Mr Daniel Browning was appointed to the position Professor of Indigenous Cultural & Creative Industries with University of Sydney and commenced on Tuesday 10 June 2025. Mr Browning is a Bundjalung and Kullilli writer, journalist and radio broadcaster with three decades of experience in the First Nations cultural sector. He has developed a strong national profile and reputation during his nearly 30-year career producing and hosting Indigenous and arts-focussed programs at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
In this positions, Mr Browning will work closely with First Nations leadership within the university in order to drive priorities and achieve ambitions under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Plan 2022-2024 and the University’s One Sydney, Many People Strategy currently being renewed. He will also focus on building strong connections with Indigenous communities and peak Indigenous creative organisations. We are proud to highlight the recent accolades and scholarly contributions of Mr Browning, whose distinguished career in public broadcasting and cultural commentary has now transitioned into the education sector. His decision to enter academia has been shaped by a series of prestigious awards and fellowships that recognize his influential voice in the arts and his commitment to Indigenous storytelling.
Awards:
- 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction – Winner for Close to the Subject, published by Indigenous publishing house Magabala Books.
- 2024 Indigenous Writing Prize, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards – Winner for Close to the Subject.
- 2025 Arts Journalism and Arts Criticism Prize, Walkley Foundation – Winner.
Fellowships:
- 2024 First Nations Writer-in-Residence, Trinity Hall College, University of Cambridge (UK).
- 2023 Inaugural galang First Nations Resident, Cité internationale des arts, Paris.
In addition to these honors, Mr. Browning’s first peer-reviewed academic article was published in June by Gradhiva, the French journal of art and anthropology. The article, titled Ombre portée. Le sujet humain comme objet dans le moulage ethnographique de Bonangera (Casting a Long Shadow: The Human Subject as Museological Object in the Ethnographic Cast of Bonangera), marks a significant contribution to critical discourse on museology and ethnographic representation.
Mr. Browning’s transition into academia brings a wealth of experience, insight, and cultural depth that will undoubtedly enrich our educational community. Mr Browning’s academic foundation lies in the visual arts, having majored in painting at QUT. This artistic background has significantly informed his subsequent career trajectory and approach to journalism, particularly in his coverage of the arts and Indigenous affairs. Mr Browning brings a strong national profile and network to this position. Mr Browning possesses strong industry experience and extensive networks in the creative and cultural industries. He demonstrates a strong motivation and sees this position as a real opportunity to effect cultural change within the University and beyond.
