Afternoon Light

Why might your religious affiliation determine which political party you were likely to vote for?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Jeff Kildea to chart the rise and demise of the Catholic-Labor alliance. One of the defining features of Australian politics for much of the 20th century, it did much to shape our political history, reveal the limits of Australian pluralism, and ultimately entrench the electoral dominance of one Robert Menzies.

Dr Jeff Kildea is a retired barrister and honorary professor in Irish Studies at the University of New South Wales. In 2014 he held the Keith Cameron Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. He has written extensively on the history of the Irish in Australia. His books include Tearing the Fabric: Sectarianism in Australia 1910-1925, Anzacs and Ireland, Wartime Australians: Billy Hughes, Hugh Mahon: Patriot, Pressman, Politician, and Leaving Home: Stories of my Emigrant Ancestors. With Richard Reid and Perry McIntyre, he co-authored To Foster an Irish Spirit: The Irish National Association of Australasia 1915-2015. His most recent book is Iron Law No More: The Rise and Demise of the Catholic-Labor Alliance in Australia.

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How can you capture Sir Robert's life and legacy in just two rooms?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Alex McDermott, the curator of the Robert Menzies's Institute's latest and greatest museum exhibit, about the process of distilling Menzies's story into a message of inspiration for a general audience. Giving them an appreciation of the man, his role in fostering the Australian way of life we all know and love, and their own place in 'the great procession' of our liberal democracy.

Alex McDermott is the Curator at the Robert Menzies Institute. An author, historian and Executive Producer, his passion is writing histories which tell the pivotal stories that help us understand how we came to be who we are today. He 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. Across more than two decades as 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.

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Has the Southern Hemisphere always been viewed as the 'bottom' of the globe?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Rohan Howitt to explore how Antarctica shaped Australia's economic history and cultural imagination. As generations of politicians, explorers and entrepreneurs dreamed of turning Australia's southern frontier into an empire of our own.

Rohan Howitt is a lecturer in environmental history at Monash University. His research focuses on the interconnected histories of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. His work has been published in leading scholarly journals such as Australian Historical Studies, History Compass, and The Journal of Global History. The Southern Frontier is his first book.

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How do we get high school students excited about Australian history?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Tania Ragusa to unpack why fewer and fewer high schools now teach Australian history at the year 11 & 12 level, and offer crucial insights as to what we can do to reverse the trend. Looking beyond simplistic culture war denunciations, to reveal how teachers are confronting real challenges in their quest to inform and inspire a new generation to embrace our nation's story and their own place within it.

Tania Ragusa is a History, English and Religion Teacher at Mercy College, Coburg. A school which recently ‘made the switch’ to teaching VCE Australian History.

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Does a well-developed 'sense of history' help provide people with a sense of purpose and wellbeing?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Sarah Irving-Stonebraker to unpack the causes and effects of the modern world's historical amnesia. Revealing how our 'ahistoric age' cuts individuals off from their roots, robs them of their place in a broader story, and may even be an unrecognised cause of many of our current anxieties.

Sarah Irving-Stonebraker is Associate Professor of History and Western Civilisation at Australian Catholic University in North Sydney, which is part of the Ramsay Centre’s Western Civilisation Program. She previously served as co-editor of the Journal of Religious History (2021-2024). She is the author of Natural Science and the Origins of the British Empire and Priests of History: Stewarding the Past in an Ahistoric Age.

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