Historian, Professor John Maynard is a descendant of the Worimi people of Port Stephens, New South Wales. His main field of research interest is Australian Aboriginal history, focusing on Aboriginal politics, social, sporting, health, oral history and traditional/contemporary aboriginal history in the Newcastle region of New South Wales. Maynard grew up in the world of racing and visited racecourses from an early age with his jockey father, Merv Maynard. Having this family history inspired him to write his Dymocks Reader Choice Award winning book Aboriginal Stars of the Turf, on Indigenous identities in racing. In 2012, Maynard had also won a Deadly Award for outstanding Achievement in Literature for his book The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe, known as a first in sporting literature, because of its content being the untold history of Aboriginal involvement with the ‘world game’.

In his academic career, Maynard had gained a Diploma of Aboriginal Studies from the Wollotuka Institute (The University of Newcastle), a Bachelor of Arts with the University of South Australia, and PhD from the Umulliko Indigenous Higher Education Research Centre (The University of Newcastle), 2003. His thesis Fred Maynard and the Awakening of Aboriginal Political Consciousness and Activism in Twentieth Century Australia, examines the rise, in the 1920s, of the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association which was the first organised Aboriginal political protest movement. Maynard has also held several important fellowships including the Aboriginal History Stanner Fellowship for 1996 at The Australian National University and the New South Wales Premier’s Indigenous History Fellowship for 2003-04. He also served as a member of the executive committee of the Australian Historical Association, in 2000-2002, and the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Committee 2006-2007. Additionally, Maynard has worked with and within many Aboriginal urban, rural and remote communities. (Source: AIATSIS website: Australian National University website; Co-op blog website)

Other Works:

Maynard, John, 1954- Awabakal word finder : an Aboriginal dictionary and dreaming stories companion. Keeaira Press, Southport, Qld, 2004.

Academic Awards:

2014 Fellow of the Esteemed Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA).