Research

My primary research over the last 25 years has been in the bourgeoning field of Animal Studies (or Human-Animal Studies). It places  animals at the centre of an investigation and considers their often-problematic relationship with humans. My particular focus has been on representations of nonhuman animals in literature, film, popular culture and wildlife documentaries, where I have sought to bridge the gap between traditional scientific approaches to animals and cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences.

My academic and creative nonfiction writing connects art, science, literature and history in innovative and often provocative ways. Sometimes my work extends into the area of environmental history, currently informed by climate change, urban greening and critical plant studies. In this way, I acknowledge the interconnectedness of species and spaces within human and nonhuman cultures.

 

Books

2014 Paper Tiger: How Pictures Shaped the Thylacine. New edition. Hobart: Forty South Publishing.

2011 Considering Animals: Contemporary Studies in Human-Animal Relations. Eds. Carol Freeman, Elizabeth Leane and Yvette Watt. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.

2010 Paper Tiger: A Visual History of the Thylacine. Human-Animal Studies Series. Leiden/Boston: Brill.

Book chapters

2015 “Blurring the Boundaries: Big Cat Diary”. In Lives Beyond Us: Essays and Poems on the Film Reality of Animals, eds. Manley, Sebastian and Kirsten Irving. London: Sidekick Books.

2013 “The Last Image: Julia Leigh’s The Hunter as Film”. In Animal Death, eds. Johnston, Jay and Fiona Probyn-Rapsey.  Sydney University Press.

2012 “Feathering The Text”. In Rethinking Chaucerian Beasts, ed. Van Dyke, C.  Palgrave Macmillan.

2011 “Extinction, Representation, Agency: The Case of the Dodo”. In Considering Animals, eds. Freeman, Carol and Elizabeth Leane and Yvette Watt. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.

2009 “Extinction and Ethical Perspectives”. In Encyclopedia of Animals Rights and Animal Welfare, ed. Marc Bekoff. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

2009 “’Ending Extinction: The quagga, the thylacine, and the ‘smart human’”. In Leonardo’s Choice: Genetic Technologies and Animals, ed. Carol Gigliotti. Dorchedt, The Netherlands: Springer.

Essays and reviews

2025 “Performing the Ragged Garden”. In Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, ed. Aloi, Giovanni, 83, pp. 20-26.

2024 “Review: Teya Brooks Pribac, Enter the Animal“. Swamphen: A Journal of Cultural Ecology, 10.

2021 “Ten days in 2020”. In The Van Diemen Decameron, Forty South Tasmania.

2020 “Review: Vanessa Finney, Transformations: Harriet and Helena Scott, Colonial Sydney’s Finest Natural History Painters”. Historical Records of Australian Science, 31, pp.65-66.

2018 Endorsement for John Simmons, Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London, Sydney: Sydney University Press: http://purl.library.usyd.edu.au/sup/9781743325865

2018 “Review: David Mabberley, Painting By Numbers: The Life and Art of Ferdinand Bauer”. Historical Records of Australian Science, 29, pp. 201-2.

2017 “Review: Neil Chambers ed. Endeavouring Banks: Exploring Collections from the Endeavour Voyage”. Historical Records of Australian Science, 28, pp. 194-5.

2015 “Review: Georgette Leah Burns and Mandy Paterson eds. Engaging with Animals: Interpretations of a Shared Existence”. Freeman, Carol and Yvette Watt. Animal Studies Journal, 4 (2) pp. 181-88.

2015 “Review: David Maynard and Tammy Gordon eds. Tasmanian Tiger: Precious Little Remains,” Historical Records of Australian Science, 26, pp. 92-93.

2012 “Jill Symes: Landscape |Seascape| Escape”, Ceramics: Art and Perception, 87: 92-95.

2012 Review of Wild Dog Dreaming: Love and Extinction by Deborah Bird Rose. In Humanimalia 4.1 (2012)

2008 “On Seeing the Big Picture: A reply to Paddle (2008)”. Australian Zoologist 34 (3): 471-75.

2007 “Imaging Extinction: Disclosure and Revision in Photographs of the Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)”. Society and Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies 15: 241-56.

2007 ‘“In every respect new’: European impressions of the thylacine, 1808-1855”. reCollections: Journal of the National Museum of Australia 2.1:

2007 “Imaging Extinction: Disclosure and Revision in Photographs of the Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)”. Society and Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies 15: 241-56.

2005 “Is this picture worth a thousand words? An analysis of Harry Burrell’s photograph of a thylacine with a chicken”.  Australian Zoologist 33 (1): 1-16.

Media output

2022  “The Who’s Who of Trees”, Forty South Tasmania 106, 32-35. .

2021 “The Ragged School”, Forty South Tasmania  102, pp. 17-21.

2023 “Once Upon a Zoo”. Forty South Tasmania 108, pp. 21-26.

