Kate's research expertise encompasses the social and cultural dimensions of World War I, with particular focus on personal experiences of war, family relationships during wartime, and the intersection of colonial culture with military service. She has also published on rural life in Australia and New Zealand in the 19th and 20th centuries, the history of furs and fashion, and popular culture in the early 20th century. 

She is available and interested in supervising postgraduate research in cultural and social history of Australasia, fashion, food and retail histories, as well as topics related to the social aspects of WWI and WWII.