Robert Menzies Institute

Robert Menzies Institute The Robert Menzies Institute is a prime ministerial library and museum established to honour Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies.

Our mission is to uphold and promote Sir Robert’s legacy and vision for Australia.

Will you be in Sydney on September 1st? Join us in commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty...
25/08/2026

Will you be in Sydney on September 1st? Join us in commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty with two special guests: Allegra Spender and Steven Marshall AO.

Allegra Spender, Member for Wentworth and the granddaughter of Sir Percy Spender who signed the treaty for Australia, will launch the book The Hidden War: a fictional account of the signing of the Treaty.

Steven Marshall AO is the former Premier of South Australia and current President of the American Australian Association.

The event will include drinks and canapes, so book your ticket today!

TICKETS - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/allegra-spender-mp-to-launch-the-novel-the-hidden-war-tickets-1996424153385

We have our winners for the Menzies Speech Competition! Last night, our finalists presented their speeches to a group of...
21/08/2026

We have our winners for the Menzies Speech Competition! Last night, our finalists presented their speeches to a group of esteemed panelists. After much deliberation, the winning students are...

* Ellie Atkinson, from Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta (Year 7/8)
* Laisa Gordon, from Bethany College Hurstville (Year 9/10)
* Anand Warrier, from Xavier College (Year 11/12)

Our winners will each receive a cash prize and will be invited to deliver their winning speech at our Robert Menzies Institute Annual Conference in November. Anand will also be receiving a complimentary trip to the United States Studies Centre at the Sydney International Strategy Forum 2026.

We cannot say thank you enough to all our participants for this year's Menzies Speech Competition for your research and courage to present yourself and your work.

Follow our website and socials for information on next year's competition!

Today is the day! We are proud and excited to announce our finalists for the prestigious Menzies Speech Competition:Year...
20/08/2026

Today is the day! We are proud and excited to announce our finalists for the prestigious Menzies Speech Competition:

Year 7/8 Finalists
* Harriet Findlay, Overnewton Anglican Community College, VIC
* Ellie Atkinson, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta, NSW
* Mysha Ansari, Trinity Anglican School, QLD

Year 9/10 Finalists
* Laisa Gordon, Bethany College Hurstville, NSW
* Saisha Sharma, Huntingtower School, VIC
* Ivy Bekard, St Aloysius North Melbourne, VIC

Year 11/12 Finalists
* Aojin Chen, St Iganius College, SA
* Anand Warrier, Xavier College, VIC
* Ryan Allen, Sydney Boys High School, NSW

The final is today, August 20th, and will be judged by panelists Trisha Jha, Lucas McLennan, Helen Tani, David Albano, and Peter Collins.

This year's theme has been around the United States-Australia Alliance, and if after 75 years such an alliance is still in our country's national interest. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winner of each category.

You can read more about the Menzies Speech Competition on our website here: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/research-learning/learning/speech-competition

Best of luck to our finalists!

“We’re fighting a hidden war for freedom and democracy in the Pacific…”We are pleased to announce 'The Hidden War', a ne...
19/08/2026

“We’re fighting a hidden war for freedom and democracy in the Pacific…”

We are pleased to announce 'The Hidden War', a new historical fiction commemorating the 75th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS treaty.

Written by award-winning children's book author Belinda Murrell, the piece of young adult fiction tells the story of the ANZUS treaty from the perspective of John Spender (the son of Percy Spender, Robert Menzies’s Minister for External Affairs) and Annie Williams.

As the Cold War in the 1950s intensifies, fears of a third world war begin to grow, and Australia's presence in the Pacific feels increasingly isolated. Against the odds, can Australia forge a bold, new plan to protect the nation and secure its future? The novel explores not just Australia's political history, but also the socio-cultural history of 1950s Australia.

'The Hidden War' is available for purchase on our website: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/book/the-hidden-war

Thank you to Jeparit Press of

Globalisation only recently brought together Asia’s distinctively different cultures and regions. However, as the risks ...
19/08/2026

Globalisation only recently brought together Asia’s distinctively different cultures and regions. However, as the risks of globalisation become clearer, it is being realised as an emerging threat to the continent. Nick Bisley discusses the shifting geopolitical landscapes of Asia and what they could mean for Australia’s national security and global identity within the Asia-Pacific region on this week’s episode of Afternoon Light.

