About

We are the national voice for cultural, creative and ethical thinking. We promote the study and application of the humanities because recording, explaining and predicting the human story brings distinctive and diverse ideas to decision-making and contributes to a better future for all.

The Academy is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with a Fellowship of over 730 humanities leaders. Our Academy is one of Australia’s five Learned Academies – independent organisations established to encourage excellence in their respective fields and to provide expertise and advice at public, institutional and government levels.

Our strategy

Australia's humanities moment

The Academy’s 2025-30 Strategic Plan, Australia’s Humanities Moment, affirms the place of the humanities and creative arts at the heart of national life — recognising their value in deepening Australia’s engagement with the world, and their indispensable role in addressing the pressing global challenges of the 21st century.

Our vision

Our vision is for an open, inclusive, self-reliant, forwardlooking and knowledgeable Australia, enriched by a deep understanding of the histories, languages, ideas, environments and cultures of our people, and peoples around the world.

Our purpose

Our purpose is to honour, champion, and nurture the best humanities scholarship in Australia. We recognise and support the unique knowledges of First Australians and use humanities expertise to define and solve the cultural, social, environmental, political and technological challenges of the 21st century.

Annual reports

The Academy publishes an annual report of its activities each financial year. In doing so, we meet the reporting requirements of our Royal Charter and By-laws, and the conditions of grants made by the Australian Government under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth).