David Headon is a cultural consultant and historian. Formerly Director of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies (1994-2004), Cultural Adviser to the National Capital Authority (2000-2007), History and Heritage Adviser for the Centenary of Canberra (2008-13) and an Adviser to Senator Kate Lundy (2008-15). He is a Foundation Fellow at the Australian Studies Institute (ANU), a Parliamentary Library Associate, an Associate of the National Museum of Australia and the Canberra Raiders RL Club historian.

Dr Headon is a regular commentator on cultural, political and social issues on ABC radio (regional and national). From 2008 to 2015, he presented a series of segments for ABC TV’s 7.30 Report on Canberra’s rich vein of Centenary/Federation history. Dr Headon was Vice-President of Manning Clark House from its inception in the late 1990s to 2011, and he is the Co-Chair of the ACT Place Names Committee. His publications include: North of the Ten Commandments--a Collection of Northern Territory Literature (1991), The Oxford Book of Australian Sporting Anecdotes (1993), Crown or Country—the Traditions of Australian Republicanism (1994), The Abundant Culture--Meaning and Significance in Everyday Australia (1995), League of a Nation (1996), Canberra--the Guide (1997), Our First Republicans (1998), Makers of Miracles--the Cast of the Federation Story (2000), The Best Ever Australian Sports Writing--a 200-Year Collection (2001), The Symbolic Role of the National Capital (2003), Canberra Red--stories from the bush capital (2013), Eureka—Australia’s Greatest Story (2015) and Alfred Deakin—The Lives, the Legacy (2018). Dr Headon has curated four major exhibitions, 2010-17, two for Parliament House (Canberra), one for the Canberra Museum and Gallery and one for Kings College, London. He was the project co-ordinator, editor and co-writer of the national award-winning The Griffin Legacy (2004). In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal.