About Oxford University Press

Education Changes Lives

With origins dating back to 1478, Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. At OUP, we believe in the power of the written word and the scholarship that stands behind it. Everything we publish relates directly to our mission: to support Oxford University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. As a publisher, we take pride in this mission, which allows us to enable, support, and facilitate research and scholarship.

Australia and New Zealand

Since 1908, OUP Australia & New Zealand (OUPANZ) has operated as a microcosm of OUP’s worldwide organisation and we are the oldest continuous educational publisher in Australia.

We set the bar high for the quality of our products and our services. We work hard to offer the best educational publishing through the development of premium quality print and digital educational resources. OUPANZ publishes learning materials for primary, secondary and higher education students plus an extensive range of dictionaries for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Our goal is to work with educators across the country to create the highest quality resources that help educators teach and students learn, delivering a relevant, engaging and effective learning experience in a changing digital landscape. We believe that education changes lives, and the right learning resources can make a positive difference for learners of all ages.

The History of Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press has a rich history. The University of Oxford printed its first book in 1478, just two years after William Caxton set up the first printing press in England. In 1586, the University of Oxford’s right to print books was recognised in the Great Charter secured by Archbishop Laud from King Charles I of England. This entitled the University to print ‘all manner of books’. Delegates were first appointed by the University to oversee this process in 1633 and records of their deliberations date back to 1668. The structure of Oxford University Press (OUP) as it exists today began to develop from this time. In the 17th century, OUP established its right to print the Authorized King James Version of the Bible. This ‘Bible Privilege’ formed the basis of OUP’s publishing activities for the next 200 years. From the late 1800s, OUP began to expand significantly, opening its first international office in the USA in 1896. Others followed, including Canada (1904), Australia (1908), India (1912) and Southern Africa (1914). Today, OUP is the largest university press in the world. It has offices in more than 50 countries and publishes globally in more than 40 languages – in both print and digital – for a range of audiences across a multitude of cultures and education systems. As a department of the University of Oxford, OUP’s mission is to create world-class academic and educational resources and to make them available as widely as possible, furthering the University’s objectives of excellence in scholarship, research and education.

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