Amy Clarke
Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), School of Law and Society
Sustainability Research Cluster
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 7 5456 5269
Location: Moreton Bay, MB-MBA1-1-1.123
Dr Amy Clarke is a Senior Lecturer in History and the Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) for the School of Law and Society at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She specialises in the history and heritage of material culture, ranging from giant roadside landmarks to themed environments, living history museums, and architectural identity politics. She has a keen interest in academic governance and policy, particularly in the Learning & Teaching space.
Amy is a global expert on Big Things and roadside attractions. She was awarded a Duke University Fellowship (2018-19) for this work, and more recently served as the academic advisor on the State Library of Queensland’s curatorial team for the ‘Big Things of Queensland’ 2026-2027 exhibition. Her research on Big Things has been featured in international media including the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian (UK and Australia), Globe and Mail (Canada), and Singapore Straits Times.
Amy’s other research is focused upon Scotland. She completed a Master of Sciences in Architecture at the University of Edinburgh/Edinburgh College of Art in 2009 while working with the National Trust for Scotland’s Policy team. Her PhD, conferred in 2015 by the University of Queensland, investigated the politicisation of Scottish heritage in the lead-up to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. As a result of this research Amy was an early contributor to the ‘heritage diplomacy’ discourse, and she continues to investigate Scotland’s nation branding and para-diplomatic agendas.
In addition to her Masters and PhD, Amy has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from the University of Queensland (2007), and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education from Curtin University (2016). She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, and a Full International Member of ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites).
Research
Publications
Journal article | Peer reviewed
Legacy Insights from Media Coverage of Atlanta 1996: Brisbane 2032 and Olympics Outside Mega Cities ↗
by Peter English, David Fleischman and Amy Clarke
2025
Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodistico
The Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics signal a shift from mega-city hosts to a more regional and sustainable approach to staging the Games. Uniquely in a Summer Olympic bid, Brisbane’s application was based on the hosts being from the broader Australian region of south-east Queensland. In appointing Brisbane, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach outlined the importance of sustainability and economic responsibility, and recognised the long-term regional and national strategies around development in Australia. In this changing global sports ecosystem, this paper examines the legacies of Atlanta 1996, a smaller-scale Olympics through media coverage of this edition of the Games, including general and sports reporting. The findings outline areas for the Brisbane 2032 organisers to consider in delivering an Olympics that is sustainable for the hosts. The Games were most effective for fulfilling elements related to sports legacies and the economic focus on making a profit, or not requiring government funding. There are considerable positives in the Olympic stadium still being in use, along with the aquatic centre, and the continued popularity of the public space and broader developments based around the Centennial Olympic Park.
Journal article | Peer reviewed
Relationships: The Cornerstone of Heritage Praxis ↗
by Hossam Mahdy, Justin Newhart, Siepke van Keulen, Yuchen Sharon Sung, Charlotte Feakins and Amy Clarke
2025
Historic Environment
Relationships are fundamental to our lives and the living, and key to all forms of existence - ontologically, ethically, and spiritually. They represent a sense of interconnection, belonging, attachment, and kinship. They weave together a tapestry of people, things, and more-than-human connections--networks that are in a mutual relationship with heritage and processes of heritage-making. In this paper, we reflect on the idea of relationships. Taking inspiration from our experiences as co-chairs and presenters of the ICOMOS GA2023 Relationships Theme, we use 'relationships' as a concept to frame and facilitate a deeper understanding of their meanings in our everyday lives and heritage-making processes. We use the concept to explore relationships across three distinct papers presented at the Scientific Symposium. The case studies illuminate the fundamental interconnections among people, places, and 'things', encompassing lost relationships, the significance of nuturing strong relationships, and the value of developing new ones.
Review
Book Review: Historic Preservation Theory: An Anthology. Readings from the 18th to the 21st Century, edited by Jorge Otero-Pailos, Sharon, CT, Design Books, 2022, 608 pp., US $70.00 (paperback), ISBN 9780578547145 ↗
by Amy Clarke
5 March 2024
Fabrications
No abstract available.
