' Dr Ackland was born in Geelong, and went to school at Geelong Grammar and Melbourne Grammar. He studied at Monash University, the University of Cologne and the Australian National University. He has taught and lectured in North America, Europe and Asia, and has been a Fulbright Fellow and an Australia-India Council Fellow. He is fluent in French and German and nurtures a healthy interest in Spanish and the literatures of North and South America. He nevertheless remains fervently committed to Australian Studies and to enlarging Australia's understanding of its own literary and cultural heritage.' (Source: The Australian Academy of the Humanities website)
