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 leaving Parliament Professor and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He is the former Chairman of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House and of the Australian Heritage Council. He has published books on voting behaviour and political analysis, and is particularly known for his ground-breaking series on Australian Liberalism published by Melbourne University Press.

Troy Bramston looks at how Menzies’s humble upbringing in the small Victorian wheat township of Jeparit and politically active family background defined his worldview.

Bramston is a senior writer and columnist with The Australian. He has interviewed politicians, presidents, and prime ministers from multiple countries along with writers, historians, actors, filmmakers, and several notable pop-culture icons. He is an award-winning and best-selling author or editor of 10 books, including Robert Menzies: The Art of Politics (2019) and Paul Keating: The Big-Picture Leader (2016). He co-authored The Truth of the Palace Letters and The Dismissal (2020) with Paul Kelly. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Hawke.