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Robert Menzies Institute

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Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightJohn Roskam & Zachary Gorman on the 2025 election & where to now for Australian liberalism: "Ideological Incoherence"How did Menzies's Liberal Party end up with the lowest primary vote in its 80-year history? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with John Roskam and Zachary Gorman to dissect the recent election, apply some historical context to the results, and ask 'where to now?' for Australian liberalism. John Roskam is a columnist for The Australian Financial Review and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs. Zachary Gorman is the Historian and Research Manager of the Robert Menzies Institute. 8QS6TPOIYWSKZQRD
2025-05-2856 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBob Crawshaw on the communications revolution that defeated Bank Nationalisation & won the 49 election: "Highly Orchestrated"How did Robert Menzies sell his message as Opposition Leader? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Bob Crawshaw about how Chifley and Menzies's epic clash over bank nationalisation reshaped Australia's political communications landscape. As innovative marketing techniques first defeated the policy then helped to sweep the Liberals into power in 1949. Bob Crawshaw began his career during the Vietnam era, serving in the Australian Army for over 30 years as a commander, trainer, long-range planner and diplomat. As the first Director of Army Public Affairs, he gained unique insights into how governments try to...
2025-05-2144 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSantamaria and the DLP | Samuel ChamberlainThe son of a greengrocer who was an Italian immigrant, Santamaria became an incredibly influential figure in Australian politics. Yet for someone who had did not hold a formal position, was his influence overstated? And how did Santamaria color Menzies' own worldviews when the latter was in office?  Samuel Chamberlain talks to Georgina Downer about his chapter in the recently released book Finding Menzies, and how Menzies formed his opinion on the anti-communist journalist.  This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Ro...
2025-02-2616 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightHow to Create a Middle-Class Economy | Abby SmithHow did inflation targeting and child endowment change Australia’s trajectory? And specifically, how did this create the middle-class economy we are familiar with today?  Abby Smith talks to Georgina Downer about their chapter in the upcoming book Finding Menzies, how Menzies went about spearheading the Australian middle-class economy.  This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: . 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-02-1715 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightThe Philosophy of Aspiration, The Australian Dream | Priscilla SpaldingWhat does it mean to be aspirational as a person? And how did Menzies encourage Australians to be aspirational?  Priscilla Spalding talks to Georgina Downer about their fascinating chapter in the book Finding Menzies: on how Menzies's political philosophy lifted a country after dark times, and let us all understand more about his character.  This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: . 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmen...
2025-02-1717 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightEnemy of my enemy? Australia and the Sino-Soviet split | Jesse Seeberg-GordonWhere did our allegiances really lie between 1959-1964?  Jesse Seeberg-Gordon talks to Georgina Downer about his chapter in the upcoming book Finding Menzies, on how fissures in international relations brought catalyzed debates on what friendly relations with surrounding countries could also entail.  This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-02-0515 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightOverprivileged: An Episode of High Political Drama | Patrick IrwinWhere was Menzies's limit when it came to free speech?  Patrick Irwin talks to Georgina Downer about his chapter in the upcoming book Finding Menzies, on how Menzies’s struggle with the limits of free speech came to a fore that shone him in a new light in the public consciousness.  This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / r...
2025-02-0516 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightThe Arts’ Last Advocate: Menzies and the Cause of Liberal Education | Jacob Carson What did Menzies have to do with the idea of Liberal Education? Jacob Carson discusses with Georgina Downer how Menzies was at the centre of the push and pull between vocational and commercial understandings toward higher education, and how this debate still goes on today. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-3115 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightFreedom, Empire, and the ‘Ordinary Australian’ | Josh WoodwardWhat does the 'ordinary Australian' actually mean?  Josh Woodward talks to Georgina Downer about how the idea of the 'Ordinary Australian' confronts notions of Empire, as well as the concept of individual freedoms. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-3016 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightPopular Criticism of Menzies’ War Aims | Aaron Marston-PattisonWhat was the public willing to support in wartime during Menzies's era?  Aaron Marston-Pattison speaks to Georgina Downer about which aspects of Menzies's war aims the public was willing to support. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-2915 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightRemembering the Anglo-Australian Relationship of the 20th Century | Scarlett WakelinHow do we look back on the Anglo-Australian relationship when we look at the history of Australia?  Scarlett Wakelin speaks with Georgina Downer on the nature of the Anglo-Australian relationship that persisted through the 20th century. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst Facebook: / robertmenziesinstitute TikTok: / robert.menzies.in Instagram: / robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-2914 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMenzies the Student, Menzies the Statesman | Nick WarrenHow did Menzies' undergraduate career become reflected in the trials and accomplishments of his life as a statesman? Nick Warren talks to Georgina Downer in this episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast, recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute: https://give-aus.keela.co/christmas-m... 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst / Facebook: robertmenziesinstitute / Instagram: robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-2915 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSummer Series 2024-5 Part 6: Will Stoltz, Sean Jacobs, David Furse-Roberts & Christopher BeerIn this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2024 conference entitled ‘The Final Chapter: Purpose, Endurance and Legacy 1961-66 and Beyond’. This sixth episode features Will Stoltz on 'Managed Decolonisation', Sean Jacob's paper 'Relaxed and Comfortable: Menzies and the fall of Empire (1961-66)' (begins at 19:15), David Furse-Robert's paper 'Homes Material, Homes Human and Homes Spiritual: The Menzies Government and Housing Policy' (begins at 35:25), and Christoper Beer's paper 'The frontier of property-owning democracy: Housing, the reform of Australian liberal urbanism, and electoral politics in Western Sydney, 1961-1966' (begins 54:45).
2025-01-291h 15Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightMaya Khurana Redefines Australian Middle Class IdentityWas Menzies for class segregation, or was he a vehement opponent of the entire system?  Maya Khurana talks to Georgina Downer about the Australian middle-class, and how Menzies drove significant change whilst challenging the notion of class at the same time. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute by visiting our website. 📱 Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst / Facebook: robertmenziesinstitute / Instagram: robertmenziesinstitute  
2025-01-2616 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightOrlando Throsby on Australia and NZ | Two Sides of the Same SeaHow did Australia's relationship with New Zealand come to define both countries histories, both between each other as well as their relations with neighboring Asia-Pacific countries?  Orlando Throsby talks to Georgina Downer about the history of Australia and New Zealand's relationship with each other - as well as their neighbors. This episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast was recorded as part of our Menzies Early Career Network Series. ➡️ Support the Robert Menzies Institute by visiting our website. 📱Follow the Menzies Institute on Social Media: X: https://x.com/rmenziesinst /  Facebook: robertmenziesinstitute / Instagram: robertmenziesinstitute
2025-01-2515 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSummer Series 2024-5 Part 4: Damien Freeman, Dean Smith, Josh Woodward & Michael de PercyIn this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2024 conference entitled ‘The Final Chapter: Purpose, Endurance and Legacy 1961-66 and Beyond’. This fourth episode features Damien Freeman and Senator Dean Smith on 'Recommending an Appointment to the Sovereign', Josh Woodward's paper '"A cure for prejudice": Robert Menzies, Travel and Nationalism in the 1960s' (begins at 27:03), and Michael de Percy's paper 'From the bottom of the sea to the moon: Menzies and Australia’s communications golden age' (begins at 43:27). Damien Freeman is a Fellow of the Robert Menzie...
