The life and work of Australian historian Austin Gough (1926-1997) reflect the paradoxes and contradictions of Australia’s intellectual and political life during the 20th century. After a difficult childhood and dispiriting early careers, he had a meteoric rise in the academy, in the UK (Warwick University) and Australia (Monash and Adelaide), with writings on the Catholic Church and a reputation as an inspirational teacher.

An erudite conservative with a matchless flair for polemics and a taste for controversy, Gough became a harsh critic of a left-leaning academy and the radicalism of the post-1968 generation in the Labor governments from 1975 to 1996. More broadly, his critiques articulate a cultural crisis in the West as new ideological perspectives contested Australia’s traditional certainties, the legacies of British colonialism and the post-War social and political compact.

His life and work shed light on what it means to be an Australian public intellectual and academic. They also contain important lessons in personal fortitude and public audacity.