Robert Menzies Institute

Philosophy, politics, at the beautiful Old Quad Library on Wed 23 July, 5:30pm. Don’t miss it! Chris Berg and David Kemp will explore how these thinkers influenced Australia next week. As they say... A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas.

Convicts, chaos, and cockatoos! On Afternoon Light, Georgina Downer chats with David Hunt to dig into the weirder, wilder bits of our past. Listen now via Spotify zurl.co/srJq2 or via Apple Podcasts zurl.co/eDKl7

A welcome and congratulations to the 16 members of 2025 Menzies Early Career Network scholars! Yes, 16! Our participating scholars come from were picked from an exceptionally strong field. Visit our People Page here to find out more: zurl.co/u2w9V

How did the Scottish Enlightenment (taking place on the opposite end of the planet) shape Australia? Join Professor Chris Berg and David Kemp on Wed 23 July to find out. Tickets here: zurl.co/MMErT

Fresh conflict in the Middle East. The global order shakier by the day. What must Australia do to see off the threats posed by an increasingly unstable world? Who better to answer this thorny question than Sir Peter Cosgrove. Find us on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Behind the scenes of our 2025 Policy Dialogue on the Conditions for a Successful Democracy at The University of Melbourne! A big thank you to the 30 professors, politicians, and thinkers from across the political spectrum, and all who helped. #UniMelb #UM #AusPol #AusHistory

Scottish thought has fundamentally shaped our nation! Join the Robert Menzies Institute for an evening exploring how influential Scottish thinkers Adam Smith and Robert Burns contributed to the burgeoning of Australia’s liberal democracy. Link to event: zurl.co/VAwpR

Join us TOMORROW at 1pm for a Afternoon Light Live with our resident historian Dr. Zachary Gorman, author of 'Summoning Magna Carta: Freedom’s Symbol Over a Millennium'.  Register for the FREE Webinar here: zurl.co/iXqr1 Photo: Magna Carta Place, Canberra

Shout out to all Year 7-12 students in Australia! Share your thoughts on 'how important is respectful debate to the health of a democracy' for our 2025 Annual Speech Competition! zurl.co/hTHxz Photo: 2022 winner Ysmene Ostik-Smith delivering her speech at RMI!

Imagine delivering your ideas on democracy to a live audience this August. Now, stop imagining, grab your phone, and record your speech! The Robert Menzies Institute is calling Years 7-12 to record a speech on the power of respectful debate. Applications open now!

10 DAYS LEFT for current university students to apply to MECN! Josh Woodward, 2024 MECN Scholar “The network is unsurpassed as a supportive environment for academics seeking to publish a positive telling of Australia's history."

History, heroism, and today’s defence challenges. Tomorrow at 8 pm, ABC's Big Ideas airs Sir Peter Cosgrove’s powerful ANZAC Oration on why we need more civility in public discourse. Get a fresh take on Australia’s defence by a decorated general! @ABC

💙 Pick your favourite hat! Opening this month, a brand-new exhibition exploring the life and legacy of the iconic Dame Pattie Menzies, Australia's longest-serving First Lady. Get a glimpse into mid-20th century political and social life! Visit our website for more.

@RMenziesInst CEO @GeorginaDowner talks to @Andrew_Levidis on the Afternoon Light podcast about Japanese PM Kishi and the 1957 Commerce Agreement with Australia robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/podcast/andrew… #japan #australia #trade

Thank you @Nicholas_Reece for launching our book The Menzies Ascendancy on Australian history from 1951-64. We loved the story of your mother receiving a letter of introduction from Sir Robert Menzies before she left for foreign lands in the 1960s!

“Menzies for Gen Zs” is our new motto – and it is inspired by a question asked at our event in the NSW Parliament with 30 young students yesterday - how do you translate #Menzies for #Gen Z? By events like these where #youngpeople can discuss his #ideas and #legacy!

There is something about live questions that always make podcasts dynamic. For our podcast #discussion the moment came when an audience member asked if we could compare the #Catholic vote of the 1950s to the emergence of #Muslim vote in this election? Recording to come. #Auspol

Going live in 3… 2… actually about one and hour hours. That's how long it takes to prepare for our Monthly LIVE podcast on #Australian #history - Afternoon Light LIVE. Today's guest: Professor Paul Strangio. Topic: THAT infamous LABOR SPLIT of 1955.

From the Bottom Of The Sea To The Moon: Menzies and Australia’s Communications Golden Age - my presentation at the 2024 @RMenziesInst Conference youtu.be/OMvf1PcGdQw?si…

Sir Robert is my political hero. Today I received this, my first work in a @RMenziesInst volume, discussing Sir Robert in the Atomic Age and his nuclear legacy. Being part of this one is very special to me. #auspol