2025-01-151h 10Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightSummer Series 2024-5 Part 2: Jim Walter, John Hawkins & Nicholas BrownIn this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2024 conference entitled ‘The Final Chapter: Purpose, Endurance and Legacy 1961-66 and Beyond’. This second episode features Jim Walter's paper on 'Robert Menzies and Allen Brown: The odd couple?', John Hawkin's paper on 'Menzies and the Vernon Report' (begins at 22:52), and Nicholas Brown's paper ‘"A risky enterprise": Menzies, Sir John Crawford and the Vernon Committee' (begins at 42:42). Jim Walter is Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University. Walter has published widely on Aus...
2025-01-0150 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDamien Freeman on the Death of Settlement Politics | “A Degree of Ambiguity”Has Australia’s political system lost the art of compromise? On Afternoon Light #167 Georgina Downer speaks with Damien Freeman, author of The End of Settlement: Why the 2023 referendum failed, about how Australian politics was once marked by broad agreement on a range of core issues. He unpacks why this is no longer the case, and the negative consequences this poses for the nation. Damien Freeman is a Fellow of the Robert Menzies Institute. He has authored several books, including Radical Conservatism: Tradition as a Guide for Managing Change and Abbott’s Right: The Conservative Tradition from...
2024-10-0943 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTeesta Prakash on Australia-India Relations | "There was a war of words between Nehru and Menzies"Dive into the personalities and politics that shaped Australia-India relations during the Menzies era!   On Afternoon Light #150 Georgina Downer meets with Teesta Prakash to explore the structural and personal factors that complicated Robert Menzies’s diplomatic relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru.   The two question the extent to which the complexities of India’s independce possibly contributed to perceived neglect of this crucial partnership, and proceed to discuss Menzies' efforts to find solutions to the Kashmir issue and his interest in a robust Australia-India bond.   They also explore the Cold Wa...
2024-06-1236 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSaul Eslake, ‘A distinctive part of life in Australia’ The Declining Dream of HomeownershipArguably one of the most profound ways in which Sir Robert Menzies shaped modern Australian was by helping to lift homeownership rates from 53% to 71%. Defying a Labor Party that decried the creation of ‘little capitalists’ Menzies forged a property owning democracy where the middle class he championed grew so large that Labor had to reorientate itself to court its votes. But since the 1960s, government at federal, state and even local level have adopted policies which have exaggerated demand and strangulated supply in the housing market. To unpack the historical origins of Australia’s housing crisis and what we can do...
2024-04-1750 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSummer Series 2023-4 Part 4: Andrew Norton, Ted Ling & Michael de PercyIn this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2023 conference entitled ‘The Menzies Ascendency: Implementing a Liberal Agenda and Consolidating Gains 1954-1961’. This fourth episode features Andrew Norton’s paper ‘Menzies and Higher Education’, Ted Ling’s paper ‘Robert Menzies, Canberra’s Apostle’ (begins 23:35), and Michael de Percy’s paper ‘Australia in the Atomic Age: Menzies’s legacy and nuclear’s unrealised potential’ (begins 46:05). Professor Andrew Norton is Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy at the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University. He was...
2024-01-171h 07Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightRobert Porter, ‘Making a contribution to Australia’s National Development’ Rio Tinto in AustraliaThe Australian economy has long been reliant on the mining industry, so it is easy to forget that we once thought that our iron ore was a scarce resource which needed to be hoarded. It was only during the latter part of the Menzies era that pioneering businessmen realised that Australia had vast resources which could enrich both themselves and the nation. Originally entering the Australian market to source uranium for the British atomic program, Rio Tinto would seize the opportunities available to it to become an icon of the Australian stock exchange. Joining us to discuss the history...
2023-11-2946 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAnne Henderson, ‘A Shakespearean play’ Menzies vs EvattThere has never been a political rivalry in Australia quite like that between Robert Menzies and Herbert Evatt. Born in the same year, these two brilliant lawyers were on opposite sides of the Engineers’ Case and ended up on opposite sides of the House of Representatives. Evatt bested Menzies in the battle over the 1951 referendum, but there followed a political and arguably phycological implosion on Evatt’s part which would shape Australian politics for decades. Joining us to discuss their epic clashes is Anne Henderson, author of the new book Menzies Versus Evatt. Want to hear more? List...
2023-11-0845 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJane Hume, ‘A stake in Australia’ The Homeownership DilemmaAt the heart of Robert Menzies’s vision for Australia was the home. He believed that homeownership gave people a stake in the country, encouraged habits of thrift and forethought, and acted as the bedrock of patriotism. In his ‘Forgotten People’ radio address he went so far as to suggest that homes could be spiritually uplifting; giving people a sense of independence that facilitated them to act with moral conviction. As prime minister, he followed through that romanticism with practical achievement, which saw homeownership rates rise above 70%. But in modern Australian, the Menzian dream is increasingly unobtainable for many, and th...
2023-10-2543 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMichael Wesley, ‘An extraordinary amount of passion’ The Place of Universities in Australian LifeAustralia has often viewed its universities as utilitarian enterprises whose primary function is to train professionals and boost the economy. However, Robert Menzies had a far grander vision for tertiary education, one which saw the university as essential to the health of a democracy. Menzies believed that a liberal education equipped people for a full life and the eternal search for truth that such a life involves. But is the current university sector living up to his dream? Are Australians happy with their university experience? And is the sector plagued by competing priorities? Hear University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor...
2023-10-1144 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTroy Bramston, ‘Continues to loom large’ Menzies’s Art of PoliticsRobert Menzies is a towering figure in Australian history, and one who has come to define his side of politics. Yet, despite this, he has only received one full length biography in the last twenty years. How did Menzies come to reach his preeminent position? What can modern politicians learn from our longest serving leader, and how he mastered the arts of persuasion and leadership? And is he often misrepresented by people who want to enlist his authority? Award winning author Troy Bramston unpacks these issues. Purchase Robert Menzies: The Art of Politics here Want...
2023-10-0445 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightWilliam Stoltz, ‘Unyielding Truths’ Confronting Australia’s strategic dilemmas armed with the pastAre you worried about the possibility of war? As the geopolitical situation becomes ever more tense, many commentators have described the onset of a new Cold War. If the threats faced by the Western World do indeed bear similarities to the ideologically bifurcated world of the 1950s, then it would be wise to look back over that troubled period for lessons for the present. Robert Menzies Institute Fellow Dr William Stoltz has done exactly that, in a new occasional paper dubbed ‘Australia's Dilemmas: Then and Now’. Read the occasional paper here Want to hear more? List...
