70 Days in Canberra: How Australia closed its borders To COVID 19

Presented by ANU College of Law, Governance & Policy

A behind-the-scenes account of how Australia’s pandemic governance ecosystem influenced the COVID-19 border closure, revealing the interplay of institutions, ideas, and interests in crisis policymaking.

This thesis explains how Australia’s most consequential pandemic decision—the closure of its international borders—emerged not as a reflexive act but as the outcome of a distinctive pandemic governance ecosystem. Through elite interviews and causal process tracing, it reveals how institutions, ideas, and interests converged under extreme uncertainty to produce a paradigm shift in national health security policy.

The findings show that trusted experts, centralised authority, and political alignment created a governance dynamic that enabled rapid, radical action. Beyond Australia, the study offers a framework to understand how crisis governance shapes—and sometimes transforms—public policy itself.

This seminar is Nick’s final presentation of his doctoral candidature.

GTV��ͬ the speaker

Dr is an Australian physician, public figure, and health policy leader with extensive experience at the intersection of clinical medicine, public administration, and national security. A specialist in infectious diseases and respiratory medicine, he served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, shaping national crisis policy and communication.

He has held senior leadership roles including Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre and Director of Infectious Diseases at Canberra Hospital. Dr Coatsworth lectures on health security and crisis governance at the ANU National Security College and holds a Doctorate of Medicine (Honoris Causa) from the University of Western Australia and a Master of International Public Health from the University of Sydney.

COVID protocols

The ANU strongly encourages you to keep a mask with you at all times (for use when COVID-19 safe behaviours are not practicable) and to be respectful of colleagues, students and visitors who may wish to continue to wear one. Please continue to practice good hygiene. If you are unwell, please stay home. The ACT government’s COVID Smart behaviours can be accessed .

This seminar presentation is a dual-delivery event. Registration is not required for in-person attendance as neither the ANU nor ACT Health conduct contact tracing.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please email regnet.communications@anu.edu.au.

Image credit: Image of Adelaide airport deserted in pandemic times by Michael Coghlan from , used under licence.