Chris Hilliard

Chris Hilliard is the Challis Professor of History in the School of Humanities at the University of Sydney. He holds a BA and MA from the University of Auckland, an AM from Harvard University, and a PhD in History from Harvard University. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (FAHA) since 2019, Hilliard has built a distinguished career focused on modern British cultural and intellectual history. He joined the University of Sydney as a lecturer in history, advancing to senior lecturer and associate professor before his appointment as Challis Professor. He served as Chair of the Department of History from 2016 to 2018 and was appointed Head of the School of Humanities on 11 November 2025. Hilliard also holds leadership roles including Treasurer of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and co-editor of the journal Twentieth Century British History.

Hilliard's research explores themes such as censorship, obscenity, libel, literacy, race politics, and housing in twentieth-century Britain. He is the author of five books, including A Matter of Obscenity: The Politics of Language in Modern Britain (Princeton University Press, 2023), The Littlehampton Libels: A Miscarriage of Justice and a Mystery about Words (Oxford University Press, 2020), To Exercise Our Talents: The Democratization of Writing in Britain (Harvard University Press, 2006), and The Bookmen's Dominion: Cultural Life in New Zealand 1920–1950 (Auckland University Press, 2006). His articles have appeared in leading journals such as Past & Present, History Workshop Journal, and Historical Journal. Recent publications include 'Housing and the Peripheralization of Race Politics in Britain, 1948–1968' (Past & Present, 2025) and 'Mapping the Notting Hill Riots: Racism and the Streets of Post-war London' (History Workshop Journal, 2022). Hilliard's work has significantly influenced understandings of everyday language, social investigation, and peripheral urban spaces in modern Britain, earning recognition through his academy fellowship and editorial contributions.

Professional Email: chris.hilliard@sydney.edu.au