This paper analyses the contents of the first thirty years of the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management and its predecessor, the Journal of Tertiary Education Administration. The paper examines the papers published between 1979 and 2008 according to their authorship, country of origin and broad content, noting changes over time. In the broadest of terms, the proportion of papers written by academic staff and by women has increased, as has the proportion of papers from sources other than Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]