Robert Menzies Institute: 2026 Oration and Dinner with Andrew Roberts, Lord Roberts of Belgravia

The Robert Menzies Institute is delighted to invite you to our 2026 Annual Oration and Dinner on Thursday 17 September 2026 at the Park Hyatt Ballroom from 6:30pm to 10:30pm.

This year, we are thrilled to bring to you one of the world's greatest historians, Andrew Roberts, Lord Roberts of Belgravia.

Lord Roberts will speak on the stirring theme: One Soaring Imagination: The Destiny of the English-Speaking Peoples in the Twenty-First Century.

ABOUT LORD ROBERTS

One of the most frequently quoted historians on The Rest is History podcast, Lord Roberts has written 21 books which have been translated into 28 languages and have won thirteen literary prizes. These include Churchill: Walking with Destiny, Napoleon: A Life,?and most recently, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare 1945 to Ukraine, which he co-authored with General David Petraeus.

Lord Roberts is the Bonnie and Tom McCloskey Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he hosts the podcast Secrets of Statecraft with Andrew Roberts, a visiting Fellow of King's College, London, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Historical Society, and a member of the House of Lords.

ABOUT THE TOPIC: One Soaring Imagination

The phrase "one soaring imagination" comes from Sir Robert Menzies's eulogy for Sir Winston Churchill in January 1965:

"In the whole of recorded modern history this was, I believe, the one occasion when one man with one soaring imagination, with one fire burning in him, and with one unrivalled capacity for conveying it to others, won a crucial victory not only for the forces (for there were many heroes in those days)?but for the very spirit of human freedom."

For Menzies, Churchill represented more than Britain alone. He embodied a civilisation of free institutions, democratic resolve and moral courage.

Lord Roberts is uniquely placed to explore this inheritance. His acclaimed work, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1901, deliberately continues Churchill's own great history, which ended in 1900 - just before the birth of the Australian Commonwealth.

But this Oration will not simply look back. At a time when liberal democracy is under pressure, alliances are being tested, and confidence in the institutions of freedom can no longer be taken for granted, Lord Roberts will ask what responsibilities now fall upon countries such as Australia, Britain and the United States.

Can we recover the imagination, courage and conviction needed to defend the free society in the twenty-first century?

Join us for what promises to be a memorable evening of history, ideas and national reflection.

TryBooking.com





 Park Hyatt Melbourne View Venue
  Melbourne Victoria 3001 Map
Advertiser: www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au


Robert Menzies Institute

Trending HOT

Things to see, hear & do this weekend
Make the most of your weekend in Melbourne with these fabulous events. No city does it better than Melbourne, so get out and discover the very best shows, festivals, ..

---

→ Disclaimer: Event details can change at any time. Check with the advertiser before making plans, buying tickets or proceeding...

Update Page Upgrade Advertising