Kia ora, the train at platform one is bound for the past. All aboard.
I am André Brett, historian (PhD Melbourne). I specialise in Australian and New Zealand history, in particular histories of politics, railways, the environment, and the economy. I study institutions and how they evolve; I investigate histories of failure; I examine the choices faced and paths not taken. If you are seeking research, writing, editing, historical expertise, or just some cool facts about trains, I’m here to help.
Latest from the Blog

Some light research
I thought it was about time that I updated my research pages. So, because I know how to party, I did it on a Friday evening. Please enjoy a quick tour.

I’ve been there, I know the way: the NZ passenger rail book is happening!
Fancy some hot takes, rigorous research, and awesome maps about NZ railways? We got you fam.

Inconvenient or Accessible? Archives and Research Libraries in Australasia
How hard is it for a researcher to get to Australasian archives and libraries without a car? Sometimes easy. Sometimes unreasonably difficult.
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