Editing Austin Mitchell (section)

=== Teaching ===
From 1959 to 1963, he lectured in history at the [[University of Otago]] in [[Dunedin]]. While lecturing in politics from 1963 to 1967 at the [[University of Canterbury]], Mitchell wrote a popular book about New Zealand, ''[[The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise]]'' (1972). The book title became a phrase in the [[New Zealand English]] lexicon. In the 1960s and 70s New Zealand remained a milder version of the [[socialist]] laboratory it had been since 1935. In the 1980s and 90s the same socialist Labour party's government [[Rogernomics|transformed]] it into an open market economy. These drastic changes provided ample subject matter for social analysis and 30 years later Mitchell wrote ''Pavlova Paradise Revisited'' (2002) as well as a video series accessible on ''[[NZ on Screen]]'', after another New Zealand expedition. From 1967 to 1969 Mitchell was an Official Fellow at Nuffield College.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/pavlova-paradise-revisited-2013/series | work=McDougall Craig North | location=New Zealand | title=Pavalova Paradise Revisted | first=Austin | last=Mitchell | date=2002 | access-date=12 January 2015 | archive-date=26 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326220258/http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/pavlova-paradise-revisited-2013/series | url-status=live }}</ref>

Mitchell joined the [[New Zealand Labour Party]] in 1961 and several months later he became chairman of the [[Dunedin Central]] branch.{{sfn|Jamieson|2009|p=257}} In 1963 [[Phil Connolly]], the retiring MP for Dunedin Central, shoulder-tapped Mitchell to put his name forward to replace him in the seat. During their conversation Connolly was particularly concerned with what religion Mitchell was (assuming him to be a Catholic) and was relieved when Mitchell said he was an Anglican, which would be acceptable to a predominantly Presbyterian constituency. However, Mitchell ultimately did not put himself forward for the nomination, instead resolving to return to the UK.{{sfn|Jamieson|2009|p=266}}

Mitchell was a founding member of New Zealand's [[University of Canterbury]] Political Science Department in 1963, supporting it breaking away from the History Department. In 2015 he returned to the University of Canterbury as a Canterbury Visiting Fellow. Mitchell lectured on "Britain and New Zealand - The Great Unravelling", looking at the evolution of recent British politics, drawing analogies in each section with parallel developments and implications for New Zealand to examine all worldwide trends in the evolution of liberal English-speaking democracies.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/erskine/docs/visitorsinfo_potential.pdf | work=The University of Canterbury | location=Christchurch New Zealand | title=Information for Potential Erskine Fellows | first=Erskine | last=Manager | date=1 March 2014 | access-date=12 January 2015 | archive-date=27 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327002826/http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/erskine/docs/visitorsinfo_potential.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.arts.canterbury.ac.nz/news/00169.shtml | work=The University of Canterbury | location=Christchurch New Zealand | title=Austin Mitchell is the Erskine Fellow for 2016 | first=Bronwyn | last=Haywood | date=1 January 2015 | access-date=12 January 2015 | archive-date=22 January 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122233156/http://www.arts.canterbury.ac.nz/news/00169.shtml | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/courseinfo/GetCourseDetails.aspx?course=POLS334&occurrence=16SU1%28C%29&year=2016 | work=The University of Canterbury | location=Christchurch New Zealand | title=Political Science Course 334 2016 Summer Course | first=Bronwyn | last=Haywood | date=1 January 2015 | access-date=12 January 2015 | archive-date=15 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915160050/http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/courseinfo/GetCourseDetails.aspx?course=POLS334&occurrence=16SU1(C)&year=2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>