Afternoon Light
Welcome to the Afternoon Light Podcast, a captivating journey into the heart of Australia’s political history and enduring values. Presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, a prime ministerial library and museum, this podcast illuminates the remarkable legacy of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest-serving prime minister.
Dive into the rich tapestry of Menzies’s contemporary impact as we explore his profound contributions on the Afternoon Light Podcast. Join us as we delve into his unyielding commitment to equality, boundless opportunity, and unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Our engaging discussions bring to life the relevance of Menzies’s values in today’s world, inspiring us to uphold his principles for a brighter future.
Ready to embark on this enlightening journey? Experience the Afternoon Light Podcast now! Tune in to explore the past, engage with the present, and shape a better tomorrow by learning from the visionary leadership of Sir Robert Menzies.
Stay connected by signing up on the Robert Menzies Institute website: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/. Have an opinion? Email your comments to: [email protected].
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 228
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Andrew Levidis on Kishi Nobusuke & the Australia-Japan Reconciliation: "Historians should never say miracle"
How did Japan evolve from Australia's wartime enemy into a friendly trading partner in a little over a decade?
On Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Andrew Levidis about Kishi Nabusuke. A co…
Judith Brett on Alfred Deakin: "Organic Australian Policy"
How did Alfred Deakin shape so much of the 'Australian Settlement' without ever securing a clear election victory?
On Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Judith Brett to explore one of Austra…
Greg de Moore on John Cade & the Miracle of Lithium: "The first effective medication ever discovered for any mental illness in the world"
Did you know that the most important discovery in the history of treating mental illness was made by an Australian?
On Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Greg de Moore to tell the world-chan…
Grantlee Kieza on Matthew Flinders & the Naming of Australia: "The vast majority of Australians wouldn't know that"
Do you ever stop to think why there are so many things named Flinders in Australia?
On Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Grantlee Kieza to tell the remarkable story of Matthew Flinders. The…
Chris Berg on the History of Banking Regulation: "At the centre of almost every major political movement that defined Australian history"
Why have banks been central to Australian political history?
On Afternoon Light #192 Georgina Downer speaks with Chris Berg on the history of banking regulation. A topic that is far-more engaging tha…
Augustine Meaher on the Singapore strategy & Australia's failure to arm itself ahead of WW2: "It's always easy to blame the British"
How difficult is it to get politicians to invest in defence spending, even when a war is looming?
On Afternoon Light #191 Georgina Downer speaks with Augustine Meaher about the predictability of the …
Richard Davis on Dame Nellie Melba: "A Wonderful Queen of Song"
How does a singer become famous enough to feature on the $100 note?
On Afternoon Light #190 Georgina Downer speaks with Richard David about Dame Nellie Melba. Australia's first global superstar who s…
Alistair Thomson on the Ten Pound Poms: "Implicitly assumed they weren't migrants"
Why don't the British figure in narratives of post-war migration, when for decades they were still the largest migrant group?
On Afternoon Light #189 Georgina Downer speaks with Alistair Thomson abou…
Michael Easson on Depression era PM James Scullin: "Trying to hold the place together"
Who was Australia's unluckiest Prime Minister?
On Afternoon Light #188 Georgina Downer speaks with Michael Easson about James Scullin, the PM sworn in the week of the Wall Street Crash. His 1931 elec…
David Lowe on the 75th Anniversary of the Colombo Plan: "Opened a lot of Australian eyes"
How did Australia develop its reputation as an exporter of higher education?
On Afternoon Light #187 Georgina Downer speaks with David Lowe to mark 75 years since the meeting that spawned the Colombo…
Santamaria and the DLP | Samuel Chamberlain
The son of a greengrocer who was an Italian immigrant, Santamaria became an incredibly influential figure in Australian politics. Yet for someone who had did not hold a formal position, was his influ…
Colin Milner on Sir Robert Garran: "Continuously close to the centre of the action"
Can you imagine Australia without government bureaucrats?
On Afternoon Light #186 Georgina Downer speaks with Colin Milner to tell the remarkable story of the Commonwealth's first public servant Sir …
How to Create a Middle-Class Economy | Abby Smith
How did inflation targeting and child endowment change Australia’s trajectory? And specifically, how did this create the middle-class economy we are familiar with today?
Abby Smith talks to Georgi…
The Philosophy of Aspiration, The Australian Dream | Priscilla Spalding
Priscilla Spalding talks to Georgina Downer about their fascinating chapter in the b…
Andrew Kemp & Zachary Gorman on the 1949 Election: "There was an optimism, a confidence, about the Liberal pitch"
What does it take to win a federal election from Opposition?
On Afternoon Light #185 Georgina Downer speaks with Andrew Kemp and Zachary Gorman to discuss Robert Menzies’s watershed 1949 election vic…
Enemy of my enemy? Australia and the Sino-Soviet split | Jesse Seeberg-Gordon
Where did our allegiances really lie between 1959-1964?
Jesse Seeberg-Gordon talks to Georgina Downer about his chapter in the upcoming book Finding Menzies, on how fissures in international relatio…
Overprivileged: An Episode of High Political Drama | Patrick Irwin
Where was Menzies's limit when it came to free speech?
Patrick Irwin talks to Georgina Downer about his chapter in the upcoming book Finding Menzies, on how Menzies’s struggle with the limits of fre…
Summer Series 2024-5 Part 7: Charles Richardson, Stephen Loosley & Frank Bongiorno
In this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2024 conference entitled ‘The Final Chapter: Purpose, Endurance and Legacy 1961-…
The Arts’ Last Advocate: Menzies and the Cause of Liberal Education | Jacob Carson
What did Menzies have to do with the idea of Liberal Education?
Jacob Carson discusses with Georgina Downer how Menzies was at the centre of the push and pull between vocational and commercial under…
Freedom, Empire, and the ‘Ordinary Australian’ | Josh Woodward
What does the 'ordinary Australian' actually mean?
Josh Woodward talks to Georgina Downer about how the idea of the 'Ordinary Australian' confronts notions of Empire, as well as the concept of indiv…