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
Katharine Betts on Population & Social Cohesion | "Almost all of us, either we or our grandparents, came from elsewhere"
On Afternoon Light #149 Georgina Downer meets with sociologist Dr Katharine Betts to discuss the history of migration and social cohesion in Australia.
Together, Georgina and Katharine explore the cu…
Tania Cammarano on Italian Food in Australia | "Cuisine absorbs foreign influence"
On Afternoon Light #148 Georgina Downer meets with Tania Cammarano, a food historian, author, and public speaker, to discuss the historical evolution and cultural significance of Italian food in Aust…
Amanda Laugesen on the Australian Accent | "Language goes a long way to being part of our national identity"
On Afternoon Light #147 Georgina Downer meets with historian, lexicographer, and Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at ANU, Amanda Laugesen, to discuss on the evolution and cultura…
Senator James Paterson on National Unity & Sovereignty | "We nearly had a very serious domestic crisis"
In this episode of Afternoon Light, Georgina Downer sits down with Senator James Paterson, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, delving into crucial topics surrounding national security and defence.
Fr…
Paul Tilley on the History of Australian Tax Reform | "Broaden the base and lower the rates"
Georgina Downer and author and economist Paul Tilley discuss the history of tax reform in Australia to highlight its influence on present day policy decisions. Through comparative analysis of tax str…
Brian O'Malley on James 'King O'Malley' Malley | Larrikin, Maverick, and "Accused Murderer"
This week on Afternoon Light, we cover the turbulent and theatrical story of 'How James Became King' as detailed by author and historian, Brian O'Malley.
James 'King' O'Malley (of no relation to his…
Thea Gardiner, ‘Her main duty in life was to give back’ The Mab Grimwade Story
Mab Grimwade was one of the most important philanthropists in Australian history, yet like many female figures, she seldom appears in the history books. That was until our guest, Thea Gardiner, autho…
Saul Eslake, ‘A distinctive part of life in Australia’ The Declining Dream of Homeownership
Arguably one of the most profound ways in which Sir Robert Menzies shaped modern Australian was by helping to lift homeownership rates from 53% to 71%. Defying a Labor Party that decried the creation…
David W. Cameron, ‘We punched well above our weight’ Australians in the Battle of Kapyong, Korea
25 April is eternally associated with the Gallipoli landings, but there is another ferocious battle fought by Australian troops on that date which deserves to be better remembered. That battle is the…
Peter Brune, ‘Totally Bipartisan’ How post-war immigration transformed Australia
When World War Two revealed that Australia needed to ‘populate or perish’, Menzies and the Labor Government were in lock step agreement about the need to broaden the sources of Australian immigration…
Stephen Dando-Collins, ‘He was Unrelenting’ The Astonishing Life of Sir Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes has been dubbed the ‘Father of Federation’, but how much do you know about him? Fleeing poverty in England to seek opportunity in Australia, he found immense political success, that …
Lauren Samuelsson, ‘We don’t have a cuisine, but we do have a food culture’ The history of what Aussies eat
Many people assume that before the advent of multiculturalism Australia had little in the way of food culture. But while things certainly weren’t as diverse, in their own way they were interesting, u…
Peter Job, ‘Shrewdly Compromised’ Australia’s Brutal Sell-out of East Timor
When Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 under the pretext of intervening in an existing civil war, Australia publicly defended their actions. But the terrible reality was that Australia’s leaders a…
Jennifer Clark, ‘There’s Sputnik, what’s your answer?’ Revolutionising Australian science education
When the Soviet satellite Sputnik entered Earth’s orbit in October 1957 it caused panic throughout much of the West. This ‘beeping bauble’ was seen as an existential threat, that exposed democracies …
Ross McMullin, ‘Yes Mr. Watson’ Our First Labor PM
Did you know that Australia was home to the first labour national government in the world? As the first Labor PM and first Federal leader of the ALP, Chris Watson is seldom remembered as more than th…
William Coleman, ‘Australia’s Sham Federation’ The flawed process which produced our Commonwealth
Was federation a mistake? While many can find flaws in the workings of our federal system, few have had the gall to question the triumphal tone of our founding narrative. That was until the recent pu…
Frank Bongiorno, ‘A vision of the good society’ The Dreamers & Schemers of Australian political history
Distilling the essence of Australia’s political history is an incredibly complex task. To understand the full picture, you certainly cannot begin in 1901, nor can you focus on events purely at the Co…
Ryan Cropp, ‘The world that he was renouncing’ Donald Horne & the Lucky Country
Donald Horne’s The Lucky Country is one of the most iconic books ever written on Australia. While many people miss the ironic nature of the title, the work helped to establish the stereotype of the 1…
Summer Series 2023-4 Part 6: Stephen Wilks, Lyndon Megarrity & Gregory Melleuish
In this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2023 conference entitled ‘The Menzies Ascendency: Implementing a Liberal Agenda …
Summer Series 2023-4 Part 5: David Furse-Roberts, Damien Freeman, Andrew Bragg & Julian Leeser
In this special summer series of the Afternoon Light podcast you can enjoy the presentations delivered at our November 2023 conference entitled ‘The Menzies Ascendency: Implementing a Liberal Agenda …