2023-09-2744 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTed Ling, ‘I Became An Apostle’ Menzies’s Mission to Develop CanberraWhen Robert Menzies was first induced to switch to Federal politics in 1934, he hesitated because he had significant reservations about spending a large amount of time in the national capital. He observed that ‘Canberra is not attractive, either personally or professionally, for obvious reasons, but I feel that the Commonwealth Parliament must still attract the services of men who are interested in public affairs if the Federal system is to continue effectively’. However, over years spent in the Lodge with his family, Menzies grew to appreciate the place, and resolved to make it a truly worthwhile monument to the nati...
2023-08-1640 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJohn Hawkins, ‘Prepared in a time of peace’ Menzies as TreasurerThe Treasury portfolio is generally considered the second most important ministerial position, behind only that of Prime Minister. However, despite the onerous nature and great responsibility of the posting, on several occasions the Prime Minister of the day has allocated themselves as Treasurer. This occurred with Joseph Lyons, whose government focused on combatting the devastating effects of the Great Depression, and it was also the case with Ben Chifley. However, it is often forgotten that when a Menzies Government was first sworn-in in April 1939, he too had taken on this double role. Though Menzies’s time as Treasurer was co...
2023-08-0938 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightHarry Stutchbury, ‘We know it empirically’ Markets and ProsperityThe Menzies era saw a number of important economic reforms including the creation of the Reserve Bank, signing of the 1957 Commerce Agreement with Japan, and the granting of the first export license for iron ore. Nevertheless, there was a settled agreement about a certain level of state involvement in the economy that was to come unstuck with ‘stagflation’ in the 1970s. The fall of the ‘Australian Settlement’ led to a period of unprecedented economic reform throughout the 80s and 90s, however that reformist spirit has long since exhausted itself. In this week’s episode, we look at some ideas for how to...
2023-08-0246 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTony Abbott, ‘Above All Else Patriots’ Battling for Australian LiberalismSince the record-breaking run of Robert Menzies, there have been 14 leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia. Each of them has been influenced in various ways by the party’s founder, as they try to take up the essential task of upholding the principles of Australian liberalism (which indeed is a political tradition which long predates Menzies himself). In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast, we intend to speak to each of the surviving leaders of the party about their connection to Menzies, philosophical beliefs, and time spent heading the centre-right of Australian politics.  In thi...
2023-07-1937 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMalcolm Turnbull, ‘You’ve got to recognise some political realities’ Liberal LeadershipSince the record-breaking run of Robert Menzies, there have been 14 leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia. Each of them has been influenced in various ways by the party’s founder, as they try to take up the essential task of upholding the principles of Australian liberalism (which indeed is a political tradition which long predates Menzies himself). In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast, we intend to speak to each of the surviving leaders of the party about their connection to Menzies, philosophical beliefs, and time spent heading the centre-right of Australian politics. In th...
2023-07-1243 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAndrew Norton, ‘The utilitarian aspect has dominated’ Australia’s UniversitiesWhen the Australian Commonwealth was formed in 1901, the Constitution left education as a matter for the States and Australia had only a handful of tertiary institutions. However, as the nation grew to maturity the importance of having an educated populace grew with it. It was Menzies who first appreciated the central role that Australia’s universities could play in the national story, as he introduced Commonwealth Scholarships that gave widespread access to those with talent and ambition, and greatly increased funding to universities in a manner that would see the birth of many institutions which are now household names. Si...
2023-07-0548 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightZachary Gorman, ‘This Empowerment Philosophy’ Sir Joseph CookThe first Liberal leader to win a Federal election outright was not Robert Menzies, it was in fact a little-remembered prime minister named Joseph Cook. Remarkably, Cook was also the first leader of the NSW Labor party and his story reveals the how and the why of the emergence of the Australian party system, and the philosophical lines of cleavage which continue to shape our nation. Born in an English coal mining town in 1860, Cook entered the mines as a pit boy at just age nine, and his life is a remarkable tale of human agency and Australian social...
2023-06-2855 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMichael de Percy, ‘Developing our own capability’ Australia’s Nuclear JourneyIt was under Robert Menzies that Australia entered the nuclear age with the opening of the Lucas Heights Reactor in 1958. 65 years on, what looked to be the first step in a much bigger story remains practically the only step Australia has taken towards harnessing the potency of the atom to power our nation. As nuclear energy once again appears on the political radar, it is worth taking a look back and seeing what potential Australians once saw in nuclear and what could have been. In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CE...
2023-06-0740 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightGerard Henderson, ‘Bob was a bit like that’ B.A. SantamariaBob Santamaria is a key figure in the Menzies era. Despite being little known until the mid 1950s, Santamaria’s role as the driving force behind ‘the Movement’ helped to thwart communist influence in the Australian trade unions and precipitate the great Labor split. Though he became a highly visible public commentator in his later years, the man himself remains something of a mystery, having provided contradictory autobiographies and propounding eccentric political ideas. While Santamaria proudly boasted that he never voted Liberal, in Menzies’s retirement, the two Bob’s would often share a drink and a warm chat in Menzies...
2023-05-3050 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBrendan Nelson, ‘You have to give people incentives’ A journey to liberalismSince the record-breaking run of Robert Menzies, there have been 14 leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia. Each of them has been influenced in various ways by the party’s founder, as they try to take up the essential task of upholding the principles of Australian liberalism (which indeed is a political tradition which long predates Menzies himself). In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast, we intend to speak to each of the surviving leaders of the party about their connection to Menzies, philosophical beliefs, and time spent heading the centre-right of Australian politics. In th...
2023-05-2450 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightScott Morrison, ‘We are political tradies… we fix the stuff that needs fixing’ Liberal GovernanceSince the record-breaking run of Robert Menzies, there have been 14 leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia. Each of them has been influenced in various ways by the party’s founder, as they try to take up the essential task of upholding the principles of Australian liberalism (which indeed is a political tradition which long predates Menzies himself). In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast, we intend to speak to each of the surviving leaders of the party about their connection to Menzies, philosophical beliefs, and time spent heading the centre-right of Australian politics. In th...
2023-05-1749 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Bird, ‘A parish pump politician from the potato plots of Tasmania’ Joseph LyonsIf one were to rank Australia’s most important Prime Ministers, Joseph Lyons would have to be high on the list. Not only did he lead the nation out of the Great Depression, but he was also responsible for readying the country for World War Two, presiding over five separate re-armament programs before passing away in office in 1939. Lyons’s personal journey is fascinating, as he not only went from being a Labor Tasmanian Premier to a centre-right PM, but the reason he did so was because he had been forever scarred by his father’s decision to bet the fa...
