Our researchers seeks to promote better public policy by bringing insights from the past to bear on contemporary policy debates.
We provide politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and the public with historical knowledge in the pursuit of better public policy outcomes. We publish a range of material that connects historical research to current-day policy issues, and we run conferences and workshops. Australian Policy and History is run chiefly by historians at Deakin University, with support from the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University.
We aim to engage stakeholders from all areas of Australian society in a spirit of co-operation and problem-solving. While we recognise that many issues are complex and defy easy solutions, we are motivated by the desire to achieve public policy outcomes that are informed by historical evidence. We promote civility and respect in public debate.
We believe that historical knowledge is crucial for providing context and understanding in relation to the many public policy challenges we face, including:
Central to the ethos of Australian Policy and History is our non-partisan character. We aim to engage stakeholders from all areas of Australian society to achieve public policy outcomes that are informed by historical evidence.
Join the Deakin Science and Society Network to engage in vital global research through seminars and discussions, and support early- and mid-career researchers in developing ideas, finding partners and securing funding.
The Australian Policy and History Network is home to a network of distinguished researchers who promote historians as constructive participants in the public policy debate.
Professor David Lowe is chair of Contemporary History at Deakin and co-founder of the Australian Policy and History Network. His research focuses on modern international history, including Australia’s role in the world, and the remembering of prominent events.
Dr Carolyn Holbrook is the director of Australian Policy and History. She is interested in the nature of state, national and imperial attachments and how they have been affected by geography, events and the passage of time.
Dr Lyndon Megarrity is the books editor of Australian Policy and History. Lyndon completed his PhD at the University of New England (Armidale). In recent years, Lyndon has been a lecturer and tutor, teaching history and political science subjects.
Dr Jacquelyn Baker is the editor of Australian Policy and History. She completed her PhD at Deakin University and graduated in 2023. Her thesis traces women’s liberation in Melbourne over time and space. Her research interests include feminism, gender, sexuality and social and cultural history.
We seek to promote historians as constructive participants in the public policy debate, emboldening them to look beyond the academy, to connect with policy makers, the media and the public, and to consider the ways that our knowledge and expertise can contribute to the advancement of Australian society.
Watch a recording on the Museum of Australian Democracy’s website of this conference looking back on the Hawke government – one of the longest-serving and most transformative in Australian political history.
This policy brief recommended to the federal Labor government a national response to the potential use and/or misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the state and territory education systems and within the higher education sector.
We’d love to hear from you! For all general enquiries and submissions contact Dr Carolyn Holbrook or visit our website.
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