Steve Larkin

Professor Steve Larkin

Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement

Indigenous Engagement

Division of Academic and Student Engagement

Professor Steven Larkin is a Kungarakan man from Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. He is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement at The University of Adelaide.

Professor Larkin was previously the Chief Executive Officer of the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. Prior to that, he held the roles of Pro Vice-Chancellor for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Newcastle and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Indigenous Leadership at Charles Darwin University.

Professor Larkin’s appointment as Pro Vice-Chancellor at Charles Darwin University in 2009 was historic as he became the first ever Aboriginal person to be appointed to a senior executive position at any Australian university.

Professor Larkin holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Queensland University of Technology, a Master’s degree in Social Science from Charles Sturt University, and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Queensland. Professor Larkin has served on numerous Australian advisory committees in Indigenous Affairs.

Professor Larkin’s research concentrates on Indigenous health, education, and public policy. His expertise is as a practitioner, policy maker and researcher in the field of Indigenous knowledge, race and cultural studies and he regularly advises on the development of a culturally based measure of wellbeing from an Indigenous perspective.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Street, C., Robertson, K., Smith, J., Guenther, J., Larkin, S., Motlap, S., . . . Maypilama, E. (2023). Negotiating Indigenous higher education policy analysis at the cultural interface in the Northern Territory, Australia. Critical Studies in Education, 64(3), 250-266.
    DOI Scopus1
    2022 Street, C., Guenther, J., Smith, J. A., Robertson, K., Ludwig, W., Motlap, S., . . . Wallace, R. (2022). ‘Success’ in Indigenous higher education policy in the Northern Territory, Australia: reclaiming purpose for power. Race Ethnicity and Education, 1-17.
    DOI Scopus3
    2022 Street, C., Guenther, J., Smith, J., Robertson, K., Ludwig, W., Motlap, S., . . . Larkin, S. (2022). Do numbers speak for themselves? Exploring the use of quantitative data to measure policy ‘success’ in historical Indigenous higher education in the Northern Territory, Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 25(3), 309-330.
    DOI Scopus5
    2020 Larkin, S. (2020). Addressing the gap within the gap. Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing, 5(1), 72-78.
    2020 Street, C., Smith, J., Robertson, K., Guenther, J., Motlap, S., Ludwig, W., . . . Hill, G. (2020). Exploring definitions of success in Northern Territory Indigenous higher education policy. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 52(4), 323-343.
    DOI Scopus8
    2015 Smith, J. A., Trinidad, S., & Larkin, S. (2015). Participation in higher education in Australia among under-represented groups: What can we learn from the Higher Education Participation Program to better support Indigenous learners?. LEARNING COMMUNITIES-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS, 17(17), 12-28.
    DOI WoS14
    2015 Frawley, J., Smith, J. A., & Larkin, S. (2015). Beyond Bradley and Behrendt: Building a stronger evidence-base about Indigenous pathways and transitions into higher education. LEARNING COMMUNITIES-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS, 17(17), 8-11.
    DOI WoS9
    2011 Larkin, S. (2011). Indigenous Perspectives: Enriching Scholarship and Practice. Australian Social Work, 64(1), 2-5.
    DOI Scopus9
    2006 Larkin, S. (2006). Evidence-based Policy Making in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Australian Aboriginal Studies, (2), 17-26.
    2002 Larkin, S. (2002). Forgetting Compliance: Aboriginal Health and Medical Culture. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2002(1).
    - Larkin, S. (n.d.). Race Blindness in Neo-Liberal and Managerial Approaches to Indigenous Administration. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 2(1), 36-42.
    DOI
    - Bandias, S., Fuller, D., & Larkin, S. (n.d.). Indigenous Students In The Tertiary Education Sector. Journal of International Education Research (JIER), 10(3), 179-200.
    DOI

  • Books
    Year Citation
    2022 Hokowhitu, B., Moreton-Robinson, A., Tuhiwai-Smith, L., Anderson, C., & Larkin, S. (Eds.) (2022). Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies. Routledge.
    2020 Hokowhitu, B., Moreton-Robinson, A., Tuhiwai-Smith, L., Andersen, C., & Larkin, S. (2020). Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies. Routledge.
    2017 Frawley, J., Larkin, S., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Indigenous pathways, transitions and participation in higher education: From policy to practice. J. Frawley, S. Larkin, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Springer Singapore.
    DOI Scopus13
    2017 Frawley, J., Larkin, S., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Indigenous pathways, transitions and participation in higher education: From policy to practice. J. Frawley, S. Larkin, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Springer Singapore.
    DOI Scopus13
    2011 Haynes, K. (2011). Adaptation Lessons from Cyclone Tracy Institutional response and Indigenous experiences of Cyclone Tracy.

