Rate My Professor Malcolm Traill

Malcolm Traill serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Casual Teaching staff across multiple disciplines at the University of Western Australia. He is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Philosophy program within the School of Humanities. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in History from The University of Western Australia awarded in 1974, a Graduate Diploma in Library Studies from the Western Australian Institute of Technology in 1976, and a Master of Arts in Librarianship from Loughborough University in 1984. Traill has established himself as a prominent research and public historian specializing in the history of Albany and the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Beginning his career as an academic librarian and lecturer at Curtin University, Traill was appointed Local Studies Librarian at the Albany Public Library in 1994. He later held the position of Public Programs Officer at the Museum of the Great Southern from 2010 to 2020, during which time he founded the Museum Curatorial series of lectures in 2011. This initiative has resulted in over 400 talks delivered across Albany and surrounding areas, with Traill serving as a regular presenter. At UWA's Albany campus, he tutors undergraduate units in various historical topics. Since 2020, he has been an Honorary Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum. Traill has played a key role in organizing several statewide history conferences in Albany and contributes as a reviewer for Studies in Western Australian History. His public engagement extends to regular appearances on ABC radio and monthly contributions to Southerly Magazine.

Traill's scholarly output includes editing the volume Albany: An Antipodean Arcadia with Harry Freemantle, published in 2020 by the UWA Centre for Western Australian History. Recent publications in Southerly Magazine feature "A Grand Colonial Vista - With a Few Twists: Dale's Panorama and its accompanying pamphlet" (2025), "Pioneers Began Record of History" (2026), "A Regional City Looks to Its Next 200 Years" (2026), and "Historians Recording Our Evolving Stories" (2026). In recognition of his efforts, he received the Western Australian Heritage Award for Professional Contribution in 2020. Beyond academia, Traill is an elected member of the Albany City Council and operates a produce stall at the Albany Farmers Market.