Colin Mackerras

He is twin brother of Malcolm Mackerras, a psephologist, and brother of the conductor Charles Mackerras (1925–2010) and the barrister and social campaigner Neil Mackerras (1930–1987).

One recent scholar, Liu Siyuan, said that Mackerras' scholarship on theatre in China made him a founder of the field and successor to A.C. Scott, and praised as "an historian whose extensive scholarship on Chinese theatre forms part of his wide-ranging publications on Chinese and Asian history."

Liu went on to say that Mackerras is "rightly hailed as rivaling some of the most outstanding Chinese and Japanese scholars in the past century."

Colin Patrick Mackerras (born 26 August 1939 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian sinologist, Emeritus Professor at Griffith University, and specialist in Chinese culture.

He has published on Chinese drama, national minorities of China, Australian-Chinese relations and images of China in the West.

Mackerras was raised Catholic and pursued an M.A. degree at the University of Cambridge.

In 1964 he went with his wife, Alyce Mackerras, for the first time to China, where their first son was born.

Mackerras taught in Beijing until 1966 at the Foreign Language Institute (now Beijing Foreign Studies University), returning in 1986, 2005, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010 and 2011–12.

He was Chair Professor and Research Scholar at the Australian National University in 1966–1969.

He was awarded a Doctor Of Philosophy by the Australian National University in 1970.

He was Professor at the School of Modern Asian Studies at Griffith University in 1974–2004.

At Griffith he served as Chair, School of Modern Asian Studies (1979–1985) and as Head School of Modern Asian Studies (1988–1989, 1996–2000).

He is a member of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (President, 1992–95) and Chinese Studies Association (President, 1991–93).

Since 2004 he has been Professor Emeritus at the Department of International Business and Asian Studies (Griffith University).