# Sir Robert Menzies Lecture

The Sir Robert Menzies Lecture is an annual lecture delivered in Melbourne, by a prominent politician, academic or other noteworthy individual, about various aspects of modern liberalism. The lectures have been held annually since 1978, and are named in honour of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest-serving prime minister.

## History

The lecture was first proposed by the Monash University Liberal Club in 1976, when the president of the club was Michael Kroger, and it was held in its early years at the Clayton campus of the university. The inaugural speaker was the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. The 1981 appearance of Margaret Thatcher drew strong protests from students; at the same time, Thatcher's lecture was one of the best-remembered of the series - receiving coverage on the front page of The Times in London as Thatcher rebuked former Tory prime minister Edward Heath and his call for a consensus government.
After the first lecture, the Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust was established to ensure the year-to-year running of the finances and organisation of the lecture. The inaugural chairman of the Trust was Dr Alan Gregory AM (1978 to 2010). Since 2010, Ron Wilson has been chairman of the Trust.
The lecture is now held each year at various locations in Melbourne, including Parliament House, Melbourne. The Monash University Liberal Club continues to be involved with the Trust in the operation of the lecture.
John Howard is the only person to have given the lecture on two occasions (in 1980 when he was the Federal Treasurer, and again in 1996 after he had become Prime Minister).

## Patrons

Sir Robert Menzies willingly agreed to lend his name to the Trust, but died before the inaugural lecture was delivered. The founding patron of the lecture was Sir Robert's widow, Dame Pattie Menzies, and the current patron is their daughter Mrs Heather Henderson AM.

## Lecturers

| Year | Lecturer | Position | Venue |
| 1978 | Malcolm Fraser | Prime Minister | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1979 | Andrew Peacock | Minister for Foreign Affairs | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1980 | John Howard | Treasurer | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1981 | Margaret Thatcher | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University |
| 1982 | Sir Garfield Barwick | Former Chief Justice of Australia and Former Attorney-General | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1983 | Sir Shridath (Sonny) Ramphal | Commonwealth Secretary-General | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1984 | Sir Rob Muldoon | Prime Minister of New Zealand | Mannix College, Monash University |
| 1985 | Professor David Kemp | Professor of Politics, Monash University | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1986 | Hugh Morgan | CEO of Western Mining Corporation | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1987 | Dame Leonie Kramer | Professor of English, University of Sydney and former ABC Chair | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1988 | Don Mazankowski | Deputy Prime Minister of Canada | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1989 | Sir Paul Hasluck | Former Governor-General | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1990 | John Hewson | Leader of the Liberal Party | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1991 | Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Blainey | Former Dean of Arts at the University of Melbourne | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1992 | Jeff Kennett | Premier of Victoria | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1993 | Sir Harry Gibbs | Former Chief Justice of Australia | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1994 | Professor Allan Martin | Professor of History, Australian National University | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1995 | Sir Zelman Cowen | Former Governor-General | Monash University, Clayton Campus |
| 1996 | John Howard | Prime Minister | Monash University, Caulfield Campus |
| 1997 | Peter Costello | Treasurer | Monash University, Caulfield Campus |
| 1998 | Don Argus | CEO of National Australia Bank | Monash University, Caulfield Campus |
| 1999 | Petro Georgiou | Member of Parliament (Sir Robert Menzies's former seat of Kooyong) | Monash University, Caulfield Campus |
| 2000 | Claude Smadja | Managing director of the World Economic Forum | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2001 | Chris Patten | UK Member of the European Commission | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2002 | Alexander Downer | Minister for Foreign Affairs | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2003 | Tony Abbott | Minister for Health and Ageing | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2004 | Philip Ruddock | Attorney-General | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2005 | Michael Thawley | Australian Ambassador to the United States | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2006 | Julie Bishop | Minister for Education, Science and Training | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2007 | Richard Alston | Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | Naval and Military Club, Melbourne |
| 2008 | Gerard Henderson | Executive Director of the Sydney Institute | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2009 | Malcolm Turnbull | Leader of the Liberal Party | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2010 | Lecture Postponed due to ill health of lecturer | | |
| 2011 | Noel Pearson | Director, Cape York Institute | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2012 | Jeff Bleich | United States Ambassador to Australia | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2013 | Lecture Postponed due to Federal election | | |
| 2014 | Josh Frydenberg | Member of Parliament (Sir Robert Menzies's former seat of Kooyong) | Parliament of Victoria |
| 2015 | Christopher Pyne | Minister for Education and Training | Hotel Windsor, Melbourne |
| 2016 | Paul Kelly | Editor, The Australian | Hotel Windsor, Melbourne |
| 2017 | Robert Doyle | Lord Mayor of Melbourne | Melbourne Town Hall |
| 2018 | Lecture Postponed due to change in Federal leadership | | |
| 2019 | Scott Morrison | Prime Minister | Ernst & Young, Melbourne |
| 2022 | Sir Peter Cosgrove | Former Governor-General | Deloitte, Melbourne |