The Robert Menzies Institute invites you to the official launch of A Step to the Right: The Life and Times of Alexander Downer, a landmark new biography by Tony Parkinson that charts the extraordinary career of Australia’s longest-serving Foreign Affairs Minister.

Event Details
Date: Monday 15th December
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Venue: Robert Menzies Museum, East Wing, Old Quad, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010
Tickets: FREE for members / $30 for non-members
Drinks and canapés included.

Copies of A Step to the Right will be available for purchase and signing on the night.

As John Howard once said, Downer was “the person I regard as Australia’s best Foreign Affairs Minister.” Over nearly twelve years on the world stage, Alexander Downer shaped how Australia saw itself – and how the world saw Australia. From navigating wars and terrorist attacks to balancing the competing interests of global superpowers, he played a decisive role in defining our nation’s place in a rapidly changing world.

In A Step to the Right, journalist and political biographer Tony Parkinson offers a deeply researched and engaging portrait of Downer’s life and career – from his early years in the Adelaide Hills to the corridors of power in Canberra and beyond. Drawing on his own experience as an adviser in Downer’s office, Parkinson provides rare insights into the inner workings of Australian foreign policy during the Howard years, and the lessons it holds for today’s leaders and citizens alike.

Join us for an evening of discussion, reflection, and history as we celebrate the release of this significant new contribution to Australian political literature.