Survey of Australian Attitudes towards the Past

In recent years, the future of the humanities in Australia has been the subject of sustained public debate. Falling student enrolments, shrinking academic departments, and continued funding pressures have contributed to a perception that history is a discipline in decline. Yet history remains central to understanding contemporary society, and historical knowledge and awareness continues to offer vital tools and context for interpreting and responding to modern challenges. But what does the Australian public think about the role and importance of history today? Are they interested in learning about Australia's history, and, if so, what topics interest them most? What sources do they use and trust for historical information? And, perhaps most importantly, do they think history is relevant to society today? The War Studies Research Group ran a national survey in early 2026 to find out.

Key findings:

• Most Australians are interested in Australian history but few feel knowledgeable about it
  • 80% of Australians say they are interested in Australian history, but only 57% feel they know much about this history. Around 1 in 10 (12%) say they do not feel knowledgeable about the subject, while just under one-third (31%) are neutral.
• Australians consider history as important to learn as business, science, engineering and maths
  • 3 in 4 (76%) Australians believe history is as important to learn as business, science, technology, engineering and maths, while 24% say history is less important. 3 in 5 (60%) Australians also support making history a compulsory subject through to Year 12, with just under one-quarter (23%) strongly agreeing. 17% disagreed with compulsory history education, but only 4% strongly disagreed.
• Australians are more positive about national history, but 1 in 5 hold a negative view of the past
  • A slim majority (54%) of Australians hold a positive view of Australian history, but around one-third (31%) are neutral, and 19% express a negative opinion of Australia’s past generally.
• Many Australians prefer history that challenges their existing knowledge, but they still believe history should celebrate Australia's past
  • Around two-thirds (65%) of Australians prefer history that challenges their knowledge, compared to 35% who favour history that reinforces their current knowledge. However, a similar number (63%) say history should celebrate Australia’s past, while 37% think history should question this past.
• Australians believe the past is relevant to society today and can prevent repeating the mistakes of the past
  • Only 4% think Australia’s past is irrelevant, with 83% saying history is relevant to society today. 13% remain neutral. Most Australians also agree that understanding the past can prevent the repetition of mistakes of the past: 85% agree, 12% are neutral, and 3% disagree.
• Australians believe history is vulnerable to simplification, misuse, or misrepresentation by politicians, policy makers, the media, or other parties
  • Over three-quarters (77%) of Australians believe history is vulnerable to simplification, misuse, or other misrepresentation. Few (4%) disagreed, while around 1 in 5 (19%) remained neutral on the topic.