Robert (Rob) Sellick’s first academic appointment was as a tutor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Adelaide in 1970, while completing his PhD, the first serious study of Australian explorer literature. Rob was appointed to a permanent appointment as Lecturer in Australian Literature in 1974, succeeding Elliott upon his retirement the following year.’
Sellick ‘was present at the first ASAL [Association for the Study of Australian Literature] conference at Monash University in 1978 and served as the South Australian Representative on the Executive of the association for some years after that. With his then colleague Russell McDougall he helped found the Adelaide Centre for Australian Studies (ACAS), later the Centre for Australian Studies at the University of Adelaide (CASUA), which led to the foundation of the multi-campus network South Australian Centre for Australian Studies (SACAS) in 1992.
‘… he was a wonderful teacher, mentor, colleague and friend.'
Source: McDougall, Russell, 'Vale: Robert Sellick – "Unemployed at last!"', ASAL Email News, 12 August 2014.