Magazine article
From the Big Bogan to Larry the Lobster, why do towns build Big Things? ↗
by Amy Clarke
2024
The Conversation
Big Things first appeared in Australia in the 1960s, beginning with the Big Scotsman (1962) in Medindie, South Australia, the Big Banana (1964) in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and the Big Murray Cod (1968) in Tocumwal, NSW.
These structures were inspired by earlier North American examples, such as Lucy the Elephant (1882) in New Jersey, and several big doughnuts in California.
While they differed in subject matter, all aimed to attract the attention of passing motorists: in the 1950s–1960s, private car ownership had soared and highway construction spread.
Towns and regions across Australia, New Zealand and North America used oversized landmarks to get travellers to stop, take a photo and hopefully spend money at local businesses.
Magazine article
School sports houses help shape our understanding of belonging and identity. Does who they're named after matter? ↗
by Kate Kirby and Amy Clarke
2024
The Conversation
Sport plays an important role in the conception of Australian national identity. With the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games currently in swing and Queensland preparing to host the games in 2032, international success in the green and gold remains a focus of the Australian media.
Showing the five most recent publications. Explore all Amy Clarke's publications in UniSC Research Bank
Grants
19 June 2026
Connecting high-performance athletes with local communities: building collective community history and memory
Sunshine Coast Council (Australia)
Grant no. 0980031754.
Kate Kirby, Sarah Casey and Amy Clarke
1 January 2017 - 31 December 2017
Advance Award - Advancing Quality Teaching
University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia, Sunshine Coast) - UniSC
Grant no. 0980024485.
Amy Clarke
Teaching and supervision
Supervision
Masters Thesis Supervision - Completed
Anzac’s forgotten witness: the importance of Oliver Hogue’s “Trooper Bluegum” in the war reportage of the Gallipoli campaign.
Students: Russell Phipps
Principal Supervisor: Peter English
Co-Supervisor: Amy Clarke
2025 - 2026
Doctoral Thesis Supervision - Current
Higher education: Women’s opportunities in Australia and New Zealand/Aotearoa from 1867-1914
Students: Research student (name withheld)
Principal Supervisor: Amy Clarke
Co-Supervisor: Susan Hopkins
2026
Doctoral Thesis Supervision - Current
Writing Frank: The ethics and practice of adapting inherited narrative into fourth generation WWII biofiction
Students: Research student (name withheld)
Principal Supervisor: Ross Watkins
Co-Supervisor: Amy Clarke
2026
Doctoral Thesis Supervision - Current
Water security for locally relocated coastal communities in the western Pacific region: lessons from historical relocations.
Students: Research student (name withheld)
Principal Supervisor: Patrick Nunn
Co-Supervisor: Amy Clarke
2025
Doctoral Thesis Supervision - Completed
High-performance sport in regional Queensland, 1970 – 2019: a prosopographical analysis of drivers
Students: Kate Kirby
Principal Supervisor: Amy Clarke
Co-Supervisors: Brendan Burkett and Peter English
2017 - 2024
Showing the five most recent supervisions. Explore all Amy Clarke's supervisions in UniSC Research Bank
Media
Amy Clarke's specialist areas of knowledge include:
- Architectural History and Theory
- Heritage policy and theory
- Nationalism and identity politics
- Cultural diplomacy
- Nation branding
- 'Big Things'
- Scotland
- Open-air museum
News
Aussies use UniSC to steel themselves for challenge
17 AugAs the Aussie Steelers begin their toughest World Championship campaign yet, UniSC’s role in preparing Australia’s elite para athletes is once again on show on the world stage.
Research to shape Brisbane 2032 Games legacy
12 AugWith close to six years to go to the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games—Sunshine Coast Council and the University of the Sunshine Coast are working together to celebrate a strong culture of sport and inclusion.
And the rest is history – how Jess found her place as a heritage planner
17 JunAs a high-achieving student, Jess felt like she was expected to pursue a degree people thought was prestigious – but instead she followed her heart into a History degree, discovering a career that turned her passion into meaningful work preserving the stories that shape her community.