In this paper we discuss the development of Phillips curves in Australia ov
er the forty years since Phillips first estimated one using Australian data
. We examine the central issues faced by researchers estimating Australian
Phillips curves. These include the distinction between the short- and long-
run trade-offs between inflation and unemployment, and the changing level o
f the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU), particularly
in the 1970s. We estimate Phillips curves for prices and unit labour costs
in Australia over the past three decades. These Phillips curves allow the
NAIRU to change through time, and include a role for import prices and 'spe
ed-limit' effects. The paper concludes by discussing the changing role of t
he Phillips curve in the intellectual framework used to analyse inflation w
ithin the Reserve Bank of Australia over the past three decades. (C) 1999 E
lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.