2023-05-101h 01Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightKeith Wolahan, ‘Living in a nation that’s worth fighting for’ The Korean War & the ANZAC LegacyThe Korean War is in many respects the war that never ended. This year marks 70 years since the signing of the Armistice Agreement which ended the three-year conflict in which 339 Australians lost their lives serving as part of a United Nations force which defended South Korea from an invasion from the Communist North. The conflict was the first clear flare up of the Cold War in the Asia-Pacific and the first to which the Menzies Government committed Australian ground troops. While the armistice served as an acknowledgement of a hard-fought stalemate in which the border between the two Koreas...
2023-05-0343 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAlexander Downer, ‘A Progressive Conservative’ Being a Liberal LeaderSince the record-breaking run of Robert Menzies, there have been 14 leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia. Each of them has been influenced in various ways by the party’s founder, as they try to take up the essential task of upholding the principles of Australian liberalism (which indeed is a political tradition which long predates Menzies himself). In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast, we intend to speak to each of the surviving leaders of the party about their connection to Menzies, philosophical beliefs, and time spent heading the centre-right of Australian politics. In th...
2023-04-2647 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBridget Griffen-Foley, ‘The Names are Familiar’ Menzies and the MediaRobert Menzies’s relationship with the Australian media was complex. He had an intense dislike for journalists, for a long time struggled to gain traction in Sydney, and a media narrative played a key role in his downfall as prime minister in 1941. Nevertheless, no-one who had Menzies’s longevity in politics could succeed without having a certain degree of media savvy and important connections in the press. At the end of the day, Menzies was a master of political communication and exploring his relationship with powerful media entities is highly revealing of their role in Australian democratic life. In...
2023-04-1242 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJeremy Hearder, ‘People just listened to him’ The Esteemed Career of Diplomat James PlimsollThe Menzies era was in many respects the golden age of the Department of External Affairs (now Foreign Affairs). The first Australian diplomatic postings outside of the British Commonwealth had been made by Menzies’s wartime government, so when he returned to power in 1949 Australia was still forging its diplomatic network. This adolescence and growth gave great opportunities for young, ambitious and talented people to make a name for themselves, and a classic example of this is James Plimsoll. Plimsoll had a stellar career in which he became a crucial confidant of the Korean President, served as Australian Ambassador to...
2023-04-0534 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightChris Wallace, ‘Biography as political intervention’ Prime Ministerial BiographersRobert Menzies had a great dislike for both journalists and biographers. In his memoir Afternoon Light, he decried contemporary history as little more than a ‘gossip column’ which could not be trusted to get the facts right. Nevertheless, early in his second stint as prime minister he reluctantly enlisted a brilliant writer named Allan Dawes to write a biography to help win over the Australian public. While mysterious circumstances ensured that that biography was never released, its story speaks to the great impact that contemporary political biographies can have on the course of real-world events. In this week’s episod...
2023-03-2243 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJohn Howard, ‘The Greatest Political Contributor to Modern Australia’ Howard on MenziesIn the 122 years that have passed since federation, only two of our nation’s leaders have surpassed a decade serving as Prime Minister. It is notable that the second, John Howard, had a great admiration for and partly modelled his conduct on the first and still unsurpassed record holder Sir Robert Menzies. When Howard was Opposition Leader, Paul Keating would taunt him in Parliament for his connection to Menzies – but Howard not only had the last laugh at the 1996 election, but since leaving office he has spearheaded a new awareness of and appreciation for his predecessor, starting with his high...
2023-03-0840 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightZachary Gorman, ‘Australia’s oldest political tradition’ The founding of the Liberal Party as an expression of Australian liberalismLiberalism is Australia’s oldest political tradition. Even before the advent of democracy in the Australian colonies, Australian liberals fought key political battles that secured equal rights for ex-convicts, trial by jury, religious freedom, and which prevented the establishment of a bunyip aristocracy. By the time they had won the right to democracy in 1856, virtually every politician called themselves liberal and a pervasively liberal order was imposed upon the continent. In the early 20th century this liberal epoch would be eclipsed by the First World War and the onset of the Great Depression, but Menzies was able to tap in...
2023-03-0153 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDaniel Hannan, ‘A short term cost for long term gains’ Brexit and the state of UK politicsBritain’s entry into what became the European Union was very much foreshadowed during the Menzies era, when the United Kingdom attempted to join the European Economic Community only to be vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle. Menzies was obviously highly opposed to the move to join, not only because of its economic consequences for Australia and his sentimental attachment to the British Commonwealth, but because he understood how fundamentally important national sovereignty is to the healthy functioning of a democracy. After marathon political battles, Brexit is now an accomplished fact, but Britain faces a complex task in se...
2023-02-2241 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightFrank Yuan, ‘Haunted with the statues of mediocrities’ Menzies’s views on AmericaRobert Menzies’s relationship with the United States was complex. While he respected their vital role as Australia’s ‘great and powerful friend’ and protector, and grew to appreciate their shared values, he was acutely aware that they were different to Britain and his first visit to America provoked quite hostile views. Menzies knew that with great power comes great responsibility, and he had some skepticism about whether the United States could live up to its role of global leader as the British Commonwealth receded. Nevertheless, by the time he retired in 1966 his views had warmed such that he decided...
2023-02-1536 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightRichard Pomfret, ‘The Age of Equality’ The 20th century as a contest of economic systemsThe 19th and 20th centuries were some of the most momentous periods of change in human history. The former saw the immense economic power of capitalism and the industrial revolution create levels of unheard-of wealth. The latter saw a battle over how to spread that wealth, with opposing models of the communist command economy facing off against a liberal capitalism tempered by the rise of the welfare state. For Robert Menzies the state had an important ameliorative role to play in society, but he knew that all prosperity and innovation were ultimately driven by individual initiative and enterprise. While...
2023-02-0843 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSummer Series 2022-3 Part 2: Troy Bramston & Charles RichardsonIn this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2022 conference entitled ‘Coming to Power, Learning to Govern and Gathering Momentum 1943-1954’. This second episode features Troy Bramston’s paper on ‘Robert Menzies: The Art of Power’ and Charles Richardson’s paper on ‘Menzies, Evatt and Constitutional Government’ (begins at 19:15).
2023-01-0436 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDean Kotlowski, ‘Not going to disappear’ Comparing American & Australian Indigenous PolicyAustralia is far from the only country that started out as a settler colony built on the dispossession of Indigenous peoples, nor is it alone in having a complex path in coming to terms with the resulting legacies. Each story has its own nuances, similarities and contrasts, that can help reveal what we have gotten right and what we have gotten wrong. One obvious parallel is the United States, which experienced its own frontier wars but which also has a distinct history of making and ultimately breaking treaties signed with Native American tribes. One surprising American reformer on Indigenous...
