Launch of Anne Henderson’s Book Menzies at War – Introduction

On Friday 18 July 2014, The Sydney Institute held a Melbourne launch of Anne Henderson’s Menzies at War. The function was hosted by law firm Arnold Bloch Liebler and the speakers were introduced by Mark Liebler AC. The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister launched the book and Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC offered concluding remarks. The papers which follow are edited transcripts of speeches given on the day.

LAUNCH OF ANNE HENDERSON’S BOOK MENZIES AT WAR – INTRODUCTION

MARK LIEBLER

Thank you Gerard. Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Arnold Bloch Liebler. I acknowledge that we are today standing on Wurundjeri traditional country and I pay my respects to the Wurundjeri peoples whose continuing culture adds a unique vitality to Melbourne and all her inhabitants.

Those who know us well will agree I think that Arnold Bloch Leibler is a firm that values and nurtures our long-term relationships. We’ve got strong ties with the business, legal, political, social and cultural communities in which we operate. Today’s event, and the reason that we’re gathered here for the Melbourne launch of Anne Henderson’s Menzies at War, is all about these relationships.

And what a turn out we have today. In addition to Gerard Henderson, who is well-known to us as an author and executive director of The Sydney Institute, we have a number of distinguished authors, politicians, political commentators, influential business and community leaders. And welcome to you all.

It’s indeed my special pleasure to welcome the author, Anne Henderson, whom we are all here to honour today. Anne has written an absorbing story of the first Menzies Government in the period 1939-41, spanning the first years of the Second World War. Older Australians, a bit older than me, well remember Prime Minister Menzies’ fateful announcement of Australia’s involvement in the Second World War on 3 September 1939, in his sombre broadcast to the nation. In those few short years, Menzies did much to set up Australia’s war efforts. And was, of course, to return to power after the war as part of the resurgence of the Liberals. And, of course, he reclaimed the Prime Ministership at the 1949 election.

Robert Menzies went on to serve 16 years as Prime Minister of Australia and is still Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister. I understand that Anne was very encouraged in this, her latest literary mission, by Sir Robert Menzies’ daughter Heather Henderson, who has reminded us – in her introduction to the book – of the great debt that we owe Anne Henderson for her professional research and objective reporting of this vital period of Australian political history and the rise of liberalism.

It was also Heather Henderson who lent her encouragement and support to our other important guest today, who is on the video screen, the Honourable Josh Frydenberg, MP, parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister and federal Member for Kooyong, her father’s old seat. Josh, who was elected to the federal parliament at the 2010 election is well known to many of us.  He is just the seventh person, since federation, to hold the seat of Kooyong. We look forward to hearing from Josh in a few minutes when he will officially launch Anne’s book.

In his first speech to the Federal Parliament in October 2010, Josh Frydenberg spoke about the history of the seat of Kooyong and the powerful story it tells about Australian Liberalism over more than 50 years. He also told us that he, like so many others whose grandparents came here from Europe with nothing, values the opportunity and the freedom they have enjoyed in Australia. He celebrates the welcome his paternal grandparents received in Melbourne in the late 1930s and later his mother’s family who later made their way through displaced persons camps to Australia.

It was in Kew, the heart of Kooyong, that Josh’s grandparents, his parents and now he and his wife, Amy, have made their home. As the current member for Kooyong, he no doubt has a lot to look forward to. A great deal.

We can be thankful that Kooyong, which derives its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “camp” or “resting place”, has in fact given us three former conservative leaders: Sir John Latham, Sir Robert Menzies and Andrew Peacock. We are reminded today that each member for Kooyong has left a significant mark on Australian history. But it was Menzies who found a way to remake himself as Prime Minister, not once but twice. And in turbulent political times. He has indeed proved to be a hard act to follow.

So thank you all for being here today, as part of this special Melbourne launch. It’s now my pleasure to welcome our good friend, the current member for Kooyong, the Honourable Josh Frydenberg, who will launch Anne’s book.