Associate Director – Policy and Research, Whitlam Institute

The Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University commemorates, and is inspired by, the life and work of one of Australia’s most respected Prime Ministers, The Hon. Gough Whitlam AC QC. As the custodian of Gough Whitlam’s legacy, the Whitlam Institute promotes the contemporary relevance of his vision of a more equal, open, tolerant and independent Australia.

The Whitlam Institute is guided by the ‘three great aims’ that drove the Whitlam Program of 1972. They are:

• to promote equality;

• to involve the people of Australia in the decision-making processes of our land; and

• to liberate the talents and uplift the horizons of the Australian people.

Established under an Agreement between the University and Mr Whitlam in 2000, the Whitlam Institute is a separately incorporated entity within Western Sydney University. Its Board oversees the Whitlam Trust Fund and advises on the Whitlam Institute Program. The Whitlam Institute is located in the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Academic). Its staff are employees of the University.

The Whitlam Institute holds a unique place in the national landscape as a Prime Ministerial Institute with significant public policy, educational, cultural, historical and heritage responsibilities under the one roof.