This paper examines the development of the collective organization of academic staff in the Australian higher education sector. This examination tests the relevance of the claim that the arbitration system largely rendered powerless those organizations designed to 'bring comfort, security, peace of mind' to society as well as to union members. The paper argues that the development of academic unionism was both a reflection of shifts in state policy on higher education and the changing consciousness of academic staff. Further, industrial registration was sought because it was perceived that it would strengthen the organizational effectiveness of academic unionism. Finally, the paper contests the view that the achievement of federal registration by academic staff organizations represented the beginning of the adoption of an industrial relations model in institutions of higher education in Australia.
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