Participant Info

First Name
Alexandra
Last Name
McKinnon
Country
Canada
State
Affiliation
Casualty Identification Program, Directorate of History and Heritage, Government of Canada
Website URL
alexandramckinnon.com
Keywords
Memory, Commemoration, Military History, Imperial History, First World War, Second World War, Transnational History, Legal History
Availability
Media Contact
Additional Contact Information
PhD
other credentials

Personal Info

Photo
About Me
I am a research historian with the Casualty Identification Program within the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Canadian Department of National Defence. The Casualty Identification Program works to identify the more than 27,000 Canadian war dead who remain missing from the world wars and Korea.
My primary historical focus is on the impact of conflict, particularly the world wars, but my interests extend across memory, commemoration, and material culture. I’m particularly interested in transnational histories, and in the stories that connect us. I completed a Master of Philosophy at the Australian National University, exploring the impact of the Great War on bereaved families, and their contributions to the collections of cultural institutions like the Australian War Memorial. 

I have worked at sites ranging from a First World War battlefield to a Cold War bunker. My interpretive experience includes the Australian War Memorial (Australia), the Canadian National Vimy Memorial (northern France), and the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum (Canada).

Recent Publications

My academic research has included the use of autograph books as a historical source, Canadian cultural memory of the Battle of Hong Kong, and the impact of the First World War on a family from Kyneton. I have also contributed to popular publications like Inside Story and History Today.

Media Coverage
Country Focus
Australia, Canada, India, Sri Lanka
Expertise by Geography
Australia, North America
Expertise by Chronology
Modern, 20th century
Expertise by Topic
Family, Material Culture, Military, Museums, Public History, Women, World War I, World War II