Sarah is a labour historian who has taught in the School of Management and Governance since 1995. Her research spans diverse subjects related to the world of work and safety – the social history of the Titanic sinking, aircraft maintenance engineering work, supply chain safety, and the memorialisation of labour. Her latest project is about the West Gate bridge disaster. This project examines the bridge’s collapse during construction, with a focus on the history of the disaster, its place in labour memory, philanthropic approaches to victims and families, and its lessons for ongoing action for better workplace health and safety. She practices what she teaches as president of the NTEU UNSW branch.

• 2011-2013: The future of aircraft maintenance in Australia: workforce capability, aviation safety and industry development (with Michael Quinlan, Ian Hampson, Anne Junor, Ann Williamson, Garry Barrett and Erik van Voorthuysen). 2011 $75,000, 2012 $71,000, 2013 $80,000

Research Interests

• Labour process and aircraft maintenance work
• Diversity management and discrimination
• Australian labour history-1890s - 1930s
• Australian conservatism
• Social history of the Titanic sinking