About Us

The Melbourne Institute is Australia’s leading and longest standing research institute in the field of economics, undertaking cutting-edge research into key issues relevant to contemporary economic and social policy.

• Our Vision
• Mission
• Principles and Values
• History

Our Vision

The Melbourne Institute will enhance the wellbeing of Australians by:

being the world’s leading research institute on the Australian economy and society; and

contributing its knowledge to Australian public policy debates and development; and

providing commentary on the Australian economy and society.

The Melbourne Institute also aspires to be internationally renowned for its expertise and contributions to knowledge in selected key research areas that are of widespread international relevance.

Mission

In pursuing this vision, the Melbourne Institute’s mission is:

• undertake and publish high-quality independent and impartial applied research on major policy-relevant economic and social issues in Australia
• foster informed discussion and debate about public policy in Australia
• contribute to the international literature in selected key research areas that are of international relevance
• provide highly valued research services, publications, datasets and products for government, business and community groups
• provide research training through an internationally recognised PhD program

Principles and Values

We aspire to the highest academic and ethical standards in all of our work; and we protect confidential information.

We build relationships based on trust and mutual respect.

We value our staff and seek to create a workplace that is stimulating, collaborative and free of harassment or discrimination of any kind.

We are politically non-aligned, impartial and independent.

History

The Melbourne Institute was formed in 1962 under the leadership of Professor Ronald Henderson. It was the first Economics research institute in an Australian university. Henderson built up an organisation with about 40 staff by the early 1970s. It engaged in a wide range of research areas including macroeconomic forecasting, financial economics and social economics, and is best remembered for its work on poverty and the development of the Henderson Poverty Line.

After the Henderson era, Peter Dixon was appointed Director and after some restructuring, the new Melbourne Institute based its operation around Dixon's ORANI model of the Australian economy. In the early 1990s Peter Dixon and a number of his senior colleagues left the institute to join Monash University. This necessitated a second period of adjustment and restructuring initiated by Professor Richard Blandy who was Director from 1992 to 1994.

Professor Peter Dawkins, took up his position of Director in January 1996 until April 2005. In 1996, the Director and his senior management team, in association with the staff and the advisory board, developed a strategic plan with the unifying theme being the link between economic performance and social outcomes. The first version of this plan was for the period 1996-2000 and it is updated annually.

From April 2005 until April 2007 the Director was Professor John Freebairn, from August 2007 untl July 2009, Professor Stephen Sedgwick and from April 2010 Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark.