Profile image for Brian Costar

Brian Costar

Emeritus Professor

Biography

Graduated BA (1970), MA (Qual) (1973) and PhD (1981) from the University of Queensland. Career has included academic positions in Political Science and History at UQ (1971-77), QUT (1974-75),Chisholm Institute of Technology (1978-90) and Monash University (1990-2005) Appointed to Swinburne University of Technology in 2005 as Professor of Victorian State Parliamentary Democracy—Emeritus since 2016. Research interests are in Australian politics, particularly electoral systems and behaviour, the National Party of Australia and Victorian and Queensland State Politics.

He has published in academic journals such as The Australian Journal of Political Science, Australian Journal of Politics and History, Labour History, Australasian Parliamentary Review and Political Science (NZ). Books include: Electoral Democracy: Australian Prospects, MUP, 2011 (co-editor), Limiting Democracy: The Erosion of Electoral Rights in Australia, UNSW Press, 2006 (co-author), The Victorian Premiers 1856-2006, Federation Press, 2006 (co-editor) and numerous chapters in academic monographs.

Research interests

Parliamentary institutions and processes; Elections and electoral systems; Victorian State Politics; Politics of the Constitution; Rural politics

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.

Fields of Research

  • Historical Studies - 430300
  • Australian Government And Politics - 440801

Publications

Also published as: Costar, Brian; Costar, B.
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Recent research grants awarded

  • 2013: Electoral Fraud Research Literature Review *; Australian Electoral Commission
  • 2010: Dollars and Democracy: The dynamics of Australian political finance and its regulation *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
  • 2009: History of the CPSU (CPSU) *; Community and Public Sector Union

* Chief Investigator