The first nationally funded Chair in Australian Literature, created at the University of Western Australia in 2009, provides national and international leadership for the study and appreciation of Australia’s creative writers and their work.

Winthrop Professor Philip Mead is the inaugural Chair in Australian Literature.

A joint initiative of the Commonwealth Government and the University of Western Australia, the Chair also has the strong support of the State Government of Western Australia.

Teaching and research

In conjunction with the Westerly Centre, the position contributes to undergraduate, honours and coursework postgraduate teaching, and to higher degree by research supervision and research training.

Links between tertiary and secondary-level teachers of Australian literature, and national infrastructure projects such as the AustLit bibliographical resource are also supported by the Chair.

The position represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the western hub for the study of Australian literature, reaching across the continent and up into Asia.