Anthony McLeod is a MPhil candidate in the School of History. His research explores the origins of water rights in Australia, in particular the vesting of water in the Crown that occurred first in Victoria in 1886, followed by New South Wales in 1896.  This approach appears to have been largely modelled on a provision adopted in Spain in 1866, and other influences from India, the United States and Mexico.  It would go on to be adopted throughout Australia and much of western Canada. The objective of his research is to establish the origins of these reforms, the motivations behind their enactment and processes to bring them to fruition.  Areas for further research will also be identified. 

From 2003 to 2024, he held senior roles in the Australian Public Service, focusing on water management in the Murray-Darling Basin. Before this, he also worked on water management with the New South Wales Government and as part of his PhD in environmental engineering at the University of Melbourne (1993).