John Kinley Dewar (born 9 September 1959) is an Australian academic. He served as the vice-chancellor of La Trobe University from 2012 to 2024 and was from June 2024 until 2025 the interim vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong. He is now a partner with KordaMentha.
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Education
He was educated at Griffith University (Phd) and Abingdon School and Hertford College, Oxford, where he is currently a Research Fellow.
Career
Dewar is an internationally known family law specialist. He was a member of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group from 2000 to 2001 and a former member and chair of the Family Law Council from 1998 to 2004.
Before working at Griffith University, Dewar taught at the universities of Lancaster and Warwick in the United Kingdom and was a fellow and tutor in law at Hertford College, Oxford. He was Head of Education and Training for Allen & Overy (London) from 1988 to 1990.
Griffith University
Dewar moved from the United Kingdom in 1995 to take up a professorial position in the Griffith University Law School, where he eventually became the dean of the school from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he was the pro vice-chancellor for business and law and then became deputy vice-chancellor (academic).
University of Melbourne
Dewar moved to the University of Melbourne in April 2009, becoming the deputy vice-chancellor (global relations). In September that year, he was appointed provost of the university, a role similar to his previous one at Griffith University. The role's focus was "on refining the Melbourne Model and ensuring successful second phase implementation of the University's graduate programs in 2011".
La Trobe University
Dewar became the sixth vice-chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, in January 2012. On arrival, he declared that his goal was to ensure that La Trobe be "recognised as the natural alternative to Victoria's two Group of Eight universities, with a unique appeal other universities can't offer".
In 2012, Dewar announced a plan to cut 500 subjects and 41 jobs. Dewar fled from student protestors and escaped via a network of tunnels under the university, they being frustrated with his plan to cut university subjects and jobs. In 2014, Dewar announced that 350 staff would be sacked without any voluntary redundancies.
In 2020 as a consequence of the effects of COVID-19 on university revenue, Dewar was one of four vice-chancellors who negotiated with the National Tertiary Education Union's leadership to deliver the Australian Universities Job Protection Framework. La Trobe staff subsequently voted to vary the university's collective agreement pursuant to the Job Protection Framework, opting to take pay cuts to protect the financial equivalent of around 225 jobs.
Humanities and the arts became the subject of reductions in November 2020, with Dewar informing staff that some subjects were no longer financially viable.
In 2021, Dewar consulted on a proposal to close the school of molecular science and reassign its disciplines to other schools in a bid to reduce costs.
In February 2023, La Trobe chancellor the Hon John Brumby announced that, after 12 years, Dewar would conclude his term as vice-chancellor in early 2024.. Dewar is an emeritus professor at La Trobe University.
University of Wollongong
Dewar took up the role of interim vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong from June 2024.
On 5 September 2024 the Illawarra Mercury raised questions about conflict of interest arising from Dewar’s position as a partner at the consulting firm KordaMentha, which has been awarded contracts to review aspects of how the University of Wollongong operates.
This broad issue is also currently under review by the state ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) and NSW State Parliament.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (New South Wales)(ICAC) examined Dewar in a public hearing in July 2026. Transcripts can be accessed on the ICAC homepage.
Julie Hare, publisher of the Hare Report and formerly higher education editor at a number of Australian publications, commented on the issues impacting Dewar’s time at the University and subsequent impact.
Universities Australia
In April 2021, Dewar was elected chair of Universities Australia. In July 2022, he delivered a speech at the National Press Club arguing the case for investing in universities.
Other appointments
He was a director of the State Library of Victoria, director of Online Education Services (OES), and a Council Member of Griffith University. These appointments ended suddenly and shortly after the ICAC corruption inquiry in July 2026.
He is currently an honorary fellow of Hertford College, Oxford and a Board Director of the Australian Industry Group Centre for Education and Training (CET).
Dewar has held a number of other directorships, including those of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, the Committee for Melbourne, and the Foundation for Australian Studies in China. He was also a member of the University Foreign Interference Taskforce, the University of Lincoln's 21st Century Lab Higher Education Reference Group, and the Champions of Change Coalition.
Awards
In 2020, Dewar was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day Honours List "in recognition of his distinguished service to education through leadership roles in the universities sector, and to professional organisations".
Other
In 2023, Dewar's and his then wife, Bel Clough’s 'Earthhouse' was featured in Season 10 (Episode 9) of Grand Designs Australia, described as "a radical underground house" on 25 acres at Whittlesea, Victoria.
The house has subsequently been placed on the market by Bel Clough.