Deadline: 30 March 2025
The University of Melbourne (Archives and Special Collections) and Trinity College are delighted to invite scholars, researchers, politicians and others to submit original proposals for participation in a Symposium being held to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Fraser Government.
The Symposium will be held at Trinity College, starting with the Fraser Oration on Thursday 11 December, with the body of the event on 12 and 13 December.
The Event
We aim for a high-profile event of contemporary political relevance.
We will bring together scholars, political thinkers and civil society participants to review the record of the government, and its relevance to contemporary issues and debates. We will include discussion of the Dismissal, but the event will focus on the record of government.
Prospective contributors are encouraged to use the collections of the University of Melbourne in their research and will be supported in doing so. In particular, we draw attention to the Malcolm Fraser collection. Other collections of relevance and interest are listed at the end of this document.
The format of the symposium will be flexible, including panel sessions and discussions. A particular feature will be sessions on areas of Fraser government action with, in each case, a speaker reflecting on the record of the government and another speaking to contemporary debates and issues.
We are open to ideas and suggestions.
Topics of Interest
We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics, as well as suggestions for sessions, but in particular we plan sessions on the following:
- financial reform,
- constitutional reform,
- human rights and administrative reform
- Aboriginal affairs
- public service reform
- economic policy
- defence policy
- foreign policy
- The New Federalism and national identity
We will conclude with a debate on the topic of “What is Liberalism?”
Format of submissions
Potential participants should submit a short abstract (200 words) together with a CV of no more than one page, that briefly sets out their qualifications to speak on the intended topic.
These should be included as two Word document attachments, with the subject line “Malcolm Fraser Symposium Submission”, emailed to kais@trinity.unimelb.edu.au.
The deadline for submissions is 30 March 2024.
We encourage submissions from a wide range of political participants – including but not only academics.
In most cases, participants should plan to speak for about 15 minutes, depending on the format of their session, and then take part in a moderated discussion.
After the event, participants are encouraged to contribute a paper of up to 5000 words. With permission, these will be published on a Symposium website and will also enter the archival collections at the University of Melbourne.
Review and Selection Process
All proposals will undergo a review and selection process by the steering committee for this event, which comprises:
- Dr Margaret Simons – Fraser biographer and Chair of the Malcolm Fraser Collection Reference Group
- Hon. David Kemp AC – Former Fraser staffer, Professor of Politics (Monash), Howard Cabinet Minister, author of a multi-volume history of Australian political Liberalism (MUP).
- Professor Ken Hinchcliff – Warden of Trinity College
- Professor Anne Twomey – Professor Emerita, University of Sydney.
- Katie Wood, Deputy University Archivist, University of Melbourne, and curator of the Malcolm Fraser Collection.
- Dr Samantha Marshall, Fraser family member. Research Officer, La Trobe University.
Attendees will be advised of the result of the selection process by 15 May 2024.
The program for the event will be released shortly after that date.
Contact Information
- Submissions comprising a 200 word abstract and a CV of no more than one page, should be sent as two separate Word documents attached to an email to: kais@trinity.unimelb.edu.au. Please use the subject line “Malcolm Fraser Symposium Submission”.
- Questions about the event should be sent to the Chair of the steering committee, Dr Margaret Simons, at margaret@margaretsimons.com.au
- Queries about the archival collections at the University of Melbourne should be addressed to Katie Wood at kathrynw@unimelb.edu.au