After an continuous male line-up since 2008 (when the speaker was Julie Bishop), the 2014 National Republican Lecturer is Katy Gallagher, ACT Chief Minister, the sole female head of government in the country. Speaking in Canberra, Ms Gallagher outlined critical steps, from a politician’s point of view, leading to a…
This time it’s Marie Bashir, the outgoing Governor of New South Wales after 13 years service to the monarch all while living in her own home instead of the regulation gubernatorial palace. We now await the Penny Wensley gong when she quits the Qld Governor’s residence in July….
The national institutions in Canberra are right into the 60th anniversary of the Queen of Australia’s first tour downunder in 1954. The Museum of Australian Democracy has just opened “Happy and Glorious” complete with high teas and making a likeness of the Queen from Lego reputedly…
Anne Twomey gets to grips with the nature of the PM’s new honours bestowed by only himself and the Queen of Australia in the Sydney Morning Herald. She says, “…. once honours fall within the gift of politicians, history has shown…
King Juan Carlos of Spain, increasingly unpopular, has abdicated at 78. This was unexpected. Under the 1978 Constitution, both the abdication and the succession of Prince Felipe must be approved by the Spanish Parliament. The announcement led to large anti-monarchy, pro-republic protests in the streets. This…
At ARM’s forum in Melbourne today, captions to photographs name the men on the dais but the couple of women there, also speaking and participating, are not identified. Melissa Conley Tyler, National Executive Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, outed herself…
German gossip mag Bild published a picture of the Duchess of Cambridge with her skirt blowing up around her waist after climbing out of a helicopter in the Blue Mountains. She appeared to be without petticoat or knickers, begging a few questions…
Our tongue-in-cheek take on knighthoods is published in the Honest History newsletter – a look at the awe inspired by the 1954 royal tour from inside the Governor’s Residence in Queensland, complete with Topsy the Talking Pony, along with this years announcement by the PM…
For our final viewing of the younger royals on our land: Kate, William and George descending yet another set of aircraft stairs form the larger than life photo backdrop for the new series of Dirty Laundry Live (how low can you go?)…
It must be the royal visit to bring out this sort of fervour/fever espoused by a letter writer to The Canberra Times. If only, it was this easy or simplistic: “As long as the Queen, her heirs and successors, occupy the position as our…
