Book Tickets

The Robert Menzies Institute’s Sixth Annual Conference marks the 75th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, signed by the Menzies Government in 1951. Bringing together leading historians, political scientists and strategic thinkers from Australia and overseas, the conference will examine how the United States has shaped Australian politics, strategy and national life.

Spanning the nineteenth century to the present day, the program explores the political, strategic and cultural influence of the United States on Australia. Topics include the origins of ANZUS, Australia’s alliance with the United States, American ideas and institutions, Cold War diplomacy, domestic politics, defence, technology and contemporary strategic challenges.

Twenty-nine leading historians, political scientists and strategic studies scholars from Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom will present new research across the two-day program.

The conference is the second instalment of the Robert Menzies Institute’s three-year Forging Australia conference series, exploring the international forces that have shaped Australia’s political institutions, strategic outlook and national identity.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Michael Green, Professor and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Studies Centre and one of the world’s leading experts on the Australia–United States alliance.

The conference will be of interest to academics, students, teachers, policymakers, defence professionals, diplomats, journalists and anyone interested in Australian history, international relations and the Australia–United States alliance.

Conference Dinner: This year, the conference also includes a Conference Dinner at University House, University of Melbourne, on Thursday 12 November 2026. The event includes an address by former Minister for Defence Joel Fitzgibbon. The tickets for the dinner must be purchased separately.

Details of the Conference
Date: Thursday 12 November and Friday 13 November 2026
Time: 8:30am-5pm
Venue: Library, North Wing, Old Quad, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052
Tickets: Free for Robert Menzies Institute members. General admission ranges from $150 (one day) to $325 (two days).

Details of the Conference Dinner
Date: Thursday 12 November 2026
Time: 6:30pm-9pm
Venue: University House, Professor’s Walk, The University of Melbourne
Tickets: $150.

The speakers at the conference will include:

Dr Mike Green Opening keynote
James Curran Alliance as a way of life
Sue Thompson Australia, the United States and Southeast Asian Regional Cooperation
Peter Dean, Stephan Frühling, and Andrew O’Neil Assessing the Menzies Government’s Management of the US Alliance, 1961-1966
Lee Rippon Menzies’s man in Washington
Chris Ashton The Manila Precedent
Ryosuke Nobe Manufacturing ANZUS
David Lee Saying No to America
Bob Bowker Menzies, Eisenhower and Egypt
Peter Phelps Australia’s Cold War with Indonesia
Anne Henderson Robert Menzies, ANZUS & the Vietnam War
Tim Rowse Menzies’s use of Parliament to win public support for hosting a US military asset: North-West Cape 1963
Benjamin Jones “We do not need a pact with America”
Viktor Stoll Antipodean Anxieties
Carl Bridge Billy Hughes, Woodrow Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles
David Bird ‘I am hardly a pilot, but a beacon’
William Coleman The American Connection and the Birth of Australian Democracy
Alex McDermott Pacific Conductors
Christopher Beer From Independence, Missouri to Middle Australia
Andrew Kemp Distrust of ‘Official’ People
Charles Richardson Menzies and the American Party System
Tim Lynch Menzies, Churchill, and Roosevelt
Benjamin Reilly, Samuel Garrett, and Ava Kalinauskas The Australia-US alliance at 75
Lucas McLennan Menzies, Diefenbaker and Pax Americana
Nick Brown “Oh yeah”: Managing the Americans
Chris Berg An alliance of infrastructure
Nicole Towsend Protesting the Alliance
Angus Davison Of Concordes and Discord
Sally Burt The ANZUS Treaty and Cybersecurity as National Security