Whither statistics education research?

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of a National Statement on Mathematics for Australian Schools, which was the first curriculum statement this country had including "Chance and Data" as a significant component. It is hence an opportune time to survey the history of the related statistics education research, consider where we are at the moment, and speculate about where we should be going. Some of the issues to be considered along the way include the relationship of research to the curriculum and its implementation (or not), the rise of a research culture, the juxtaposition of statistical literacy and statistical reasoning, and the importance of context for learning about statistics. The continued interest in affective variables is considered, as are the recent trends related to the pedagogical content knowledge needs of teachers and the influence of advances in technology. Finally some views are canvassed on the new initiatives in STEM education and Mathematics by Inquiry, as well as the possible impact of statistics education researchers in the field.