Big Ideas

The Panopticon was a prison design by the famous philosopher and social reformer Jeremy Bentham which placed prison guards in a central tower overlooking inmates. So why does scientist and climate advocate Tim Flannery want us to re-imagine the Panopticon as a path towards a more compassionate society? And why does he find warmth and connection even in conflicted communities angry about climate change policies?
This event was hosted by RMIT University and Now or Never, Melbourne's festival of art, ideas, sound, technology.
Speaker
Tim FlanneryPaleontologist, climate and environment advocate, author, and former Australian of the Year.
Hilary Harper (host)ABC Radio National presenter

Join acclaimed author and human rights advocate Thomas Mayo and media icon Ray Martin AM as they deliver two powerful orations on justice, reconciliation, and the future of Australia. Thomas Mayo invites us to imagine a reconciled Australia that has learned from its history and forged new pathways forward. Ray Martin is demanding we stop talking and start acting on social justice for Aboriginal people. Two voices. Two generations of advocacy. One urgent question: who will we become?
The Walyalup Oration is a centrepiece of the City of Fremantle's annual Truth-telling and Focus First Nation Films Program. In The Walyalup Oration leading thinkers in the fields of Indigenous/colonial relations offer their insights into creating a fairer, (re)conciled and more prosperous future for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration was hosted by the Institute of Community Directors Australia as part of the Communities in Control series.
Speakers
Thomas MayoKaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander human rights advocate and renowned author among other books of Always Was, Always Will Be (2024) and Dear Son: Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons (2021)
Ray MartinAward-winning journalist and television presenter who has reported for and/or presented some of TV's highest-profile current affairs and variety shows of recent decades.

Universities are under pressure — particularly the study of subjects like languages, history, social sciences and the creative arts. This lecture looks back to a time, post war, when governments turned to universities to transform Australia's economy and society, and backed it up with significant investment and oversight. In the face of contemporary challenges, is it time once again to rethink the purpose of universities — and particularly the study of the humanities — to equip Australia with the skills it needs to survive and thrive in the 21st century?
Stephen Garton's Australian Academy of the Humanities Annual Lecture "When Universities Mattered" was recorded on 12 November 2025.
An edited version of this lecture is published in the March issue of the Australian Book Review.
Speakers
Stephen Garton Professor of history, President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts
From the archives:
Is our university system broken? With Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner and Dr Ben Eltham, Big Ideas, 4 September 2025
Further information:
Vale Graeme Turner Australian Academy of the Humanities obituary, November 2025

As Bridgerton continues to captivate millions and we just marked the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, the Regency era has never been more thrilling. But how much must you know about corsets and carriages before you can break the rules? What's behind Bridgerton's runaway success? Should we love or loathe what it does with Regency history? Indeed, what would Jane Austen think of it all?
Presented at the History Unbound Historical Novel Festival
Speakers
Alison GoodmanWriter of crime, fantasy and historical fiction; her latest release is The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin, the second book in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series
Kelly GardinerAuthor of historical fiction and co-author of the crime novel Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Sharmini KumarFounder and Artistic Director of 24 Carrot Productions; co-author of the crime novel Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Elizabeth Leydin (host)Author of Recency romance novels (aka Pamela Hart aka Pamela Freeman)

Feeling a little world weary? Is Stoicism the philosophy you need a little more of in your life? Can an introvert be your guide to getting out the front door? Jenny Valentish's latest book is The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House: Solid advice for introverts, awkwards, sociophobes and stand-offishes. Brigid Delaney is author of The Secret and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold you Together in a Fractured World. What happens when a self-described introvert prepared to go out on a limb, and a fan of the Stoics share a stage? Tune in for a few life hacks.
Thanks to the Queenscliffe Literary Festival held on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula each year in October.
Speakers
Brigid DelaneyJournalist, author, screenwriter (Wellmania), former ministerial speechwriterFounder, Stoic SolutionsAuthor, The Secret and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold you Together in a Fractured World.Reasons Not to Worry: How to Be Stoic in Chaotic TimesWellmania: Misadventures in the Search for WellnessJenny ValentishJournalist, author, editor, writing teacher and coachAuthor, The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the HouseEverything Harder Than Everyone ElseWoman of Substances: A Journey Into Addiction and Treatment
Tracee HutchisonRadio broadcaster, media and arts leaderChair, Green Music Australia