Clendinnen held the post of senior tutor of History at the University of Melbourne from 1955 to 1968, was a lecturer at La Trobe University from 1969 to 1982, and was then a senior lecturer in History until 1989. Forced to curtail her academic activities after contracting hepatitis in 1991, Clendinnen began working on her memoir, "Tiger's Eye," which focused on issues of illness and death. She retained an association with La Trobe University, however, as she was appointed Emeritus Scholar.