This monograph arose from the special workshop, ‘Nation-building in Australia: Past, Present and Future’, offered as part of the Governing by Looking Back conference held at The Australian National University from 12-14 December 2007. I am indebted to Professors John Wanna, Paul 't Hart and Tim Rowse without whose encouragement, support and guidance the workshop would not have been possible. I am grateful to each of the speakers, discussants and contributors whose work appears in this monograph and to Professor Don Aitkin and Dr Andrew Leigh for their individual — and insightful — contributions to the workshop sessions. I also wish to offer special thanks to Mary Hapel and Helen Walker for their valuable assistance in making it all work.

John Butcher

April 2008