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2021 Larkin, S., Robertson, K., & Smith, J. A. (2021). Improving higher education success for Australian Indigenous peoples Examples of promising practice. In N. Harrison, & G. Atherton (Eds.), Marginalised Communities in Higher Education Disadvantage, Mobility and Indigeneity (pp. 179-201). London: Routledge.
    DOI Scopus2
    2020 Larkin, S. (2020). Locating Indigenous sovereignty: Race and research in Indigenous health policy-making. In A. Moreton-Robinson (Ed.), Sovereign Subjects. Indigenous sovereignty matters (pp. 168-178). London: Routledge.
    DOI Scopus4
    2019 Larkin, S. (2019). Race and the Indigenous social work academic in the Australian academy. In B. Bennett, & S. Green (Eds.), Our Voices: Aboriginal social work (2nd ed., pp. 31`-46). UK: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
    2018 Larkin, S., & Butler, K. (2018). Aspirational, not binding. In S. Katene, & R. Taonui (Eds.), Conversations about Indigenous Rights The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand (pp. 93-104). Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Press.
    2017 Larkin, S. (2017). Understanding the Nexus Between Equity and Indigenous
    Higher Education Policy Agendas in Australia. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 15-30). New York, NY, USA: Springer.
    DOI Scopus4
    2017 Larkin, S. (2017). Understanding the Nexus Between Equity and Indigenous
    Higher Education Policy Agendas in Australia. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 15-30). New York, NY, USA: Springer.
    DOI Scopus4
    2017 Larkin, S., Frawley, J., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Indigenous Pathways and Transitions into Higher
    Education: An Introduction. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education From Policy to Practice (pp. 3-11). Springer Nature.
    DOI Scopus8
    2017 Larkin, S., Frawley, J., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Indigenous Pathways and Transitions into Higher
    Education: An Introduction. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education From Policy to Practice (pp. 3-11). Springer Nature.
    DOI Scopus8
    2017 Larkin, S., Smith, J. A., Yibarbuk, D., & Guenther, J. (2017). What Do We Know About Community Engagement in Indigenous Education Contexts and How Might This Impact on Pathways into Higher Education?. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 31-44). New York, NY, USA: Springer.
    DOI Scopus10
    2017 Larkin, S., Smith, J. A., Yibarbuk, D., & Guenther, J. (2017). What Do We Know About Community Engagement in Indigenous Education Contexts and How Might This Impact on Pathways into Higher Education?. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 31-44). New York, NY, USA: Springer.
    DOI Scopus10
    2017 Larkin, S., Frawley, J., & Smith, J. A. (2017). From Policy to Practice in Higher Education: Cross-Cutting Issues in Indigenous Pathways, Transition and Participation. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education From Policy to Practice (pp. 273-278). Springer Nature.
    DOI Scopus1
    2017 Larkin, S., Frawley, J., & Smith, J. A. (2017). From Policy to Practice in Higher Education: Cross-Cutting Issues in Indigenous Pathways, Transition and Participation. In S. Larkin, J. Frawley, & J. A. Smith (Eds.), Indigenous Pathways, Transitions and Participation in Higher Education From Policy to Practice (pp. 273-278). Springer Nature.
    DOI Scopus1
    2013 Larkin, S. (2013). Indigenous standpoint and university corporate identity: Transforming an organizational culture. In Diversity in Higher Education (Vol. 14, pp. 227-250). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    DOI Scopus5

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2017 Larkin, S., Robertson, K. L., & Ireland, S. (2017). Reflecting on the Rhetoric: An exploration of Indigenous academic’s professional experiences in Australian universities. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Association for Research in Education Conference 2017.
    2011 Larkin, S. (2011). Hole in the Pocket: Towards a racially inclusive academy. Poster session presented at the meeting of 14th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference,“Design for Student Success”. Fremantle.
    2005 Larkin, S. (2005). Safety, crime and justice: from data to policy. Poster session presented at the meeting of Safety, crime and justice : from data to policy Australian Institute of Criminology Conference. ABS House, Canberra Australia.

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2019 Larkin, S., Shalley, F., Smith, J., Wood, D., Fredericks, B., & Robertson, K. (2019). Understanding completion rates of Indigenous Higher Education Students from two regional universities, A cohort analysis. Final Report for Student Equity in Higher Education Research Grants Program, 2017.. National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.
    2018 Larkin, S., Buckskin, P., Tranthim-Fryer, M., Holt, L., Gili, J., Heath, J., . . . Ma Rhea, Z. (2018). NATSIHEC Accelerating Indigenous Higher Education Consultation Paper. Australia: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium.
    2013 Larkin, S., Bird, D., Govan, J., Murphy, H., Harwood, S., Haynes, K., . . . Tsakissiris, N. (2013). Future change in ancient worlds: Indigenous adaptation in northern Australia. Published by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
    2013 Larkin, S., Fuller, D., & Bandias, S. (2013). Vocational Education, Indigenous Students and the Choice of Pathways. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Educations Research Ltd.
    2012 Larkin, S., Behrendt, L., Griew, R., & Kelly, P. (2012). Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Final Report. Australian Government.
    2009 Larkin, S., Poroch, N., Arabena, K., Tongs, J., Fisher, J., & Henderson, G. (2009). Spirituality and Aboriginal People's Social and Emotional Wellbeing: A Review (Discussion Paper No. 11). Darwin: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health.
    1994 Larkin, S. (1994). Organisational review of the Darwin rural district.

  • Theses
    Year Citation
    2022 Prince, C. (2022). Emotional reactions to concepts of racism and white privilege in non-Aboriginal professionals working in remote Aboriginal communities. (Master's Thesis, University of Southern Queensland).
    2014 Larkin, S. (2014). Race matters : Indigenous employment in the Australian public service. (PhD Thesis).

Grants

 

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, AHURI 31327 Best practice principles in engaging Indigenous communities and organisations to improve housing outcomes, $119,589

2024-2025

 

National Health and Medical Research Council, Work and unemployment: vital to effective suicide prevention, $904,604

2024-2026

 

National Health and Medical Research Council, An Australian Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Informed Racism Reduction Model, $627,255

2023-2025

 
  • Position: Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement
  • Phone: 83133183
  • Email: steve.larkin@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Schulz, floor 1
  • Org Unit: Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education
Connect With Me
External Profiles