Matthew Birchall

Dr. Matthew Birchall is a Research Fellow at the Laureate Centre for History & Population within UNSW Sydney's School of Humanities and Languages. He holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge (2022), an M.Phil. in Political Thought & Intellectual History (Cambridge, 2015), and an MA (Hons) in International Relations and Modern History from the University of St Andrews (2014).

His research examines the economic and intellectual dimensions of colonisation in Australia and New Zealand, with specialisation in:

• Chartered companies and colonial capitalism
• Political economy theories of population
• Conceptualisations of 'wastelands' in global history

Collaborating with Dr. Leo Chu, he investigates how notions of empty space shaped global history since the 16th century.

His publications consistently explore colonial governance frameworks and economic ideologies, with thematic emphasis on sovereignty disputes, land appropriation, and imperial administration across the British Empire.

Awards & Honors:

• Alexander Prize (Royal Historical Society, 2021)
• Mary Boyd Prize (NZ Historical Association, 2021)
• John Higley Prize (ANZSANA, 2019)

Grant support includes the Economic History Society Bursary (2020), Max Planck Summer Academy Scholarship (2019), and Smuts Memorial International Scholarship (2016). Previously, he contributed historical perspectives as Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative think tank.