This thesis describes development of a policy for the encouragement of Asian studies in Australian schools over the last three decades leading to the establishment of the Asia Education Foundation. It also examines the impact of a program of Asian studies in a regional secondary college in Victoria, Australia. Australia's first formal contacts with Asian countries in the 1950s set the scene for the historical development of Asian studies policy in Australia from the 1960s to 1999. Policy development in the 1960s took into account Australia's concern over national security and Australia's relationships with South- East Asian countries. Teaching requirements were a central aspect of policy development in the 1970s. There was an hiatus in policy development between 1980 and 1985. During the mid to late 1980s, Asian studies policy was influenced greatly by economic matters, especially trade between Asia and Australia. The Asian Studies Council, established in 1986, produced A National Strategy for the Study of Asia in Australia, in 1988. Various reports published between 1989 and 1991 also made significant contributions to the development of policy. The Asia Education Foundation (AEF), established in 1992, replaced the Asian Studies Council. In 1995, the AEF published its policy in Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools. Then, in 2000, taking into account the changing nature of Australians' understanding and perceptions of Asian people and the countries of Asia, a revised edition of Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools was published. It is argued that there has been an evolutionary process in Asian studies policy, reflecting the development of Australia's external education policy from aid to trade and the growing awareness of Asia as an important influence on Australian affairs. In 1997, the author conducted a case study to examine the implementation of the AEF's Statement for Australian Schools in a Victorian regional secondary college. Perceptions obtained from Year Ten students provide evidence that the Asian studies curriculum in Year Ten of the case study college reflected some of the AEF's goals and emphases in Studies of Society and Environment. However, it cannot be claimed that these goals and emphases are in evidence across the whole Year Ten curriculum. Comments of both teachers and students suggest that some of the AEF's goals were achieved in part. As a result, recommendations for future policy, practice and research are made to the case study college, the AEF and interested scholars.