It is our great pleasure to announce the launch of The Menzies Ascendency: Fortune, Stability, Progress 1954-1961 (MUP, Dec 2024).

We are delighted the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor Of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece will launch this book in the Robert Menzies Institute Museum, East Wing, Old Quadrangle, at the University of Melbourne on Wednesday 9 April 2025.

There will be light refreshments before and after the formalities, with the launch officially commencing at 6PM.

Event Details:

• Date: 9 April, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (Formalities begin at 6pm)
• Location: Robert Menzies Institute Museum, East Wing, Old Quadrangle, University of Melbourne, VIC
• $30 for General Admission and Free for members
• Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event or via the Eventbrite link

We would be honoured if you could join us in supporting this important contribution toward understanding Australian political history.

About The Book 
Was Menzies’s unprecedented electoral success merely a matter of luck, or did he make fortune bend to his will? On 30 November 1954, Robert Menzies became Australia’s longest serving prime minister. Between the closely fought 1954 and 1961 elections, the Coalition enjoyed a political dominance that allowed it to reshape the nation. What was Menzies’ impact on Australian policy revolution?

An edited collection by Robert Menzies Institute Historian Dr Zachary Gorman, the book contains contributions from 18 historians. Click the link below to find out more about the book.