Designer, Mary Featherston speaking at the National Portrait Gallery during the Canberra Design Festival, shows how the great Australian architects and designers of the 20th century created house designs and furniture that were innovative and uniquely adapted to our climate,…
The results of the same sex marriage survey announced today show a remarkable pattern of women’s voting throughout the country. In every electorate, even the 17 majority NO electorates, women voluntarily voted at a significantly higher percentage than men, generally four to six…
Dr Benjamin T Jones of the ANU talks about citizens at the heart of the polis, empowered to participate and seeking the honour of the nation (rather than self-honour) in describing a model drawn from the “Hellenic Hills” as the desired template for…
At least the failed Catalan vote for independence showed some resolve as citizens were able to rally around a clear, planned and targetted cause with strong parliamentary support. As one woman commented, “at least they had the energy to try” which says something about Australia’s…
The first ARM ACT Women’s Network event was held in Canberra with about 15 attendees. Guest speaker was Professor Kim Rubenstein from the ANU. Kim talked about the need for an inclusive Constitution that was republican, multi-cultural and included our Indigenous peoples….
As part of a front bench reshuffle, the ALP announces a new Parliamentary Secretary (junior Minister) for the Republic. The title, added to existing shadow Parliamentary Secretary Matt Thistlethwaite’s role as Assistant Treasurer, a bit of a mouthful but intended not to scare the horses…
If this letter to The SMH is anything to go by, women may be favourably influenced in favour of a Republic following “volcanic” revelations of the Queen’s involvement in the 1975 sacking of the federal Labor Government. The evidence is apparently contained in Professor…
The directly elected President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, is making an official visit to Australia and New Zealand from 7 to 24 October. He undertook many official events but they received little publicity, perhaps deliberately so given the close comparison that can be made between the Irish…
An ANU seminar on “Books that Changed the World” opens up the delicious possibility that the opinions of a controversial English historian, the first female English historian – and republican – were carried to our shores at the time of white settlement. Catharine Macaulay (1731-91) argued strongly against the monarchy as the basis of inequality in…
To add to the complexity and plethora of options for the Australia’s post constitutional monarchy governance arrangements, the film “The King’s Choice” reminds us that it is possible to have an elected monarchy and it’s less uncommon than one might…