2018 “Fake or Real? This photo of the thylacine has caused a lot of controversy”. Carol Freeman with Angela Heathcote, Australian Geographic, Jan 10:

2018 “Reframing History”, Tasmania 40°South 91, pp. 21-25.

2018 “Suspension of Ordinary”, Tasmania 40°South 89, pp. 29-36.

2018 “Et misforstået dyr” (A misunderstood animal). Freeman, C. with Regner Hansen, Weekendavisen 9 May, p12.

2017 “Talking Point: An Inspiration for a City’s Heart”, The Mercury, December 26, pp. 32-33.

2017 “Once Upon a Blue Gum”, Tasmania 40°South 85, pp. 12-17.

2017 “Coining the Hedberg”, Tasmania 40°South 87, pp. 34-38.

2016 “The Thylacine: Gone is Gone”, Tasmania 40°South 83, pp. 12-17.

2014 “Eye on the Tiger”. Carol Freeman and Gill Vowles, TasWeekend, Davies Brothers (News Limited), Hobart, 4-5 October (2014)

2014 “Paper Tiger: How Pictures Shaped the Thylacine”. Carol Freeman with Chris Wisbey, Weekends with Chris Wisbey, ABC Radio AM 936, Hobart, 31 August.

2011 Catalogue essay for “Reconstructing the Animal”, a group exhibition at Plimsoll Gallery, Tasmanian School of Art, Hobart, Tasmania, March18-April 14.

2007 Imaging the Thylacine from Trap to Laboratory. University of Tasmania Library, Online Exhibition

2007 “Curiouser and Curiouser: The Thylacine in The Naturalist’s Library”. Carol Freeman with Annie Warburton. Statewide Nights, ABC Radio AM 936, Hobart, June 28.

2006 Imaging the Thylacine from Trap to Laboratory. Multi-media exhibition at Morris Miller Library, University of Tasmania, 21 July- 16 August.

2005 “Thylacines”. Carol Freeman with Abigail Thomas, Saturday Breakfast with Geraldine Doogue., 985AM ABC Radio National, Hobart, November 12.

2005 “Bogus Focus”. Carol Freeman and Bob Beale, The Bulletin, Sydney, April 5.

2003 “An emblem’s pounce from the past”. C.J. Freeman and Simon Bevilacqua, The Sunday Tasmanian, Davies Brothers (News Limited), Hobart, September 7.

2003 Catalogue essay for “Tiger Tales”, an exhibition of works by Rew Hanks, Legge Gallery, Redfern N.S.W., September 30-October 18.

Conference presentations

2017 “‘A Mere Memory’: The Scandalous Extinction of the Thylacine”, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies 32nd Annual Conference, 18 November.

2017 “The Last Image: The Hunter – book to film”. Presentation for Matriculation students: The Friends’ School, Hobart, 25 October.

2012 Mercy Killing: Julia Leigh’s The Hunter as Film”. Carol Freeman, Carol and Sally Borrell.” Animal Death Symposium, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW, 12-13 July.

2012 “Feathering the Text”. Minding Animals II Conference, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 3-6 July.

2011 “Feathering the Text”. Animals, People – A Shared Environment: 4th Biennial Australian Animal Studies Group Conference, Griffith University, Southbank Campus, Brisbane, 10-13 July.

2011 “Ending Extinction: The Quagga, the Thylacine and the ‘smart human’”. Global Animal: An Animal Studies Conference, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW, 7-8 July.

2009 “Blurring the Boundaries in Wildlife Docudrama”. Global Media Space Panel at Minding Animals Conference, Civic Precinct, Newcastle, Australia, July 13-18.

2009 “Animals and Society (Australia) Study Group: Developing a Human-Animal Studies Research Network”. Carol Freeman and Natalie Edwards, Animals and Society Groups Forum at Minding Animals Conference, Civic Precinct, Newcastle, Australia, July 13-18.

2007 “Extinction, Agency, and Representation: The case of the dodo… and a word about the devil”. Animals and Society II: Considering Animals Conference, University of Tasmania, Hobart, July 3-6.

2006 “Remembering the Thylacine”. Kindred Spirits Conference, University of Indiana, Bloomington, USA, 7-9 September.

2006 “Tasmania and the Thylacine: Wild(er)ness, beer and the ubiquitous souvenir”.  Senses of Place Conference, Centre for the Arts, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 5-8 April.

2005 “Figuring Extinction: The Politics of Visualising the Thylacine in ‘Mr. Gould’s very beautiful work’”.  Paper presented at meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 21 June, 2005

2004 “Figuring Extinction: The First Illustration of a Thylacine in a Scientific Work”. Cross-Fertilisations: Literature, Science, Nature, Association for the Study of Literature and Environment Conference, University College Chichester, UK, 16-18 July.

Affiliations

Links

Blackgum Distribution Services

Forty South Publishing – Paper Tiger

Australasian Animal Studies Association

New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies

Wikipedia – Thylacine