This paper concerns the growth and present status of Southeast Asian Studies in Australia. By “Southeast Asian Studies” is meant the systematic, interdisciplinary study of human behaviour, including language, in the geographical region of Southeast Asia, through the one educational structure (a department, programme, school or centre of Southeast Asian Studies). Reference will also be made to the study of Southeast Asia as part of the work within single disciplines or subjects, and language courses not related to other teaching about the region.

The formal beginnings of Southeast Asian Studies in Australia can be traced to a request made by the Commonwealth Government to the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and the Canberra University College (at that time a college of Melbourne University; after 1960, part of the Australian National University) that they provide instruction in Indonesian and Malayan Studies. The University of Sydney called for applications to fill the newly created position of Reader in Indonesian and Malayan Studies, in late 1955, but no courses were offered immediately. Melbourne University offered a special one year course in Indonesia Studies during 1956, under the direction of Mr. Zainuddin, a diplomatic representative of the Indonesian Government who was given the status of lecturer. The course included language teaching, and a series of lectures on modern Indonesia. With a few exceptions, all the students taking the course were postgraduate students, who either hoped to go to Indonesia later on (Melbourne was a centre for the Volunteer Graduate scheme, founded by Herbert Feith), or whose daily work in trade and commerce brought them into regular contact with Indonesians. It was hoped that a full-time Senior Lecturer would be appointed to head the Department of Indonesian Studies by 1958. (The appointment of a staff member at Senior Lecturer rank or above by this date appears to be part of the agreement the universities had with the government.)