Sir Robert Menzies Lecture

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The Sir Robert Menzies Lecture is an annual lecture delivered in Melbourne, Australia, 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 and one of the world's most respected post-war statesmen.

1 History
2 Patrons
3 Lecturers
4 External Links

[edit] 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 Robert Blackwood Hall on the Clayton campus of the university. The inaugural speaker was then-Prime Minisher Malcolm Fraser. The establishment of an on-campus conservative lecture was a bold move in a time where student politics were predominately left-wing. The 1981 appearance of Margaret Thatcher in particular drew strong protests from students; at the same time, Thatcher's lecture was one of the best-remembered of the series.

Since the first lecture, the Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust, chaired by Dr Alan Gregory AM, has been established to ensure the year-to-year running of the finances and organisation of the lecture. With the exception of Thatcher's 1981 speech, the lecture has been maintained as a free event, and is now held each year at Parliament House, Melbourne. The Monash University Liberal Club continues to be involved with the Trust in the operation of the lecture.

[edit] Patrons

Sir Robert Menzies willingly agreed to lend his name to the Trust, but passed away before the inaugural lecture was delivered. The founding patron of the lecture was Sir Robert's wife, Dame Pattie Menzies G.B.E., and the current patron is their daughter Heather Henderson.

[edit] Lecturers

Year	Lecturer	Position
1978	The Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser, AC, CH, MP	Prime Minister
1979	The Honourable Andrew Peacock, MP	Foreign Minister
1980	The Honourable John Howard, MP	Federal Treasurer
1981	The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher, MP	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1982	The Right Honourable Sir Garfield Barwick, AK, GCMG	Chief Justice of the High Court (ret.)
1983	Sir Sridath (Sonny) Ramphal	Commonwealth Secretary-General
1984	The Right Honourable Sir Robert Muldoon, MP	Prime Minister of New Zealand
1985	Professor David Kemp	Professor of Politics, Monash University
1986	Mr Hugh Morgan, AO	CEO of Western Mining Corporation
1987	Dame Leonie Kramer, DBE	Various positions
1988	The Honourable Don Mazankowski, MP	Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
1989	The Right Honourable Sir Paul Hasluck, KG, GCMG, GCVO	Former Governer-General
1990	Dr John Hewson, MP	Leader of the Liberal Party
1991	Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Blainey, AO	Former Dean of Arts at the University of Melbourne
1992	The Honourable Jeffrey Kennett, MP	Premier of Victoria
1993	The Right Honourable Sir Harry Gibbs, GCMG, AC, KBE	Chief Justice of the High Court (ret.)
1994	Professor Allan Martin	Professor
1995	The Right Honourable Sir Zelman Cowen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC	Former Governor-General
1996	The Honourable John Howard, MP	Prime Minister
1997	The Honourable Peter Costello, MP	Federal Treasurer
1998	Mr Don Argus, AO	CEO of National Australia Bank
1999	Mr Petro Georgiou, MP	Member of Parliament
2000	Mr Claude Smadja	Managing Director of the World Economic Forum
2001	The Honourable Christopher Patten, CH	UK Member of the European Commission
2002	The Honourable Alexander Downer, MP	Foreign Minister
2003	The Honourable Tony Abbot, MP	Minister for Health and Ageing
2004	The Honourable Phillip Ruddock, MP	Attorney-General
2005	Mr Michael Thawley	Australian Ambassador to the United States
2006	The Honourable Julie Bishop, MP	Minister for Education, Science and Training