An intriguing story of art and espionage — how a classical scholar turned codebreaker during World War 2

In the 1930s, New Zealand-born, Cambridge educated Arthur Dale Trendall carved a niche for himself as the world's foremost expert in the study of ancient South Italian vase painting. How then, did he end up leading a crack team of code-breakers working in Melbourne to decipher Japanese messages for the Allies during the Second World War?

This lecture was recorded at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance in partnership with La Trobe University's Trendall Research Centre.

Speakers

Dr Gillian Shepherd — Director of the A.D. Trendall Research Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Senior Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University