The University of Queensland

Sketches of Bali in 1830: The unpublished letters and papers of Pierre Dubois, Dutch agent at Kuta, 1828-1831 (2006–2008)

Abstract:

This project explores issues of colonial contact through the study of the unpublished letters of Pierre Dubois, the first Dutch colonial official in Bali, who was stationed at Kuta from 1828 to 1831. Dubois recorded his Balinese experiences in a series of personal letters to an anonymous correspondent. His collected letters, Sketches of Bali in 1830, represent one of the earliest first-person narratives on Bali; they contain rich descriptions of early nineteenth-century Balinese society, religion, gender relations and politics. Read in conjunction with Balinese sources, the letters provide insight into cross-cultural encounters. This project will produce a major book and contribute to theoretical debates on issues of colonial contact.

Grant type:

ARC Discovery Projects

Researchers:

• 

  Dr Helen Creese

  Honorary Associate Professor
  

  School of Languages and Cultures

  Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Funded by:

Australian Research Council