Katie Holmes

Professor Katie Holmes is a prominent environmental historian and scholar in the Humanities & Social Sciences School at La Trobe University. She serves as Director of the Centre for the Study of the Inland and leads La Trobe’s ‘Social Change and Equity’ research theme. Her work bridges environmental history, gender studies, and interdisciplinary methodologies, focusing on human-environment interactions and cultural narratives in Australia. Holmes holds a BA and PhD from Melbourne University and has held prestigious roles such as the Gough Whitlam Chair at Harvard (2023-24) and the Keith Cameron Chair at University College Dublin (2010). She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

• Education: BA & PhD, Melbourne University
• Key Research Projects: ARC-funded studies on drought cultures, Murray-Darling Basin water management, and Mallee land histories

Her research interests include environmental humanities, oral history, and the intersection of gender and environmental policy. Holmes has published extensively on topics like Australian garden history, mental health narratives, and regional development. Her current work addresses climate change through interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing urgent societal and environmental challenges.

• Awards: FASSA Fellowship, Harvard Chair, UCD Chair
• Grants: ARC grants for ‘Parched’, ‘Murray-Darling Basin’, and ‘Australian Generations’ projects

As a supervisor, Holmes has guided students like Rachel Goldlust and Karen Twigg. She chairs the European Society for Environmental History’s Diversity Committee and co-leads La Trobe’s Climate Network. Her upcoming Harvard fellowship further underscores her international academic influence.