MENZIES REDISCOVERED

Will a new generation of Australian leaders see beyond the lampoon to rediscover the rich intellectual and political legacy of Sir Robert Menzies?

Menzies Rediscovered invites readers to consider the interaction between the legislature, executive, and judiciary in the political thought and practice of Menzies through essays examining the development of Cabinet government, adherence to the rule of law, the gathering of secret intelligence, and the banning of Soviet-aligned organisations.

The collection addresses topics connecting Menzies with figures ranging from American presidents to Roman emperors, and asks how he approached questions of changing social values, support for the family unit, the rise of the technological age, and the challenges of embracing immigrants who were not Anglo-Celtic.

Contributors seek to understand how aspects of defence, trade, and diplomacy affected Australia's relations with Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, and Malaysia as well as evolving relationships with Britain and America.

It is the product of research undertaken by members of the Menzies Early Career Network, an initiative of the Robert Menzies Institute, which aims to nurture an appreciation of the enduring legacy of Menzies and his government in the next generation of Australian scholars as they embark on future careers in history, law, and public life.

Damien Freeman is a fellow of the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne, where he convenes the Menzies Early Career Network. His books include The End of Settlement: why the 2023 referendum failed and Abbott's Right: the conservative tradition from Menzies to Abbott and edited collections such as Finding Menzies: a new generation's inspiration for foreign affairs, social policy and political thought. Most recently, he contributed the introduction to Fancies I Dare Not Speak: the hidden verse of R. G. Menzies and a research paper for the Centre for Independent Studies, Overcoming Enmity and Restoring Tolerance: antisemitism's challenge for the civic compact.