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For Students

Below is a document offering historical resources that may be referenced in delivered speeches in order to link to Robert Menzies’s actions and legacy. Additionally, guidelines for maximising the quality of your speech and recording are also available. Lastly, the rubric is accessible to provide optimum opportunity to create the best speech according to the varying criteria. Entrants are advised to consult all three documents whilst preparing their submissions.

Speech Competition Historical Resources
Speech Competition Recording Guidelines
Speech Competition Rubric

Located below are additional resources to assist in successfully delivering and writing speeches.

Tips for public speaking
Resources for speech structure

For Teachers

Free PDF Download – Speech Competition Flyer
Free PowerPoint Download – Classroom Activity

Students are advised that the Robert Menzies Institute places restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development and creation of submissions for the Menzies Speech Competition. By submitting an entry to the competition, students agree to follow these restrictions. Judges reserve the right to disqualify entries if they believe these restrictions have not been followed.

• AI assistive tools such as grammar checkers are permitted during the writing of entries
• AI tools may be used in the planning stages to assist initial research, developing ideas, refining argument structure and summarising/analysing information from sources
• Generative AI cannot be used to produce text that will be used directly in the final submission – the key to this competition is that judges want to hear each student’s unique perspective and analysis

It is important to note that students remain responsible for the quality and accuracy of their final submission, so all AI assisted elements should be checked and verified independently.

Previous Winners

2026 Winners:

Year 7/8: Ellie Atkinson (Our Lady Mercy College, Parramatta)

Year 9/10: Laisa Gordon (Bethany College, Hurstville)

Year 11/12: Anand Warrier (Xavier College)

2025 Winners:

Year 7/8: Guru Thanabalasingam (Sydney Boys High School, Sydney)

To see Guru’s speech visit: 2025 Year 7/8 winning speech

Year 9/10: Ananya Karthik (Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta)

To see Ananya’s speech visit: 2025 Year 9/10 winning speech

Year 11/12: Abel Ebi Joseph (Salesian College, Chadstone)

To see Abel’s speech visit: 2025 Year 11/12 winning speech

2024 Winner: Thomas Maguire-Nguyen (Salesian College)

To see Thomas’s speech visit: 2024 winning speech

2023 Winner: Vasish Vaisreddy (Melbourne High School)

To see Vasish’s speech visit: 2023 winning speech

2022 Winner: Ysmene Ostik-Smith (Wesley College)

To see Ysmene’s speech visit: 2022 winning speech

Advice from a previous winner: Thomas Maguire-Nguyen

What did you learn in the process of preparing, rehearsing and recording your speech?

I learnt that there is simply no substitute for thoroughly researched, considered writing. As a student of history, I know how important it is to implement evidence, ensuring that my worldview that I am opining for is not only researched, but also extremely defendable and highly persuasive. Your manner and presentation style are also highly important, but for an academic institution like the RMI, it’s most important that you have your information and research skills down pat first.

What was the best part about entering the Robert Menzies Speech Competition?

As a self-confessed history and politics nerd, one of my favourite parts about entering the RMI speech competition was the opportunity to conduct in-depth research about the political pressures and concerns related to my topic. I studied units ¾ Australian history, and having the opportunity to apply my knowledge for a competition like this was invaluable.

What was the hardest part about entering the Robert Menzies Speech Competition and how did you overcome this?

The hardest part about entering the RMI is finding information and sources to back up your perspective. Luckily there is a heap of excellent sources available, especially for the time periods that the RMI usually asks you to research. Some of the ones that I used were:

• Trove: This is an incredible source run by the National Library of Australia, including records from hundreds of thousands of newspapers, magazines, audio recordings from around Australia, containing most surviving journalistic records since colonisation.
• State Library Victoria: The state library is extremely useful for finding historical sources and reading the books of historians. Given Menzies’ influence, there is an endless amount of books and articles that have been written by scholars and historians about him, so it’s a great way to find sources that can inform your opinion.

What advice would you give to students who plan to enter in future?

The advice that I would give to students planning to enter would be the same advice I give anybody who does public speaking – remember your audience. You are speaking for a research institution whose key role is to discuss the life and times of Robert Menzies and to research the post-war period and investigate polices based on liberalism. This may mean that you choose to omit or include important points related to these ideas and a liberalist ideology. Finally, remember that you are speaking to a research institution, not to your friends in English class. You should be opining with an informed, stringently researched, judicious worldview, not grandstanding or trying to shock everyone in the room. Tailor your speeches accordingly, good luck with your entry!

Prizes

Year 7/8 Category: $500

Year 9/10 Category: $1,000

Year 11/12 Category: $1,500

Each category winner will also receive an invitation to deliver their speech at the Robert Menzies Institute Annual Conference in November 2027.

All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

Sponsors

Scanlon Foundation

Neville Bertalli

John and Janette Thornton

Brian Hurlock

Brian Horwood

The Robert Menzies Institute values the privacy of all entrants. Written permission will be sought from the entrant and their guardian/s before any material is published or shared.

If you have any questions, please contact Benjamin Cromer at schools@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au

Please submit your speech by using THIS FORM

Please upload your submission to Vimeo.com. If there are any issues with this, please upload your submission to Google Drive and share the link to the folder.

You MUST ensure that all permissions are set to ‘public’ and/or ‘anyone with the link can access’.

Submissions are due by Sunday 11th of July, 2027.

Best of luck!