What kind of country doesn't remember the name of its first prime minister?

On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Professor David Headon AM to reveal the fascinating story of Sir Edmund Barton. The cricket-mad 'tosspot' who found the vision and drive to spearhead Australia's federation movement.

Dr David Headon is a cultural consultant and historian. Formerly Director of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies, Cultural Adviser to the National Capital Authority and History and Heritage Adviser for the Centenary of Canberra, he is now a Foundation Fellow at the Australian Studies Institute (ANU), a Parliamentary Library Associate and the Canberra Raiders club historian. He is currently overseeing the First Eight Project, which aims to enliven interest in our nation’s earliest political leaders.

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How can Australia see off the threats posed by an increasingly unstable world?

On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Sir Peter Cosgrove for a wide-ranging interview covering his own personal experience in the ADF, reflections on Australia's Vietnam War commitment, and a call to action on the pressing need to invest in our military preparedness.

Born into an Army family, Sir Peter Cosgrove attended Waverley College in Sydney before graduating from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1968. His first deployment was in Malaysia with the 1st Battalion RAR and later in Vietnam he commanded an infantry platoon. He served as Commander of INTERFET in East Timor in 1999 overseeing that country’s transition to independence. Then promoted to Chief of Army and later Chief of the Australian Defence Force. He retired from the ADF in 2005 serving on several boards before becoming a Knight in the Order of Australia when sworn in as Governor-General in 2014 and serving until June 2019.

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How can a monument encapsulate the loss of 60,000 young men?

On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Katti Williams to explore the design process that produced Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Undoubtedly one of Australia's most iconic monuments and a haunting tribute to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our nation.

Katti Williams is a Postdoctoral Research fellow in Australian architectural history, in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Her PhD thesis, completed in 2017 at the University of Melbourne, comprised the first sustained academic study of the Australian early twentieth-century architect William Lucas, with a specific focus on his unbuilt designs for First World War memorials. Her research is a nexus between art, architectural, military, and cultural histories.

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