Peter Stanley became Director of the Centre for Historical Research at the National Museum of Australia in February 2007. He worked at the Australian War Memorial from 1980 to 2007, where he was Principal Historian. He has published many books regarding Australian, British and imperial history and has contributed to the development of permanent, temporary and travelling exhibitions.

In 2011, Peter Stanley's Bad Characters: Sex, Crime, Mutiny and Murder in the Great War was joint winner of the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History.

Major source : Making Australian History: Perspectives on the Past Since 1788