2022-12-2145 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightStephen Wilks, ‘This extraordinary synthesis of ideas for the Australian nation’ Earle PageLong time Country Party Leader Earle Page was possibly the most important side character in Australian political history. He engineered the fall of Billy Hughes, won a coalition on generous terms that has shaped the centre-right of politics ever since, and served as second in command for the aptly named Bruce-Page Government and also for much of the Lyons Ministry. But he was also a man of vision, holding a profound belief in developmentalism, who was always on the lookout for the ‘psychological moment’ when political circumstances would suit putting his plans into action. He did not always judge such...
2022-12-1448 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightWilliam Cook, ‘The sheer size of it’ Menzies’s Marvelous Book CollectionOne of the main reasons that the Robert Menzies Institute has been set up at the University of Melbourne, beyond the fact that Menzies was both a student and chancellor of the institution, is that he bequeathed the university his personal library of over 4000 books. Housed in the Leigh Scott Room in the Baillieu Library, the collection is a cultural artefact that reveals insights into who Menzies knew, what he read, and what engaged his mind. A remarkable time capsule of twentieth century Australia, it is a great resource for historians and its treasures serve as the basis for...
2022-12-0735 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Lee, ‘I don’t vote for them, but I’ll vote for John Curtin’ Labor’s Wartime LeaderJohn Curtin and Robert Menzies remain arguably the most revered prime ministers on their respective sides of Australian politics. The two men shared a mutual respect for one another, and a sense of cordiality that crossed party lines, even if that was severely tested by Eddie Ward’s ‘Brisbane Line’ fabrication. As two prime ministers who shared the burden of leading the nation through its greatest test, Curtin has tended to receive more credit for Australia’s success in World War Two, but for that effort he would pay the ultimate price. In this week’s episode of the Afternoon...
2022-11-3044 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMeg Gurry, ‘Australia has always been strategically inconsequential’ The Development of the India-Australia RelationshipAustralia’s relationship with India has been slow to prosper. For all our cultural ties and mutual love of cricket, until recently the shared legacy of Empire tended to stunt rather than facilitate the two nations coming to understand each other. These issues were epitomised by the relationship between Menzies and Nehru, two record-setting leaders who could bond over a love of parliamentary democracy, but who otherwise viewed the world through very different eyes. With the advent of the Quad, and the recent blossoming of a new-found strategic alignment, it is worth looking back on just how far we ha...
2022-11-2342 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBain Attwood, ‘A sense of kin’ The Life of William CooperWilliam Cooper was a pioneering Indigenous activist, notable for his famous petition to King George VI for an Aboriginal representative in the Australian parliament, his call for a day of mourning after 150 years of colonisation, the walk-off of the Yorta Yorta people from Cummeragunja reserve in 1939, and his opposition to the establishment of an Aboriginal regiment in the Second World War. In his later years Cooper wrote several letters lobbying for change from Prime Minister Robert Menzies, who was then preoccupied in directing Australia’s war-effort. While Cooper achieved only limited cut-through in his lifetime, he laid the foundation fo...
2022-11-0939 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJames Curran, ‘A certain amount of forgetting’ The Australia-China Relationship from Menzies OnwardAustralia’s relationship with China has always been fraught with both difficulty and opportunity. It was Menzies who established Australia’s first diplomatic mission to China during World War Two, and he had a lot of sympathy for the beleaguered ally that was the Chinese Nationalist Government. It was subsequently quite disheartening to see them defeated in the Chinese Civil War, but the Menzies Government’s attitude towards recognising the victorious Communist regime was far more nuanced than is generally assumed and he was actively conciliatory over the Taiwan Straight Crisis. Such nuance, combined with caution, is a necessary part o...
2022-11-0251 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJonathan Pincus, ‘Two Very Different Visions’ Menzies’s Long BoomOne of the defining features of the Menzies era was a long economic boom where, apart from the occasional short hiccup, growth remained high while inflation and unemployment remained low. The eternal debate is to what extent did the Menzies Government facilitate this prosperity? While Menzies maintained a significant role for the state and the levers of Keynesian economic control that were already in place, there is no doubt that his anti-socialist vision contrasted with his predecessor who not only tried to nationalise the banks but also tried to expand the Commonwealth’s constitutional powers to organise marketing, dictate in...
2022-10-2640 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightLord Jonathan Sumption, ‘An enormous font of vicarious experience’During the month of October, the Robert Menzies Institute has been very proud to host former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Lord Jonathan Sumption on a tour of Australia in which he has captivated audiences with a number of prominent speaking engagements, most notably the RMI Oration and Gala. Sumption’s views on the pivotal importance of the rule of law and the precarious future of modern democracy closely echo concerns expressed by Sir Robert Menzies, who himself was very close to becoming a Justice of the High Court of Australia. In this week’s very...
2022-10-1939 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightClement Macintyre, ‘First, Second, Third Priority was South Australia’ Thomas Playford & South Australian ExceptionalismRobert Menzies holds the record as Australia's longest serving prime minister, but he is certainly not Australia's longest serving ‘democratically’ elected political leader. That record is held by Thomas Playford, who was Premier of South Australia for an astonishing period from 1938 until 1965. This period corresponded with both of Menzies’s stints as prime minister, and the Federal leader had a complicated relationship with the State’s unconventional non-Labor government. Playford was always determined to extract whatever he could out of the Commonwealth, and Menzies was often forced to oblige. South Australia serves as a fascinating case study into how Australi...
2022-10-1248 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightChristy Collis, ‘Truly Terra Nullius’ Australia’s Antarctic ClaimsOne of the more obscure achievements of the Menzies Government was establishing Mawson Station, Australia’s first permanent base on the once uninhabited southern continent. This difficult endeavour was done partly in the name of science, but also to secure Australia’s claim to 42% of the territory which had its origins in the ‘historic age’ of exploration. This claim remains disputed, and the ins and outs of how various countries have tried to take possession of the barren and inhospitable, but potentially mineral-rich, wasteland is a fascinating story, involving everything from centuries-old papal bulls to the machinations of the Cold War...
2022-10-0544 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightRe-Release: Jane Connors, ‘Because She Was Here’ The 1954 Royal TourAs a tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Robert Menzies Institute is re-releasing this episode of Afternoon Light discussing the 1954 Royal Tour, originally published in February: In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia. The Royal Tour was a fascinating cultural phenomenon, mesmerising the entire nation for over a month. It is estimated that three-quarters of Australia’s population came out to see their new Queen, escorted by her husband Prince Phillip. In many respects it was a coming-of-age moment for Australia, where we finally achieved the recognition that we felt we bo...
2022-09-1640 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJeff Wilson, ‘A period of radical change and bravery on behalf of Australia’ Analysing today’s dilemmas through the lens of the Menzies EraIt is no secret that Australia currently faces a troubled geopolitical environment, indeed one of the most difficult that we have faced in recent memory. In these novel circumstances it is worthwhile looking back on past periods of disturbance to draw lessons for the present. While people tend to be quick to jump to comparisons to the 1930s and its catastrophic descent towards global conflict, there are significant and perhaps more profitable parallels to be drawn between the 1950s and now, particularly when it comes to a shake-up in global trade and the international economic order. In...
