[2] Quartly's teaching career began at Universiti Sains Malaysia where she lectured in historical method and Malay history.
From there she moved to Monash University as a lecturer in 1980 and remained there until she retired in 2006, being appointed professor emeritus.
[2] In 1978 Quartly was co-founder, with Alan Atkinson, of The Push from the Bush, subtitled "A Bulletin of Social History".
[3] In 2018 the Australian Historical Association (AHA) renamed its Taylor and Francis Prize the Marian Quartly Prize in recognition of Quartly's contribution to its journal, History Australia.
The prize is awarded for the best journal article published each calendar year.