Memory and Institutional Amnesia in Government

Memory and Institutional Amnesia in Government examines the way in which government suffers from institutional amnesia, meaning that it cannot hold or use memory of the past. Consequently, a great deal of important knowledge is erased and those who work in government find themselves repeating the mistakes of the past.

The book explores these issues through a comparison of the public services of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in which the authors establish the causes of institutional amnesia, analyze its effects, and recommend a series of treatments that might remedy the problems that it causes.

Alastair Stark, Associate Professor, University of Queensland,Hridesh Gajurel, ARC Laureate Research Fellow, Australian National University,Jack Corbett, Deputy Dean, Monash University,Dennis C. Grube, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of Cambridge,Heather Lovell, Professor of Energy and Society, University of Tasmania,Rodney J. Scott, Vice Chancellor's Fellow, RMIT University

Alastair Stark is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland and the Director of the Graduate Centre of Governance and International Affairs.

Hridesh Gajurel is an ARC Laureate Research Fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at Australian National University.


Jack Corbett is Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Vice President of Academic Board at Monash University, Australia.



Dennis C. Grube is Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and a Professorial Fellow at St Catharine's College.


Heather Lovell is Professor of Energy and Society at the University of Tasmania, Australia, and holds a joint position in the School of Social Sciences and the School of Geography, Planning & Spatial Sciences.



Rodney J. Scott is Vice Chancellor's Fellow at RMIT University.