Afternoon Light

William Coleman on 5-time NSW Premier John Robertson: "The Grandfather of Australian Liberalism"

When did the widespread property ownership evoked in 'The Forgotten People' first become a cornerstone of the Australian liberal project?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with William Coleman to revive the name of one of Australia's most dominant and influential political figures, John Robertson. A fierce democrat, patriot and liberal, whose impact spread far beyond the 'Mother Colony' of New South Wales.
William Coleman, currently Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, was formerly Reader in the School of Economics at ANU. He has written extensively on inflation, the history of economic thought, the contested position of economics in society, as well as major works on Australian political history. His recent publications include Only in Australia The History, Politics, and Economics of Australian Exceptionalism (2016), Their Fiery Cross of Union: A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889-1914 (2021), and the Australian Biographical Monograph on John Robertson: Liberal of the People.
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Zachary Gorman on the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta's legitimisation: "The Power of the Narrative"

How did Magna Carta help lead to the birth of Australian democracy?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Zachary Gorman to mark 800 years since King Henry III gave his consent to the most famous document in political and legal history. Rescuing Magna Carta from potential obscurity after the 1215 version had been annulled by the Pope on the grounds that it had been signed under duress.
Dr Zachary Gorman is the author of Summoning Magna Carta: Freedom's Symbol Over A Millenium. A book which traces the history of the Charter from its Anglo-Saxon precursors, all the way up to its invocation by William Wentworth to win Australian self-government in the 1850s. A tale which reveals the centrality of history, culture, and what Robert Menzies dubbed 'a sense of continuity' in winning and upholding our freedoms.
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Kit Kowol on Chamberlain, Churchill & the British Conservative Party during WW2: "There were other futures available"

How different would Britain have looked if the Conservative Party won the 1945 election?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Kit Kowol to discuss the grand and unrealised Conservative vision for the post-war world. A fascinating tale of utopianism, factionalism, and historical what-ifs, that serve to highlight how Menzies's vision of Australian liberalism was quite distinct from its British equivalents.
Kit Kowol received his PhD in Politics from Oxford University in 2014. He subsequently taught and researched at Teesside University, Christ Church (University of Oxford), and King's College London, where he was an Early Career Development Fellow in Modern British History. He is the author of Blue Jerusalem: British Conservatism, Winston Churchill, and the Second World War. He now lives and works in Brisbane, Australia.
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Wendy Michaels on NSW's first female MP Millicent Preston Stanley: "How Dare She"

How did a play help to transform child custody laws?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Wendy Michaels OAM to tell the story of conservative feminist trailblazer Millicent Preston Stanley MP. A tireless campaigner for both Australian liberalism and women's rights, who weaved a remarkable career as an activist, parliamentarian, journalist, performer and even playwright.
Dr Wendy Michaels OAM has had a distinguished career as an academic, educator, consultant, writer, and festival director. Before her retirement she was a lecturer in the School of Humanities at the University of Newcastle. Wendy’s awards include an Order of Australia Medal for services to women and to the dramatic arts, a National Council of Women Award for Promoting the Status of Women, a JEDA Award for Drama Writing, Honorary Life Membership of Drama NSW for service to Drama in Education, and the Minister for Education Award for Excellence in Tertiary Teaching. She has published poetry, plays and stories for children and numerous articles and books. Her latest is A Battle-axe in the Bear Pit: Millicent Preston Stanley MP.
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Greg Melleuish on the Evolution of Political Terms: "That's yesterday's liberalism, therefore it's conservatism"

Why does the term 'liberal' mean such vastly different things in Australia and America?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Greg Melleuish to discuss the evolution of political terms. With phrases like 'progress' and 'social justice' meaning vastly different things to different people, and leaving us susceptible to imposing our modern values in misinterpreting texts from the past
Greg Melleuish is a professorial fellow of the Robert Menzies Institute. Before his recent retirement, he was a professor in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry at the University of Wollongong, where he taught, among other things, Australian politics. He has written widely on Australian political thought, including Cultural Liberalism in Australia (Cambridge University Press, 1995) and Despotic State or Free Individual (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014).
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David Hunt on enlivening Australian history with fact-based entertainment: "History with humour"

