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Mark McKenna

b. 1959

Australian historian specialising in Australian republicanism and Aboriginal history

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About Mark McKenna

Born 1959. Mark McKenna is an Australian historian, secondary school teacher and university teacher.

Mark McKenna (born 1959) is a professor of history at the University of Sydney, noted for his work on Aboriginal history, a biography of Manning Clark and the history of republicanism in Australia.

Biography

Early life and education McKenna was born in 1959 and grew up in the Sydney suburb of Toongabbie. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney, he lived in Europe for a period and then taught in high schools in Sydney before completing his PhD at the University of New South Wales in 1996.

His book Return to Uluru about the shooting death of Yokununna by William (Bill) McKinnon was shortlisted for the 2022 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian history.

McKenna's The Shortest History of Australia, was shortlisted for the non-fiction category at The Age Book of the Year Awards in 2026.

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Important facts

Born
1959
Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of New South Wales
Employers
Australian National University, University of Sydney
Awards
Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities; Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction

People in Mark McKenna's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mark McKenna's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Mark McKenna?

Australian historian specialising in Australian republicanism and Aboriginal history

When was Mark McKenna born?

Mark McKenna was born in 1959.

What is Mark McKenna's occupation?

Mark McKenna is a historian, secondary school teacher and university teacher.

What nationality is Mark McKenna?

Mark McKenna is Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Mark McKenna

· Wikidata: Q79144745

· DBpedia: Mark McKenna (historian)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mark McKenna. https://biography.guide/mark-mckenna/

MLA: "Mark McKenna." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mark-mckenna/.

Chicago: "Mark McKenna." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mark-mckenna/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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