In 1995 Latrobe University won a grant from the AVCC Electronic Publishing Working Group to develop 'an electronic journal in the humanities, spanning a range of disciplines and genres'. Modelled on the Stanford Humanities Review, the first issue of the Australian Humanities Review became available online in April 1996.

Australian Humanities Review is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary electronic journal founded by Cassandra Pybus. It is published quarterly with regular updates every two weeks. Edited by Elizabeth McMahon since 1998 with assistance from an Editorial Board, AHR has also received funding from the Australia Council and the Cultural Activities Committee of the University of Tasmania.

Australian Humanities Review commisions 'target articles' for each issue and also presents excerpts from articles previously published elsewhere. In addition the electronic journal provides an interactive discussion forum where writers can post short responses to articles and reviews. Each issue is accessible through an online archive which allows users to browse the content by issue or subject matter.

The Australian Humanities Review attracts contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including history, cultural studies and literary studies, facilitating an ongoing discussion on developments in Australian culture as they occur.