Associate Professor Crystal McKinnon is a scholar in the School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts, at the University of Melbourne, where she holds the position of Associate Professor in History, Law and Justice. She also serves as the Indigenous Representative for the school. McKinnon's academic background includes a PhD from La Trobe University, a First Class Honours degree in History and Political Science from the University of Melbourne completed between 2004 and 2005, and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Melbourne spanning 1999 to 2003. Her career includes prior roles such as Vice Chancellor's Indigenous Research Fellow at RMIT University. McKinnon is involved in significant research projects, including as Chief Investigator and Law & Justice Theme Lead for the Victorian node in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures.

McKinnon's research specializations encompass critical examinations of carceral colonialism, policing practices within Aboriginal literature, the historical impacts of Australia's Stolen Generations from 1914 to 2021, white feminism in relation to carceral industries, and enduring Indigenous solidarity in response to colonial structures. Notable publications include 'Enduring indigeneity and solidarity in response to Australia's carceral-colonialism' (2020, cited 30 times in Scopus), 'The Lives Behind the Statistics: Policing Practices in Aboriginal Literature' (cited 9 times in Scopus), 'Australia's Stolen Generations, 1914–2021' (chapter in The Cambridge World History of Genocide, cited 2 times in Scopus), 'White Feminism and Carceral Industries: Strange Bedfellows or Partners in Crime and Criminology?', and 'Settler-Colonial Emotions: Fear, Desire and Romance in Nineteenth-Century Historical Representations of the William Buckley Story' (cited 2 times in Scopus). She has delivered public lectures such as the Melbourne Law School Masterclass on 'Policing the Police' in 2021. McKinnon's contributions extend to major funding successes, including the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) in 2024 for her project 'Colonial History, Contemporary Justice' valued at $379,214, and a 2023 early career researcher grant as part of over $9 million awarded to University of Melbourne researchers. Her work advances understandings of historical and contemporary justice issues in Indigenous Australian contexts through interdisciplinary approaches in history, law, and justice.

Professional Email: mckinnonc@unimelb.edu.au