Celebrating the legacy of Australia’s greatest Prime Minister.
The Robert Menzies Institute is a prime ministerial library and museum that commemorates the life and legacy of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, bringing alive the spirit of a great Australian for a new generation.
The Institute celebrates the timeless principles championed by Sir Robert Menzies, such as the freedom to flourish within a vibrant democracy, and applies them to the challenges of today.
The Institute is independent and non-partisan. It was established in 2021 by the Menzies Research Centre and the University of Melbourne.
Upcoming Events
You are warmly invited to join us for the launch of our latest exhibition ‘The Poet Among Statesmen’, with opening remarks by artist, David McCubbin.
Of special note to both the Institute and the McCubbin family, we will display a book that Menzies gave his father, James Menzies, entitled ‘The Art of F.McCubbin’ (1916) with the inscription "To Father - August 9th, 1919. With loving birthday greetings!"
Showcasing its fifth exhibition, our museum will feature treasured items including: Menzies’s own poem ‘De Natura’ (1916) for the Melbourne University Magazine, a first draft by famed poet Bernard O’Dowd and Menzies’s pocket sized version of Macbeth.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Our latest display examines the influences of poetry on Menzies’s beliefs and values, curated by the Institute’s Curatorial Librarian, William Cook and Museum Assistant, Victoria Hronas.
Some fantastic new objects on display in the exhibition include the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun awarded to Menzies in 1973 by the Government of Japan, and Menzies’s Kodak 16mm movie camera.
The Robert Menzies Institute will be holding a lecture about Scottish Enlightenment from the Menzies perspective. This event is with the broader Tartan Festival being held in Melbourne in June - July 2024.
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The Robert Menzies Institute is supported by generous contributions from the The University of Melbourne, the Menzies Research Centre, our members and donors.
The Robert Menzies Institute has been registered as a charity by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.