi-regular book talks. Briony will be discussing it with the great Peter McPhee. Register via the link!
brionyneilson.bsky.social
Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.
brionyneilson.bsky.social
I'm honoured to be speaking to @petermcphee.bsky.social on Mon 6 Oct at 1pm AEDT about my book Dangers of Youth: Age, Criminality, and Juvenile Justice Reform in Third Republic France at an online event hosted by the George Rudé Society. Please register here: uni-sydney.zoom.us/meeting/regi...