March 22, 2018
Moment of Truth
Politics
Australia is on the brink of momentous change, but only if we can face up to the past – a Quarterly Essay extract
Mark McKenna
By this author
February 1, 2017
The character business
Culture
What does the deluge of political biography and memoir say about politicians and readers?
September 1, 2017
Success dogged him
Culture
Judith Brett’s ‘The Enigmatic Mr Deakin’ is a skilful portrait of Australia’s second prime minister
June 1, 2016
‘Unnecessary Wars’ by Henry Reynolds
Culture
NewSouth Publishing; $29.99
July 1, 2015
Citizenship and its discontents
Politics
Talk of stripping citizenship is just one example of Tony Abbott’s alarmist rhetoric
July 21, 2014
‘Australian History in 7 Questions’ by John Hirst
Australian history
Black Inc.; $24.99
August 5, 2014
Blackfellas’ Point: One decade later
It is now more than twenty years since I first saw the land that I would later come to know as ‘Blackfellas’ Point’. What began as a retreat from Sydney – a remote ‘bush block’ on the far south coast of New South Wales – is now home to my …
May 1, 2014
Knights and the old republic
Malcolm Turnbull
Tony Abbott's aggressive monarchism
February 1, 2014
ASIO surveillance in ‘Persons of Interest’
arts
Documentary series charts the history of Australia’s intelligence-gathering operations
February 1, 2013
Growing pains
Australian Parliament
The nation’s capital turns 100
December 6, 2012
Lest We Inflate
World War II
Why do Australians lust for heroic war stories?
November 1, 2012
Who Stopped the Music
Classical music
How Jean Sibelius ran out of notes
March 5, 2008
A nation’s state
Politics
On the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, along the promenade directly in front of the National Library, a series of stone plaques, erected in 2006, commemorates every Australian of the Year since the award's inception in 1960. Manning Clark and Alan …