Who we are

The Australia Studies Institute was established as part of the University of London in 1982. For over forty years, the Australia Studies Institute has promoted the understanding of Australia’s past, present and future in the United Kingdom.

We are one of five global institutes in the School of Global Affairs at King’s. Located on The Strand in central London, we are just metres from Australia House, the home of the Australian High Commission.

Our research is organised around the theme Global Australia, reflecting the dynamic nature of contemporary Australian society and its long history of global connections. Institute-affiliated academics conduct research in the fields of history, politics and cultural studies including film. We support research from across multiple academic disciplines through funding schemes including the King’s-Australia Partnership Seed Fund. We also support postgraduate student research through supervision and the Richard Gunter Scholarships.

At undergraduate level, our taught modules include ‘Great Southern Land: The History of Australia’ (BA History) and ‘Making the Indo-Pacific’ (BA International Politics and Technology). Postgraduate teaching is through the Global Affairs MSc. Our PhD students have produced theses on topics including Indigenous mobilities, global responses to Australian larrikinism and youthful ‘delinquency’, legacies of war in the Pacific, and representations of Indigenous people in the metropole.