Listen here: https://zurl.co/UNpbP

How has almost a decade in power left such a severe dent in the Liberal Party's reputation & viability?On this week’s Af...
12/08/2026

How has almost a decade in power left such a severe dent in the Liberal Party's reputation & viability?

On this week’s Afternoon Light special guest hosts Alexander Downer and Chetna Mahadik speak with Paul Kelly about his latest book The Twilight of Exceptionalism. Exploring the failures, contradictions and redeeming achievements of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison, and how the limitations of their prime ministerships have played into the rise of One Nation.

Listen to the episode here: https://zurl.co/8DXYo

Paul Kelly is editor-at-large and a former editor-in-chief of The Australian. He writes on Australian politics, policy, history and international relations, and has covered every prime minister from Gough Whitlam to Anthony Albanese. He has written or co-authored twelve books on our politics and history, with the latest being The Twilight of Exceptionalism: The Liberal and Conservative Era 2013-22. Kelly is a regular television commentator. He has been a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a visiting fellow at Kings' College London and a fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. He has a doctorate from the University of Melbourne and is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

Melbourne University Publishing

Meet Ziyan Tejani - one of our sixteeen 2026 Menzies Early Career Network scholars. MECN is an elite six-month program f...
08/08/2026

Meet Ziyan Tejani - one of our sixteeen 2026 Menzies Early Career Network scholars. MECN is an elite six-month program for university students, where they undertake individual research on an aspect of Australian political history and publish an essay in a collection commissioned by the Institute. This year the students focus on the evolution of Australia-US relations.

A Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Social Science in Politics at Macquarie University, Ziyan’s interest interests include Australian foreign policy, liberal democratic institutions and Australia’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific.

As a New Colombo Plan Scholar in Singapore, he studied at the National University of Singapore and undertook research placements with the Middle East Institute and Adam Smith Center, developing a strong interest in Australia’s regional role.

He has also worked across universities, parliamentary settings and public policy think tanks, including the Menzies Research Centre, contributing to research and government program delivery.

Ziyan served as Assistant Editor of “Speech: The Power of Persuasion”, a collection on political oratory launched by two former Australian prime ministers.

His MECN research will examine how the Menzies government connected ANZUS and the Colombo Plan within an emerging regional strategy, and how this shaped Australia’s relationship with Britain, the United States and Asia.

We’re excited to have Ziyan join MECN and can’t wait to see the new knowledge about Australia’s role in the world that emerges through his research.

A big thanks to Queensland History Teachers Association (QHTA) for hosting its fabulous annual conference in sunny Brisb...
08/07/2026

A big thanks to Queensland History Teachers Association (QHTA) for hosting its fabulous annual conference in sunny Brisbane.

If you are a teacher - drop by. We have curriculum materials, memorabilia, postcards, other wonderful materials from the Menzies era for you - all complimentary!

📣Learn about our annual Menzies Speech Competition for high school students with its fabulous prizes!

A big shout out to Professor Michael Wesley of University of Melbourne where we are located - that was a fabulous key note speech!



University of Melbourne Queensland History Teachers Association

Adam Smith is not called father of modern economics for nothing. From the cost of living to competition, prosperity and ...
07/07/2026

Adam Smith is not called father of modern economics for nothing. From the cost of living to competition, prosperity and fairness, the Scottish philosopher's ideas permeate our society.

Yet, are we truly fulfilling his vision? What would Adam Smith make of modern Australia. International banker and author Joseph Healy will help answer this question for us on Tuesday 28 July when he delivers our annual Scottish Enlightenment lecture.

Here is a quick fire Q&A with Joseph Healy on Adam Smith and modern Australia: https://zurl.co/bKsmm

Book your place for his talk: https://zurl.co/79r6Y

Why are fewer Australian students studying Australian history in Years 11 and 12? Are we losing Australia's story, one y...
03/07/2026

Why are fewer Australian students studying Australian history in Years 11 and 12? Are we losing Australia's story, one year at a time?

Listen to what teacher Tania Ragusa has to say on why Australian history is disappearing from senior classrooms - and what can be done to turn the tide?

From the challenges teachers themselves face to the rewards in helping students discover Australia's story, listen to our recent episode of Afternoon Light to hear why it matters so much.

Listen now and subscribe to Afternoon Light wherever you get your podcasts!

Apple podcast link: https://zurl.co/dDGrg
Spotify podcast link: https://zurl.co/ayLYY

Address

Old Quad, East Wing, At The University Of Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
3010

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm

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