2022-08-3143 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAndrew Carr, ‘A certain amount of public work’ Menzies as a Civic RepublicanIn the ‘Forgotten People’ broadcast Menzies presaged JFK by suggesting that ‘The great question is, "How can I qualify my son to help society?" Not, as we have so frequently thought, "How can I qualify society to help my son?"’. Following this, a close examination of Menzies’s political speeches demonstrates that he talked about the individual’s duties and obligations almost as much as he talked about their freedom and their liberty. In this vein, Menzies fitted into a long tradition of civic republicanism which stretched back to Ancient Rome and included such figures as Oliver Cromwell. These republicans...
2022-08-2443 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightNick Dyrenfurth, ‘This amorphous concept’ An Australian Understanding of CitizenshipThe idea of an ‘Australian citizen’ is a concept that is in a perpetual state of development. At the time of federation, Australians considered themselves to be British subjects and the only time ‘citizenship’ is mentioned in our Constitution is to bar citizens of a foreign power from siting in Parliament. Without a clear definition, the concept has gradually evolved through discourse and through practice, and a central figure in that evolution was Robert Menzies. For Menzies, citizenship was an organic idea, wrapped up in the acceptance of duty and the moral independence of the individual, which allowed them to freel...
2022-08-1051 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightHeather Henderson, ‘He took a great interest in a lot of young ones’ Memories of My FatherAt the heart of Robert Menzies’s appeal to the ‘Forgotten People’ was the family, the essential basis of a healthy society. Menzies described the instinct to be with one’s family as ‘the great instinct of civilised man’. This was no mere rhetoric, Menzies was at heart a family man and cherished every moment that he got to spend with his close relatives. They in turn remember him fondly, and can provide insights into the real man that would otherwise remain forever hidden.
2022-07-2135 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTom Frame, ‘An Orderly and Seamless Transition of Power’ The Life and Achievements of Harold HoltIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Tom Frame about Menzies’s Liberal deputy and immediate successor Harold Holt.
2022-07-1354 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAlexander Downer: ‘A Sense of History’ Political Leadership in a Troubled WorldIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer about his personal recollections of Robert Menzies and his views on contemporary politics, with a particular emphasis on the troubled geopolitical landscape.
2022-06-0848 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTroy Bramston: ‘That Sense of Stature About Them’ Comparing Menzies and HawkeIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to best-selling biographer Troy Bramston about the comparisons to be made between Robert Menzies and Bob Hawke, the longest serving prime ministers for each side of Australian politics. When it comes to political longevity, Robert Menzies and Bob Hawke are record-breakers who are frequently held up as leadership models for successors to emulate. But despite their competing political philosophies, Menzies and Hawke have far more in common than simply winning elections. Both were born in remote townships on either side of...
2022-06-0147 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightWilliam Stoltz: ‘Its work was so sensitive that Parliament shouldn’t be briefed on it’ ASIS at 70In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to our Visiting Fellow Dr William Stoltz about the history of the Australia Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), which recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of its foundation under the Menzies Government. You can read Dr Stoltz’s opinion piece on the creation of ASIS here.
2022-05-2552 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDarius von Güttner: ‘Reaching Out to the Past and Choosing What They Want to Be’ The Ukraine Conflict and the Importance of HistoryIn this week's episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Dr Darius von Güttner, a historian of Eastern Central Europe from the University of Melbourne, about the ‘deep history’ that underpins the current conflict in the Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s flagrant invasion of the Ukraine has famously been justified on the pretext of NATO expansionism, but it is also based on a historical fiction which seeks to undermine the legitimacy of the sovereign nation which is currently under attack. Putin has claimed that Ukraine ‘never had a tradition of genuine s...
2022-05-1845 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJames Paterson: ‘A Dramatic Wake Up Call’ Navigating Contemporary Geopolitical ThreatsIn this week’s episode of Afternoon Light, , Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer discusses the dangers posed by an increasingly assertive China and the outbreak of conflict in Eastern Europe with Australian Senator James Paterson. Australia’s degenerating relationship with China has dominated headlines for several years. As Australia seeks to uphold sovereignty and a rules based international order, we are increasingly exposed to economic coercion, cyber-attacks, and even acts of espionage and foreign interference. Dealing with these threats as a liberal democracy involves balancing security and freedom, and also working with like minded nations to ensu...
2022-05-1141 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightPeter Edwards: ‘One of the Greatest Examples of Australian Statecraft’ Australia’s Military Commitments Under MenziesThe Robert Menzies Institute recently hosted renowned military and diplomatic historian Peter Edwards for a talk entitled ‘From Korea to Vietnam: Menzies’s Cold War military commitments’. Prior to the event, Peter sat down with the Institute’s CEO Georgina Downer to talk through the complex issues involved in the defence of Australia during the Menzies era. It is natural and just that Australians should be drawn towards remembering and commemorating the Vietnam War, in which 521 Australian combat personnel lost their lives, as a defining moment in our history. However, this conflict has tended to overshadow the otherwis...
2022-05-0449 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightIan McAllister: ‘What Hasn’t Changed?’ The Evolution of Australian Elections since the Menzies EraIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Distinguished Professor Ian McAllister about the evolution of Australian elections since the Menzies era. Australian elections have long been characterised by the rather uncommon tradition of compulsory voting, but outside of this and other mainstays like a pencil and paper, much of the way elections are now conducted would have been unrecognisable in Menzies’s day. While Menzies fought for the ‘Forgotten People’, the middle class, the days of traditional class-based voting are largely gone – with asset holdings being more impor...
2022-04-1342 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightPaul Morrissey: ‘Educating the Whole Person’ The Enduring Importance of a Liberal Approach to EducationOn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Paul Morrissey, President of Campion College about a liberal education. Robert Menzies was a firm believer in the value of a broad liberal education. The Menzies Government reinvigorated and greatly expanded Australia’s university system through both the implementation of the Murray Report into Higher Education and the introduction of merit-based Commonwealth Scholarships, but Menzies insisted that this ground-breaking investment was not based on the mere utilitarianism of boosting the economy by training people for jobs. He wanted universities to c...
2022-04-0646 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Kemp and Nick Cater: ‘Liberalism and the belief of the individual person as the way to civil politics’ The Robert Menzies Institute ExhibitionOn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast of the Robert Menzies Institute, CEO Georgina Downer talks to co-curators of the RMI’s permanent exhibition David Kemp and Nick Cater. David and Nick explain that their curatorial purpose was to create an image of Menzies that Menzies himself would recognise, as opposed to the various projections which detractors and even supporters have attached to Menzies over the years. The exhibition covers eight key themes, including Menzies as a Liberal, Political Architect, Leader, Parliamentarian, Family Man, Nation Builder, Patriot, and his Legacy. Taken together they form a co...
