Join the Robert Menzies Institute in Brisbane to celebrate the launch of our second book The Menzies Watershed on Wednesday 28 February 2024 5:30pm – 7:00pm.

We are honoured to have The Hon George Brandis KC to launch this book, the second in a four-volume history of Menzies and his world, based on conferences convened by the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Tickets to the launch are available here. The launch will be held at King & Wood Mallesons, Waterfront Place, Level 33/1 Eagle St, Brisbane City QLD 4000.

Light refreshments will be served from 5:30pm, with formalities commencing at 6:00pm.

Copies of The Menzies Watershed will be available to purchase on the day.

About The Book

The eleven years that passed between the 1943 and the 1954 elections were arguably some of the most pivotal in Australian history. This was a period of intense political, policy and strategic transition, which saw a popular Labor Government and its state-led vision for post-war reconstruction toppled by Robert Menzies and his newly formed political machine, the Liberal Party of Australia. Meanwhile, a backdrop of rising Cold War tensions came to dominate domestic and international policymaking, ushering in a divisive communist party ban, the ANZUS treaty, the Colombo Plan, and Australia’s own agency of international espionage, ASIS. But what was the difference in practical terms between Menzies and his predecessors? What role was the state to play under a centre-right government, and would Menzies be able to live up to the liberal ideals with which he had won over the Australian public? All these issues are explored in the second of a four-volume history of Menzies and his world, based on conferences convened by the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Contributors include Christopher Beer, Andrew Blyth, Troy Bramston, Lorraine Finlay, Nicolle Flint, David Furse-Roberts, Anne Henderson, David Lee, Lucas McLennan, Lyndon Megarrity, Charles Richardson, William Stoltz and Tom Switzer, with a foreword by The Honourable John Howard OM AC.

About the Honourable George Brandis KC:

The Honourable George Brandis KC is Professor in the Practice of National Security at the ANU’s National Security College.  A barrister by profession, he served as a Liberal Senator for Queensland for 18 years.  He was a Minister in the Governments of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.  His appointments included Minister for the Arts and Attorney-General.  He was also the Leader of the Government in the Senate.  Upon his retirement from parliament in 2018, he spent four years as Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK.  He has written and published extensively about liberalism and the Liberal Party, and has a special interest in Sir Robert Menzies.