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Robert Menzies Institute Early Career Network

The Robert Menzies Institute is establishing the Menzies Early Career Network to create opportunities for young Australians to engage with the history of the Menzies era and to connect with like-minded peers and established figures interested in Australian political history.

Twelve current students and recent graduates will be invited to participate in a twelve-month pilot program.

Each participant will have the opportunity to present a short paper on current research to an online seminar for discussion with other emerging and established scholars, including Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer and research manager Dr Zachary Gorman.

Participants will be mentored by Robert Menzies Institute Fellow, Dr Damien Freeman, who will workshop papers with participants and edit their final work for publication in a collection to be published by the Jeparit Press.

The book will be launched at Parliament House, Canberra in 2025 and all participants will be invited to attend with their guests.

Additional benefits for participants include complimentary registration for the Robert Menzies Institute annual conference and other networking opportunities.

To participate, prospective participants should demonstrate a high level of academic achievement as well as a personal interest in some aspect of Australian political history during the time that Menzies served in the federal parliament (1934-1966, non consecutively).

Participants may have formal training in Australian political history, but this is not a requirement for participation. What is required is enthusiasm for understanding the legacy of Sir Robert Menzies and his political era.

Participants will be encouraged to identify some topic that connects with their particular interests and will be supported in developing a deeper understanding of the relevance of historical analysis for contemporary understandings of those issues.

If you would like to nominate an emerging scholar to be considered for the Menzies Early Career Network, please contact Damien Freeman at damien@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au.

2024 Participants

Aaron Marston-Pattison

Aaron Marston-Pattison is a second year PhD candidate at the Australian National University. His research focuses on the Australian homefront of the Second World War and how contemporary Australians understood that conflict. He has previously written on how racism and anti-racism were expressed in understandings and depictions of the Pacific War. His PhD thesis focuses on how ‘ordinary’ homefront Australians found meaning in the Second World War.  Aaron is a co-editor of the ANU Historical Journal II.

Abby Smith

Abby is an enthusiastic professional, who has experience in both the public and  private sectors; previously working at Apple and the office of Senator Andrew  Bragg. Abby currently works in the office of Matt Cross MP as a Parliamentary  Adviser, where she is pursuing her passion for public policy. Her background in  politics and economics has laid foundation for Abbyʼs interest in productivity  reform, macroeconomic policy, trade relationships, workforce participation and  innovation. Outside of her professional circles, Abby is an active member of the  NSW Young Liberals, Wahroonga Netball Club and Waitara Girl Guides.

Jacob Carson

Jacob is a recent Arts and Theology graduate and is a current Law student at the University of Newcastle, where he has the privilege of serving as the Student Member of the University Council and as a peer tutor in Constitutional Law. In recent years, Jacob has had poetry, fiction, and non-fiction published and has worked as a paralegal. Prior to his tertiary education, Jacob was fortunate enough to be the dux and School Captain of Lambton High School. Jacob has a deep interest in Australian liberalism, and he hopes to pursue a career in law and governance following university.

Jesse Seeberg-Gordon

Jesse Seeberg-Gordon is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Melbourne. He is studying the history of Australian-Soviet diplomatic relations during the Cold War, a project that is coordinated with the university’s Research Initiative in Post-Soviet Space. His research interests include Cold War diplomacy, Baltic history, and Baltic exile activism in Australia. Previously based at the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory, where he continues to contribute, his articles have been published in the Australian Journal of Politics and History and the Estonian history journal Ajalooline Ajakiri. He is also a committee member of the Australasian Chapter of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies.

Maya Khurana

Maya Khurana is currently a student at the University of Sydney studying Politics and International Relations majoring in marketing. Alongside university, Maya is a Research Assistant for the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program at the Centre for Independent Studies.

Nick Warren

Hailing from the Northern Rivers in NSW, Nick is a current student in the Juris Doctor program at the University of Sydney. Additionally, he holds a First Class Honours degree in Commerce from the University of Queensland, where his thesis focused on the impact of extreme weather events on equity markets.  Nick has developed a career in consulting in the accounting and technology industry, which he hopes to further upon completing his Juris Doctor.

Orlando Throsby

Coming from the western regions of NSW on sheep and cattle stations, Orlando is studying history and philosophy at The University of Sydney, residing at St. Paul’s College. After graduating from Canberra Grammar School in 2022, he is extremely interested in the link between foreign affairs, policy and history. Currently interning for the Menzies Research Centre and working for the Hon. Christopher Rath, he has a strong interest in Robert Menzies and his legacy.

Patrick Irwin

Patrick is a Commerce graduate and studying Law and French at the University of Melbourne. He is the Vice-President of the Victorian Young Liberals and previously the President of the Melbourne University Liberal Club. He is also an editor of the Melbourne University Law Students’ Society magazine. Patrick has a keen interest in how politics can better serve his generation. He believes the foundational beliefs of Western society are fundamental to our values and institutions, but that they require reapplication to the modern world and reinterpretation to young people of his age. He is concerned about the key challenges of social cohesion, the housing crisis, and Australia’s national security.

Taylor Birtchnell

Taylor graduated from Bond University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Business, having received the Bond University Vice Chancellor’s Elite Scholarship – a full tuition fee scholarship. In 2023, she completed a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice through the College of Law, and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Family Dispute Resolution at Bond University. She has extensive experience in public relations, marketing, government relations, communications, and policy analysis, having worked in a variety of government advisory roles. Taylor was previously the Associate to the Hon. Justice Howard of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1), and currently works as a lawyer at a family law firm on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Priscilla Spalding

Priscilla is a 4th year Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business student at the University of Technology Sydney. She is currently employed as a paralegal and human resources assistant. Outside of work and study hours Priscilla volunteers in politics and university clubs in various leadership roles.  She has joined the Menzies Early Career Network as she has a keen interest and passion for history and how it has influenced society over time.

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