2022-03-3045 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJames Brown: ‘An Ideal Partner’ Australia’s Space IndustryOn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Space Industry Association of Australia CEO James Brown about the Australian space industry. When Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, it was an Australian tracking station that relayed the pictures to the world. This remarkable fact was the product of an agreement signed by Robert Menzies in February 1960, which saw Australia become an essential partner to the successful American effort to win the space race. Australia was important because of our unique geographical location, but also be...
2022-03-1642 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightKeith Mason: ‘A Spectacular Series of Failures’ The Egon Kisch AffairIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Keith Mason QC AC to discuss the Egon Kisch and Novak Djokovic cases. Australia has a long history of trying to keep out people and viewpoints deemed ‘undesirable’. The recent saga with Novak Djokovic is just the latest in a series of attempts by Australian Governments to exclude high profile figures that stretch back into the early decades of the 20th century, and it is far from the only one to end in farce. Robert Menzies had his own experi...
2022-03-0954 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSybil Nolan: ‘His Whole Prospects were Formed Out of Study’ Discovery in the Menzies CollectionThis week on the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Sybil Nolan about the Menzies Collection. In 1976 Sir Robert Menzies bequeathed his library and archive of approximately 4000 items to the University of Melbourne. The collection is a unique historical and cultural artefact, showcasing the breadth of Menzies’s intellectual influences and acting as a sociological time capsule of 20th century Australia. For historians, the collection is a treasure trove of unique items, each having the potential to unlock fascinating secrets about their previous owner. Sybil Nolan is a historian who ha...
2022-03-0244 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightWilliam Sanders: ‘A Progressive Inclusive & a Group Conservative’ Indigenous Policy Under the Menzies GovernmentThis week on the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Associate Professor William Sanders about Indigenous policy under the Menzies Government. When Robert Menzies was Prime Minister Indigenous policy was exclusively a matter for State Governments as set out in the Australian Constitution. This would change after the 1967 referendum, which Menzies was instrumental in planning, but until then the primary area in which the Federal Government could legislate, manage, and reform Indigenous policy was in the administration of Commonwealth Territories and particularly the Northern Territory. So it was under the direction of...
2022-02-2341 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightSelwyn Cornish: ‘A Living Organism’ The History of the Reserve Bank of AustraliaIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to the Reserve Bank’s Official Historian, Selwyn Cornish, about the history of central banking in Australia. In 1960 the Menzies Government established the Reserve Bank of Australia, separating central banking from where it had evolved within the government-owned Commonwealth Bank. The first Governor of the Reserve Bank, Herbert ‘Nugget’ Coombs, said that a central bank ‘must grow like a living organism’, and so it is that over the years the RBA has established itself as a cornerstone of the Australian economy and...
2022-02-1653 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightMartyn Lyons: ‘They Certainly Felt Empowered’ Writing Letters to MenziesIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Emeritus Professor Martyn Lyons about letters written to Robert Menzies. During his time as Prime Minister, Robert Menzies received thousands of letters from ordinary Australians. Many wrote asking for help, others wrote to congratulate him on various achievements, and still others wrote angrily to scold him for some misdeed like daring to increase the salaries of MPs. These letters can provide a unique social history which offers a marvellous insight into the everyday concerns of Australians of the Menzies er...
2022-02-0941 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJane Connors, ‘Because She Was Here’ The 1954 Royal TourIn this first episode of the second season of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Dr Jane Connors about the 1954 Royal Tour. In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia. The Royal Tour was a fascinating cultural phenomenon, mesmerising the entire nation for over a month. It is estimated that three-quarters of Australia’s population came out to see their new Queen, escorted by her husband Prince Phillip. In many respects it was a coming-of-age moment for Australia, where we finally achieved the recognition that we felt we...
2022-02-0240 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAnne Henderson: ‘Preparation for War, the Trade Union Movement and Appeasement’ and Frank Bongiorno: ‘Curtin and Menzies’In this fifth episode of the Afternoon Light Summer Series you will hear from Anne Henderson on ‘Preparation for War, the Trade Union Movement and Appeasement’ and Frank Bongiorno on ‘Curtin and Menzies’. Anne Henderson AM takes aim at writers who have criticised Menzies for being an ‘appeaser’ in the face of the rising threat of fascism in the late 1930s, contextualising his views so as to defeat historical anachronisms. Henderson is the Deputy Director of the Sydney Institute. She is a prolific and respected author, having published books on Enid Lyons, Joseph Lyons, Mary Mackillop, P...
2022-01-1939 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Furse-Roberts ‘A Simple Presbyterian in Politics: Robert Menzies, Liberalism and Anti-Sectarianism’In this fourth episode of the Afternoon Light Summer Series you will hear from Dr David Furse-Roberts on ‘A Simple Presbyterian in Politics: Robert Menzies, Liberalism and Anti-Sectarianism’. Dr David Furse-Roberts examines how Menzies’s profound but somewhat enigmatic religious beliefs shaped his political views, and also how, remarkably for the time, Menzies was whole-heartedly opposed to sectarian bitterness, even clashing with his family over the issue. Furse-Roberts is a Research Fellow at the Menzies Research Centre. He holds a PhD in history from the University of NSW and is the editor of Howard: The Art of...
2022-01-1220 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightGregory Melleuish: ‘The Idea of Education According to the Young Menzies, 1916-1945’ and Judith Brett: ‘Menzies’s Debt to Deakinite Liberalism’In this third episode of the Afternoon Light Summer Series you can hear Professor Gregory Melleuish on ‘The Idea of Education According to the Young Menzies, 1916-1945’ followed by Emeritus Professor Judith Brett on ‘Menzies's Debt to Deakinite Liberalism’. Professor Gregory Melleuish delivers a paper prepared with the help of Dr Stephen Chavura, which argues that Menzies saw the pivotal role of universities as the new ‘church’ which could promote higher principles and goals, overcoming the fundamental threat posed by materialism. Melleuish is a Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry at the University o...
2022-01-0538 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightJustice James Edelman: ‘Menzies and the Law’In this second episode of the Afternoon Light Summer Series you can hear The Hon Justice James Edelman’s presentation on ‘Menzies and the Law’. Justice James Edelman examines Menzies’s brilliant legal career and relationship with the High Court, particularly his involvement in the Engineers Case and the overturning of legislation which attempted to ban the Communist Party Edelman was appointed to the High Court of Australia in January 2017. Prior to that he was a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and a judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia. He previously practise...
2021-12-2924 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Kemp ‘Menzies: Time for a Reappraisal?’ and Troy Bramston ‘Young Robert’In this first episode of the Afternoon Light Summer Series you can hear The Hon Dr David Kemp’s presentation on ‘Menzies: Time for a Reappraisal?’, followed by Troy Bramston’s presentation on ‘Young Robert’. The Hon Dr David Kemp AC examines how the historiography surrounding Menzies has developed over the years, and argues that Menzies fought for a ‘politics of principle’ in which convictions would trump sectional and short term interests. Kemp is a former Federal Member and Minister in the Howard Government. Before entering Parliament he was Professor of Politics at Monash University, and after leavin...
