Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 November 2024
The Library, Old Quad, The University of Melbourne

The Robert Menzies Institute is a prime ministerial library and museum at the University of Melbourne, dedicated to the legacy and vision of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest serving prime minister. Part of our mission is to foster research into and academic discussion of Menzies, his beliefs and ideas, and the policies and achievements of the governments which he led.

In fulfilment of this, the Robert Menzies Institute is hosting a series of four annual conferences bringing together historians and otherss to develop a collection of papers which will make a major contribution to the existing historiography on Menzies and the Menzies era. Once published in four volumes by Melbourne University Press, these will become a comprehensive reference on Menzies.

In this open call for papers for the Institute’s third annual conference, we encourage proposals from a wide range of perspectives to offer critical and novel insights into Menzies-related topics covering the years 1961-1966 & beyond, including but not limited to:

• Long-standing changes to the Australian economy & financial system including the rise of mining as a key driver of Australian exports & prosperity, decimal currency, the Royal Australian Mint, the threat of Britain’s entry into the EEC, the road not taken in the Vernon Report, & the impact of these issues on the government’s relations with the public service. To what extent was Menzies’s liberalism & promotion of private enterprise responsible for Australia’s continued economic success, & how did the balance between freedom of enterprise and regulation evolve over his term in office?
• Menzies’s core achievements in Australia’s rate of homeownership reaching 71% in 1966, the birthrate likewise reaching historic highs, and expansion in the number of universities and university students. How was Menzies able to put his ‘Forgotten People’ philosophy into action, & how far was economic growth and low unemployment a direct result of more liberal policies and the role of government?
• The extension of the Commonwealth’s role in education in the 1964 venture into funding secondary schools. What were its real-world effects in lessening sectarian prejudice, promoting school choice & boosting Australia’s system of science education in schools? How did his deep interest in higher education play out in the development of universities & vocational training during this period? How did the Menzies Government foster Australian scientific & technological endeavour at a higher level.
• The logistical, managerial, & political issues behind Menzies’s record setting stint as Prime Minister; his handling of party, Coalition, the Labor Opposition & Parliament with the narrow majority of the 1961 election. How far did he cultivate new talent & keep the ministry fresh after so many years of incumbency, & how enduring was his concept of the Liberal Party & its founding philosophy?
• The geopolitical turmoil of the early to mid-sixties, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, Konfrontasi, the Kennedy assassination, decolonisation, & the Vietnam War. How much faith did Menzies have in the potential of SEATO; the short-term & long-term impacts of the policy of conscription? Australia’s evolving place in the world, including the impact of Britain’s retreat from empire & Australia’s consequent need to redefine itself. How did Menzies respond to the changing nature of the Commonwealth, what was the significance of Australia’s increasing ties to the United States, & likewise Australia’s burgeoning diplomatic & economic ties with Asia?
• Australia’s changing cultural landscape in the 1960s, including the impact of suburbanisation, consistent prosperity, migration, & the rise of social movements. How successful was Menzies in creating a more civil & harmonious social & political culture? How did Australia’s national identity evolve over the Menzies era? What role did his government play in the erosion of White Australia? Retirement, memory and legacy.
• Menzies’s impact after he left office. How was he viewed by his Liberal successors & political commentators? The significance of important events in his retirement including Chancellorship of the University of Melbourne, lectureship at the University of Virginia, role as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports & relationship with B.A. Santamaria. The benefit of a 60 years perspective in assessing how he changed the nation over the long term

Conference papers take the form of a 20 minute presentation, plus 10 minutes of audience Q&A. For the publication, written papers of 5000 words will be due by 1 March 2025. Interstate speakers will be covered for the costs of travel and accommodation for the days of the conference.

Please send a 300-word paper proposal, along with contact information and a brief biography to zachary@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au by Friday 10 May 2023. Spaces are limited and applicants will be informed whether their proposals have been accepted by Monday 27 May.