MENZIES REDISCOVERED
A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs

AND

Finding Menzies: A new generation’s inspiration for foreign affairs, social policy and political thought edited by Damien Freeman

foreword by Tony Abbott

Discover how a new generation of conservative scholars is rediscovering the legacy of Sir Robert Menzies and rethinking the future of the Liberal Party. These two insightful essay collections explore his ideas on foreign affairs, social policy, and political philosophy. Special offer: both books for $50.

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Finding Menzies

A new generation’s inspiration for foreign affairs, social policy and political thought

edited by Damien Freeman

foreword by Tony Abbott

Paperback, 192 pages, $34.95

ISBN: 9781923224544

A Jeparit Press book. Jeparit Press is an imprint of Connor Court Publishing in conjunction with The Robert Menzies Institute.

Sir Robert Menzies is the behemoth of Australian political history, but does his legacy have any enduring relevance for the challenges that lie ahead? Finding Menzies exemplifies the wealth of resources that contemporary scholars can mine in the archives of the Menzies era in order to gain a better understanding of the origins of contemporary political challenges and the possibilities for solving them.

The collection addresses topics in Australian political history ranging from defence and foreign policy through to the rule of law and social and economic policy, as well as topics in the history of political thought and at the intersection of politics and religion.

Contributors engage with Menzies’s understanding of Australia’s war aims and post-war relations with the UK, USA, and USSR; his approach to changes in families, housing, and education; and his attitude to liberalism, tolerance, aspiration, and Catholicism.

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 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, an honorary fellow of Australian Catholic University, and a research fellow of Catholic Schools NSW’s Kathleen Burrow Research Institute. His books include The End of Settlement: why the 2023 referendum failed and Abbott’s Right: the conservative tradition from Menzies to Abbott.

MENZIES REDISCOVERED
A new generation’s inspiration for political philosophy, domestic challenges and foreign affairs

Foreword by the Hon George Brandis KC

Jeparit Press title

Paperback, 222 pages, $29.95

ISBN: 9781923568280

April 2026 release

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.

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