Why do people think that Australian history is boring & what can we do to change that?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with David Hunt, author of the award-winning Girt series, to reveal some of the funnier facts of Australian history and explore how we can get more people to engage with it.
David Hunt is a bestselling author, historian, satirist, television presenter, podcaster and speaker. His first book with Black Inc., Girt won Nonfiction Book of the Year in the 2014 Indie Awards, and was shortlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award and NSW Premier’s Literary Award. The sequel, True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2, continued David’s career as Australia’s most successful writer whose titles all include the word girt and whose book covers gratuitously depict Australian historical figures being crapped on by native birds. Girt Nation, the third volume of The Unauthorised History of Australia, hit the shelves in November 2021.
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Michael Samaras on Jim McNeill & the Aussies who fought Fascism in Spain: "Soldiers of Conscience"

Why would Australians enlist to fight in a civil war on the far side of the world?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Michael Samaras to tell the story of Jim McNeill and his personal crusade against fascism. A fight that led him to defy the Australian government, stowing away on a ship to reach the bloody battlefields of the Spanish Civil War.
Michael Samaras is a Sydney-based researcher and writer. In 2022 he uncovered the Nazi past of the founding benefactor of the Wollongong Art Gallery, winning the Local History Prize for his essay Discovering A Secret Nazi: Bob Sredersas And The Gift. He is a former Wollongong Councillor who has worked as a political staffer with the Australian Labor Party. His first book is Anti-Fascists: Jim McNeill and his mates in the Spanish Civil War.
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David Headon on our first PM Edmund Barton: "The Iscariots of history"

What kind of country doesn't remember the name of its first prime minister?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Professor David Headon AM to reveal the fascinating story of Sir Edmund Barton. The cricket-mad 'tosspot' who found the vision and drive to spearhead Australia's federation movement.
Dr David Headon is a cultural consultant and historian. Formerly Director of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies, Cultural Adviser to the National Capital Authority and History and Heritage Adviser for the Centenary of Canberra, he is now a Foundation Fellow at the Australian Studies Institute (ANU), a Parliamentary Library Associate and the Canberra Raiders club historian. He is currently overseeing the First Eight Project, which aims to enliven interest in our nation’s earliest political leaders.
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Sir Peter Cosgrove on Vietnam, his experience in the ADF & Australia's current defence concerns: "underscore and capitalise DETERRANT"

How can Australia see off the threats posed by an increasingly unstable world?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Sir Peter Cosgrove for a wide-ranging interview covering his own personal experience in the ADF, reflections on Australia's Vietnam War commitment, and a call to action on the pressing need to invest in our military preparedness.
Born into an Army family, Sir Peter Cosgrove attended Waverley College in Sydney before graduating from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1968. His first deployment was in Malaysia with the 1st Battalion RAR and later in Vietnam he commanded an infantry platoon. He served as Commander of INTERFET in East Timor in 1999 overseeing that country’s transition to independence. Then promoted to Chief of Army and later Chief of the Australian Defence Force. He retired from the ADF in 2005 serving on several boards before becoming a Knight in the Order of Australia when sworn in as Governor-General in 2014 and serving until June 2019.
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Katti Williams on the design process that produced Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance: "Surrogate Tombs"

How can a monument encapsulate the loss of 60,000 young men?
On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Katti Williams to explore the design process that produced Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Undoubtedly one of Australia's most iconic monuments and a haunting tribute to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our nation.
Katti Williams is a Postdoctoral Research fellow in Australian architectural history, in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Her PhD thesis, completed in 2017 at the University of Melbourne, comprised the first sustained academic study of the Australian early twentieth-century architect William Lucas, with a specific focus on his unbuilt designs for First World War memorials. Her research is a nexus between art, architectural, military, and cultural histories.
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