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Robert Menzies was arguably Australia’s greatest political orator, but how did he develop his magnificent way with words?

The language of the ‘Forgotten People’ has etched itself permanently in the Australian political lexicon, but few realise that Menzies learned to write speeches in part by writing verse. This new poetry collection brings to light Menzies’s hidden artistry, from childhood rhymes about football to witty parodies of his political rivals. In doing so, it offers a new window into the great man, and the early twentieth century Australia in which he thrived.

‘Collected Poems and Other Writings’ features poems written by Robert Menzies, sourced from the Menzies Collection at the University of Melbourne, the Menzies Papers in the National Library of Australia, private family papers, and other published materials. Some poems are short and heartfelt, for friends and family. Others are long, brimming with rhythmic commentary to be read aloud to an attentive audience. They all offer a rare glimpse into a moment in time otherwise lost, where Menzies’s thoughts were so overpowering, they could only be expressed through the art of poetry.

This collection was edited by Georgina Downer, William Cook, and Victoria Hronas with a foreword by Dr Stephen Mclnerney. Stephen is Dean of Studies, and an Associate Professor of Literature at Campion College, and in 2012 was awarded the Theological Studies Prize and Lightfoot Prize at the University of Cambridge for his academic works.