For our upcoming Afternoon Light Live, we are delighted to welcome Australian economist, public policy expert, and columnist for The Australian Henry Ergas AO alongside Alex McDermott: author, historian, Fellow at the Robert Menzies Institute, and curator of Robert Menzies: The Man Who Made Modern Australia.

In conversation with Georgina Downer, Henry and Alex will discuss crucial points in Australia’s national and democratic history, ranging from the 125th anniversary of establishing the Federation to the 75th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty. They will look at what the country has chosen to remember, why pivotal moments may be overlooked, and how the potential fading of these milestones from public memory matters to our understanding of Australian democracy and identity.

Henry, Alex and Georgina will talk for the first 30 min, and the next 30 min will be audience Q&A.

We invite you to join us online via Zoom OR attend in person (if you are in Melbourne) at the Robert Menzies Institute by registering via Eventbrite.

Event Details

Date: 13 October 2026
Venue: Robert Menzies Institute Museum, East Wing, Old Quad, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010
Tickets: FREE. To attend online, register HERE / To attend in-person, register HERE.

This is a non-catered event.

ABOUT HENRY ERGAS AO

Henry Ergas AO is an Australian economist, public policy expert, and columnist known for his work in regulatory economics, infrastructure policy, competition law, and telecommunications.

He spent more than a decade at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris and has held academic appointments at institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, Monash University, National University of Singapore, and the University of Wollongong, where he was Professor of Infrastructure Economics.

He is also a regular opinion columnist for The Australian, where he writes on economics, politics, and public policy and increasingly, on Australian history and national identity; free speech and universities; religion, philosophy, and Western intellectual traditions; and cultural and political debates surrounding multiculturalism and civic values.

In recognition of his contributions, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2016 for distinguished service to infrastructure economics, higher education, and public policy.

ABOUT ALEX MCDERMOTT

Alex was Historical Curator for the “Democracy DNA” exhibition [2022] at the Museum of Australian Democracy, authored Australian History For Dummies [2022] and various commissioned histories which explore the crucial role played by civic associations in Australia’s democratic history, such as Of no personal influence: how people of common enterprise unexpectedly shaped Australia [2015] to mark the 175th anniversary of Australian Unity. His most recent exhibition was Robert Menzies: The Man Who Made Modern Australia [2026].

Across more than two decades as a public historian he has contributed his expertise to Screen Australia, State Library of Victoria, La Trobe University, the Institute of Public Affairs, Channel 7, SBS, ABC, Sky News Documentaries and many other organisations. He writes regularly for The Australian Financial Review and The Australian.

Alex studied under John Hirst and authored one of the forewords for the recent compilation John Hirst: Selected Writings, published by Black Inc.