Welcome to the Afternoon Light Podcast, a captivating journey into the heart of Australia’s political history and enduring values. Presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, a prime ministerial library and museum, this podcast illuminates the remarkable legacy of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest-serving prime minister.
Dive into the rich tapestry of Menzies’s contemporary impact as we explore his profound contributions on the Afternoon Light Podcast. Join us as we delve into his unyielding commitment to equality, boundless opportunity, and unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Our engaging discussions bring to life the relevance of Menzies’s values in today’s world, inspiring us to uphold his principles for a brighter future.
Ready to embark on this enlightening journey? Experience the Afternoon Light Podcast now! Tune in to explore the past, engage with the present, and shape a better tomorrow by learning from the visionary leadership of Sir Robert Menzies.
Stay connected by signing up on the Robert Menzies Institute website: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/. Have an opinion? Email your comments to: info@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au.
Has immigration really made Australia more prosperous?
On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Mark Cully, former chief economist for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, about his new, revealing and monumental history Waves of Plenty: Immigration and the Making of Australia. One of the only books to ever chart Australia's full immigration story, from the early 19th century to the present, and full of the crucial historical insights that only an economist and a fresh pair of eyes can provide.
Want to learn more about immigration in Australia? Listen to these episodes of Afternoon Light:
Henry Ergas: What has multiculturalism done to Australia?
Peter Kurti on maintaining national unity amidst Australia's growing pluralism: "Multiculturalism works when it's Civic Anchored"
Alistair Thomson on the Ten Pound Poms: "Implicitly assumed they weren't migrants"
Francesco Ricatti on Italian Migration | “Your own identity... is evolving”
Mark Cully was chief economist for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Department of Industry, as well as chair of the OECD’s Working Party on Migration. As head of macroeconomic policy in the Treasury, he led the design of the JobKeeper program during the pandemic. He is an expert panel member of the Fair Work Commission and a visiting fellow at ANU’s Crawford School of Public Policy.
HSVVXXKBQ3SLZY1X
30 Sept 2026
Andrew Roberts: How Churchill shows us the power of history and its heroes
Are the English-speaking-peoples still bound together, as we were during the greatest struggles of the 20th century?
On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Andrew Roberts, fresh off delivering the 2026 Menzies Oration, for a wide-ranging discussion exploring the enduring importance of the Anglosphere family of nations, why Churchill continues to capture our imaginations, and the importance of heroes in inspiring a new generation to realise their capacity to shape history.
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. His acclaimed work, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1901, deliberately continues Churchill’s original history, which ended in 1900 – just before the birth of the Australian Commonwealth.
MHKMVUSNHM3LALLA
23 Sept 2026
Seeing Australia through the eyes of a Japanese Spy
What did a Japanese spy, straight out of spy-school, make of 1940s Australia?
On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer and guest Craig Collie tell the fascinating and oft times humorous story of Major Sei Hashida. A haplessly conspicuous figure, whose 'covert' wartime tour of Australia made national headlines, and whose notebook provides a unique insight into the culture clash between two of WW2's Pacific belligerents.
Craig Collie is one of Australia’s leading writers of military history and the author of the critically acclaimed The Path of Infinite Sorrow, Nagasaki, The Reporter and the Warlords, Code Breakers, On Our Doorstep, and Where the Flaming Hell Are We? Craig has a special interest in Japanese–Australian history and formerly worked as a TV producer–director, including as Head of Television Production at SBS. His latest book is Major Hashida’s Notebook: A Japanese spy's mission to Australia in World War II.
G6VGYIWFOCWKOGLT
Who has been a guest on Afternoon Light
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
David Hunt
Michael Samaras
David Headon
Sir Peter Cosgrove
Katti Williams
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
107,905
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
