Ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty
View selected recordings from the 2024 Annual Academy Symposium, The ideas and ideals of Australia: The Lucky Country turns sixty, held in Canberra on 13 – 15 November 2024.
The 60th anniversary of Donald Horne’s landmark book, The Lucky Country, prompts us to think afresh about Australian culture and social changes, and ask: are ordinary Australians fulfilling their aspirations? Are we a tolerant people?
The Australian Academy of the Humanities’ 55th Annual Symposium took on the big questions posed by Horne and brought others to the fore. Convened by Professor Frank Bongiorno AM FAHA FASSA FRHistS and Professor Mark McKenna FAHA, the Symposium took place on 14 & 15 November 2024 in Canberra, Australia.
In 1964, Horne’s chapter titles were a checklist for assessing the state of the nation and its sightlines:
- The Australian Dream
- What is an Australian?
- Senses of Difference
- Between Britain and America
- Living with Asia
- Work
- Power
- Forming Opinions.
From the vantage of 2024, there are clear omissions amongst them, including the changes wrought by feminism, Australia’s involvement in Vietnam and the Middle East, globalisation, enhanced connectivity, and persistent difficulty in hearing Indigenous voices.
This Symposium aimed to reflect, debate, and imagine what Australia is and what it can become.
The Symposium was co-presented with the Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University. It was also sponsored by the University of Sydney, UNSW, the University of Adelaide and the University of Queensland.
2024 Annual Academy Lecture
‘Australians—the aristocrats of Asia?’
Delivered by Emeritus Professor Louise Edwards FAHA FASSA FHKAH.
Donald Horne dedicated a full chapter of The Lucky Country to challenge Australians to take Asia more seriously. In 1964, Australians clearly needed reminding that, rather than being just off the coast from Portsmouth, in fact, we were just off the coast of Denpasar. In the sixty years since the book’s publication, many of Horne’s ideas have been adopted. Australians regularly live, work and play in Asia. By 2000 we surpassed larger nations in Europe and America in teaching Asian Languages and Studies. Diverse Asian people now comprise a significant proportion of the Australian population. Many more Australians have a “real feel for Asia”, to borrow Horne’s words. He would likely be heartened by each of these developments. But, one of his critiques remains unresolved: Australians, he declared, played an “aristocratic role” in Asia – “rich, self-centred, frivolous, blind”. Despite our celebrated egalitarianism we imagined ourselves to be better than our neighbours. This Annual Academy Lecture explores the challenges the remnants of this aristocratic mentality pose for Australia at a time when Asia is increasingly wealthy, powerful and innovative. It argues that dismantling this lingering superior mindset is crucial to Australia’s future prosperity, social cohesion and capacity to contribute to addressing the global challenges ahead.
Sessions
Session one: Dream & discontent
Chair: Emeritus Professor Shirley Leitch
Speakers:
- Professor Emeritus Julianne Schultz AM FAHA FRSN
- Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA
- Dr Ryan Cropp
- Professor Maree Meredith.
Transcript available in due course.
Chair: Professor Mark Kenny
Speakers:
- Professor Megan Davis FAAL FASSA FAHA
- Associate Professor Shino Konishi FAHA
- Professor Kate Fullagar FAHA
- Professor Mark McKenna FAHA
Transcript available in due course.
Session three: Talk & taboo
Chair: Professor Kate Burridge FAHA
Speakers:
- Dr Amanda Laugesen
- Professor Emeritus Joseph Lo Bianco AM FAHA
- Professor James Walker FAHA
Transcript available in due course.
Session four: Open & closed
Speakers
Chair: Emeritus Professor Fred D’Agostino FAHA
Speakers:
- Professor Marilyn Lake AO DLitt FAHA FASSA
- Emeritus Professor David Vines
- Dr Jennifer Gordon
Transcript available in due course.
Chair: Professor Julia Horne
Speakers:
- Associate Professor Alice Gorman FAHA [online]
- Emeritus Professor Tom Griffiths AO FAHA
- Dr Lorina L. Barker and Dr Eliza Kent [online]
- Dr Sarah Pinto [online]
Transcript available in due course.
Session six: Culture as public good
Chair: Honorary Associate Professor Esther Anatolitis
Speakers:
- Professor Justin O’Connor
- Dr Mathew Trinca AM FAHA
- Mr Kim Williams AM
- Professor Jacqueline Lo
Transcript available in due course.
Chair: Professor Stephen Garton AM FAHA FRAHS FASSA FRSN
Speakers:
- Dr Liz Allen
- Distinguished Professor Brian Schmidt AC FAA FRS FTSE
- Emeritus Professor Libby Robin FAHA
Transcript available in due course.
Chair: Emeritus Professor Fred D’Agostino
Speakers:
- Nick Horne

Cover artwork:
‘Piltati Tjukurpa’ (2023) by Rhoda Tjitayi
150 x 200cm, Acrylic on linen
© Rhoda Tjitayi/Copyright Agency, 2024