Dr Richard Dunley is a Senior Lecturer in history and maritime strategy in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), UNSW Canberra, where he also serves as Deputy Head of School (Education) and holds an Associate Professor appointment. His research focuses on British naval and strategic policy circa 1856-1920, British diplomatic history in the same period, maritime strategy both historical and contemporary, naval technology, and Australian defence policy and strategy. Fields of research include British History and Defence Studies. Dunley's scholarship examines the interplay of culture, technology, and policy in naval affairs, particularly the Royal Navy's adaptation to innovations like mines, torpedoes, and submarines before the First World War, as well as interwar planning and Edwardian intelligence efforts.

Dunley authored the monograph Britain and the Mine, 1900–1915: Culture, Strategy and International Law (Springer, 2018), exploring Britain's ambivalent relationship with naval mining amid strategic and legal challenges. He has published extensively in leading journals, including 'Plan B?: Reconsidering Australian Security in the event of a post US alliance era' (Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2024), 'Australianised military off-the-shelf: Australia's naval ship design ethos and the Anzac Class frigates' (Marine Policy, 2024), 'The End of the Age of Transoceanic Navies?: Democratisation of A2/AD and the Relationship Between Land and Sea Power' (RUSI Journal, 2024), 'Uncrewed naval vessels and the span of maritime tasks' (Marine Policy, 2023), and 'The end of the ‘lucky country’? Understanding the failure of the AUKUS policy debate' (Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2023). Book chapters include 'The First World War at Sea: A Tale of Two Wars' in The Routledge History of the First World War (Taylor & Francis, 2024) and 'The "Problem of Asia" and Imperial Competition Before World War I' in The New Age of Naval Power in the Indo-Pacific (Georgetown University Press, 2023). He co-authored reports such as Public Attitudes Towards the Australian Defence Force: Final Report (UNSW Canberra, 2025) and Understanding Attitudes to Australian Military History (2025), contributing to public discourse on defence matters through media contributions in The Conversation and other outlets.

Professional Email: r.dunley@unsw.edu.au