Afternoon Light

How can you capture Sir Robert's life and legacy in just two rooms? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Alex McDermott, the curator of the Robert Menzies's Institute's latest and greatest museum exhibit, about the process of distilling Menzies's story into a message of inspiration for a general audience. Giving them an appreciation of the man, his role in fostering the Austr...

Has the Southern Hemisphere always been viewed as the 'bottom' of the globe? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Rohan Howitt to explore how Antarctica shaped Australia's economic history and cultural imagination. As generations of politicians, explorers and entrepreneurs dreamed of turning Australia's southern frontier into an empire of our own. Rohan Howitt is a lecturer i...

How do we get high school students excited about Australian history? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Tania Ragusa to unpack why fewer and fewer high schools now teach Australian history at the year 11 & 12 level, and offer crucial insights as to what we can do to reverse the trend. Looking beyond simplistic culture war denunciations, to reveal how teachers are confro...

Does a well-developed 'sense of history' help provide people with a sense of purpose and wellbeing? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Sarah Irving-Stonebraker to unpack the causes and effects of the modern world's historical amnesia. Revealing how our 'ahistoric age' cuts individuals off from their roots, robs them of their place in a broader story, and may even be an unre...

Are the destinies of English-speaking nations intrinsically linked? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Jesse Clark to dissect what the term 'Anglosphere' actually means. Debating the similarities and differences between the various English-speaking liberal democracies that have emerged from the Westminster tradition, how relevant the grouping remains, and what lays behind t...

How would an Australian cope with being locked up in an Iranian prison? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Kylie Moore-Gilbert about the conflict in Iran and her own personal experience with the Iranian regime. After 804 days in incarceration, she offers insights that few other Australians could imagine (or would want to imagine). Kylie Moore-Gilbert is an Australia-based a...

What can you tell about a country through the words it invents? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with lexicographer Amanda Laugesen to tell Australia's story in 100 words. From bushmen to Sheilas, and larrikins to wowsers, it will change your perspective on the Australian language and make you appreciate the uniqueness of our culture. Amanda Laugesen is a historian, lexicograp...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Xiaoxi Cui on the topic 'Suez and the shadow of the last war'. The...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Molly Doran on the topic 'Understanding families as homes human'....

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Ethan Westwood on the topic 'Beyond money, notoriety, applause'. T...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Aryan Ilkhani on the topic 'Two conceptions of the rule of law'. T...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Jamie Robbins on the topic 'Shaping of the Cabinet'. The Menzies E...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Chantal Moore on the topic 'Ancient lessons for modern democracy'....

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book, Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Fiona Duncan on the topic 'Attorney-General versus Friends of the...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Charlie Hume on the topic 'A prime minister’s American odyssey'....

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Axel Melkonian on the topic 'Political pragmatism and post-war Ge...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Mary Coleman on the topic 'Civic Virtue in a Technological Age'....

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Pablo Avaria-Jimenez on the topic 'Blueprint for middle-power sta...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Anton Vassallo on the topic 'Riding on the sheep’s back into Japa...

In this special series of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with participants from the Menzies Early Career Network to discuss their chapters in the new book,  Menzies Rediscovered: A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs. In this episode, Georgina speaks with Andrew Fankhauser on the topic 'Konfrontasi and evolving defence...

How did Australia's most decorated military leader become so loathed, & is his negative reputation unfair? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Brent Taylor to discuss the distinguished yet controversial career of Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey. The man Robert Menzies chose to lead the Australian Army in World War Two, and who equally received the full backing of John Cu...

Is the sickness of modern democracy our increasing inability to argue constructively, with an honest view towards convincing or even learning from our opponents? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Leila Brammer to unpack the centrality of debate to democracy, why its quality has declined in recent years, and what we can do to reverse the trend. For as Robert Menzies said, ‘...

After 75 years of the Australian-American Alliance, are we still pulling our weight? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Andrew Hastie to mark 75 years of the ANZUS Treaty and explore the myriad of challenges that Australia faces today. From unpredictable allies to deindustrialisation, the complacency with which we have coasted through the post-Cold War period will no longer...

How early did Australia come to see Russian Bolshevism as a threat to the world? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Damien Wright to reveal the untold story of Anzac involvement in the Russian Civil War. Our nation's first battle against communism, which saw two Australians win the Victoria Cross, only for their heroism and sacrifice to be all but forgotten. Damien Wright i...

How did Australia go from being the 'golden land' to a place of persecution? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Michael Gawenda to unpack the horrific rise of antisemitism in Australia. Drawing on his own family history as Menzies era migrants, and recent experiences as a prominent Jew in Australia's media landscape. Michael Gawenda is a multi-award winning journalist and f...