2021-12-2239 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightGideon Haigh: ‘The Brilliant Boy’ Remembering the Achievements of Dr H.V. EvattIn this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to author and journalist Gideon Haigh about Doc Evatt and Robert Menzies. Herbert Vere Evatt and Robert Gordon Menzies led parallel and overlapping lives. Both were: born in 1894, from modest backgrounds, had brilliant minds, able to receive educational opportunities thanks to winning academic prizes, presidents of university student councils, passionate about art and cricket, remarkably successful lawyers who shaped future jurisprudence, served as Attorney General, earned international repute, and led political causes which they firmly believed in. However, because Menzies be...
2021-12-1545 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBarry Jones: ‘A Strong Acquaintance’ Personal Reflections on Menzies and the Menzies EraIn this week’s episode of Afternoon Light, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to former Hawke Government Minister The Hon Barry Jones AC about his friend, Robert Gordon Menzies. Barry visited Menzies many time in his retirement after having sparked the interest of Dame Pattie for his appearances on the ‘Pick A Box’ gameshow. A strong supporter of the Labor Party who served that party in both State and Federal Parliaments, Jones disagrees with many of the decisions that Menzies made throughout his career, and his insights help to reveal some of Menzies’s limitations while also demonstr...
2021-12-081h 04Afternoon Light
Afternoon LightJames Waghorne: ‘A Light on the Hill & A Place of Truth’ Menzies’s University DaysThis week on the Afternoon Light podcast Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer is joined by Dr James Waghorne to discuss the intricacies and eccentricities of the University of Melbourne at the turn of the century. James is a Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Higher Education and the University of Melbourne’s de facto historian. When Robert Menzies came to the University of Melbourne to study Law in 1913, it had only around 1000 students. Even that was a great increase from when it opened in the 1850s to teach the sons of pastoralists and to ci...
2021-12-0148 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightAnne Henderson: ‘Given the Opportunity, She Took It’, The Remarkable Career of Margaret GuilfoyleThis week on the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Anne Henderson about Liberal trailblazer, Dame Margaret Guilfoyle. Anne is Deputy Director of the Sydney Institute and the author of many books including on Margaret Guilfoyle, Enid Lyons, Joseph Lyons, Mary Mackillop, Patrick Glynn and more. In 2014 she published Menzies at War, a detailed account of Menzies’s years in the political wilderness between his two stints as prime minister, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for History. Guilefoyle was a highly respected politician, who followed in a...
2021-11-2442 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBen Wilkie: ‘A Scottish Chauvinist’ The Scots Influence on Robert Menzies’s WorldviewThis week on Afternoon Light Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer is joined by Dr Ben Wilkie to discuss Sir Robert Menzies’s Scottish influences. While Menzies is often derided for being ‘British to the bootstraps’, there was a distinctively Scottish identity that was vitally important within his broader ‘Britishness’. Menzies was an admirer of Robert Burns, and celebrated Burns Night with a quasi-religious devotion. He was heavily involved in Scottish associations, including the Melbourne Scots and the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne. Notably Menzies was the only Australian ever knighted in the ‘Order of the Thistle’, an order of ch...
2021-11-1735 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightWarren Mundine: ‘An Enormous Foundation for Things to Happen’ Indigenous Policy under the Menzies GovernmentThis week on Afternoon Light Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer is joined by Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO to discuss Indigenous policy under the Menzies Government. From the forming of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal Studies, the 1962 legislative change to give Indigenous people the right to vote in Federal elections and the 1967 referendum, the Menzies legacy is significant. Warren is a highly respected and influential businessman, political strategist and advocate for empowering Australia’s First People. He serves as the Director of the Indigenous Forum with the Centre for Independent Studies, the Executive Chairman Nyungga Black Group Pt...
2021-11-1037 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightScott Prasser: ‘The Institution of Last Resort’ Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries Under MenziesIn this week’s episode of Afternoon Light, academic and government adviser Dr Scott Prasser joins us to discuss his book ‘Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries in Australia’. Scott elaborates on some of the most important public inquiries from the Menzies era, how they directly shaped Menzies’s policymaking, and why Menzies was more selective in his use of them than many modern prime ministers. Key inquiries from the era include the Murray Report on Universities which was pivotal in informing Menzies’s sweeping reforms to tertiary education, the Royal Commission on Espionage which was formed in response to the Petrov...
2021-11-0348 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightBob Bowker: ‘The Decline of an Empire to which Australians Largely Wished Still to Belong’ Menzies and the Suez Crisis29 October marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the Suez Conflict, during which Israeli, French and British troops attacked Egypt in an attempt to regain control of the Suez Canal which had been nationalised by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was in this complex and tense situation that Robert Menzies took on a central role on the global stage, acting as the leader of an international committee which sought to convince Nasser to allow an international body to operate the canal. Joining us to discuss the Suez Crisis is former Australian Ambassador and author of...
2021-10-2742 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightTim Costello: ‘You are Blessed to be a Blessing’ Menzies’s Sense of Duty to Australia’s NeighboursDuring the Menzies era Australian foreign aid spending achieved its highest ever average as a percentage of our GDP, while in 1959 Prime Minister Robert Menzies was able to boast that Australia had taken in more refugees per head of population than any other country in the world, a fact of which he was tremendously proud. Joining us to discuss these issues is the Reverend Tim Costello AO. Tim is one of Australia’s most respected community leaders and a sought after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics.
2021-10-2038 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightStephen Chavura: ‘Britishness Meant… a Love of Liberty Tempered by an Emphasis on Duty’, Examining Menzies’s Political Beliefs in ContextJoining us this week on Afternoon Light to discuss Menzies’s political beliefs is Dr Stephen Chavura, lecturer in history at Campion College. Steve has written a new book, with Professor Greg Melleuish from the University of Wollongong, The Forgotten Menzies. Steve and Greg unpack Menzies’s political philosophy in its own context and on its own terms, not as a liberal nor a conservative.
2021-10-1342 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightDavid Furse-Roberts: ‘Divine Order in a Distracted Human World’, The Religious Underpinnings of Menzies’s PoliticsJoining us this week on Afternoon Light to discuss his new book God and Menzies: The Faith that Shaped a Prime Minister and His Nation is Dr David-Furse Roberts. David is a Research Fellow at the Menzies Research Centre.
2021-10-0644 minAfternoon Light
Afternoon LightIntroducing Afternoon LightAfternoon Light is the podcast of the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne. Each week your host, Georgina Downer, will discuss Sir Robert Menzies’s contemporary legacy with guests from Australia and around the world.
2021-08-1801 min