The Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU) Colloquium proudly hosts the Australian Academy of the Humanities’ 2026 Triebel Lecture, delivered by Emeritus Professor Adrian Vickers (University of Sydney).

Lecture Abstract
An important aspect of Australia’s multilingual history has been movement between languages, both in terms of language learning and in terms of translation or interpretation. 
The taken-for-grantedness of language knowledge was there from the beginning of colonial Australia, as multilingual explorers and settlers sought to replicate European education systems. 
While French and German, Latin and Ancient Greek, were innate to the first universities, by the late nineteenth century, the study of languages expanded into a range of ‘useful’ studies. Such official language study operated alongside the presence of multiple languages that were literally on the streets of cities and towns. 
Teachers, translators and interpreters have played a variety of roles in changing relationships between state and society. They have been essential for the maintenance of security and the regulation of populations over two centuries.

About the Speaker
Emeritus Professor Adrian Vickers researches and publishes on the cultural history of Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia. He has held several Australian Research Council grants, including a major team project, Opening the Multilingual Archive of Australia, which re-examines Australian history through a multilingual lens.

His research has also explored Indonesian art, Cold War history, and labour and industry in Southeast Asia. His books include Bali: A Paradise Created, A History of Modern Indonesia, The Pearl Frontier, and Balinese Art: Paintings and Drawings of Bali, 1800–2010.

The lecture and cocktail reception are open to all. Registration is required.

For attendees who are not registered for the LCNAU Colloquium, registration costs $20 per person, which includes admission to both the lecture and cocktail reception.

For more information about the LCNAU 2026 Colloquium, including the full program, speakers, and registration details, visit the LCNAU 2026 Colloquium website.

To learn more about LCNAU and becoming a member, visit: https://www.lcnau.org/