• s1890s
  • s1900s
  • 1910s
  • 1920s
  • 1930s
  • 1940s
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
  • s1970s
  • 1890s 1890s: Menzies is born in Jeparit
  • 1900s 1900s: Women gain the right to vote
  • 1910s 1910s: War to end all wars
  • 1920s 1920s: Happy little Vegemites
  • 1930s 1930s: Menzies political career takes off
  • 1940s 1940s: Australia through dark times
  • 1950s 1950s: Menzies the prime minister
  • 1960s 1960s: Menzies retires, man reaches Moon
  • 1970s 1970s: Menzies reflects, Australia matures

Chairman of the Menzies Foundation, at the opening of the Menzies Virtual Museum on 13th September 2002

Prime Minister, Distinguished Guests, members of the Menzies family, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Welcome to Clarendon Terrace, the home of the Menzies Foundation. We're honoured today that the Prime Minister has found time in a busy schedule to be with us and to launch the Menzies Virtual Museum web site.

Since its inception in 1979, the Foundation, which is a non-political body, has been responsible for creating and supporting a memorial in many forms to Sir Robert Menzies. Mostly these have been in the areas of health and education. There are, for example, the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research in Hobart, the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies in London and Menzies scholarships in law, engineering, medicine and the allied health sciences. These institutions will ensure that the Menzies name lives long into the future.

Today we mark the creation of a new and different kind of memorial, the Menzies Virtual Museum. It's not a building in which exhibits are displayed. It's a web site. Through your computer you will have access to the life and times of Sir Robert Menzies in a way that's stimulating and educational for all and, perhaps, even nostalgic for some of us who lived through some of those times. It's a wonderful piece of history of those years from 1894 to 1978 in a new and exciting form. It includes historical photographs, sound and film clips and 25,000 words of supporting text. It will be updated and expanded continuously as material and funds become available. It's attached to the Melbourne Museum web site so that school children and others can gain access there by means of what I think is called a hot button. We'll give you a short demonstration in a moment, but first it must be launched.

I don't know how he's going to do it, but it gives me great pleasure to invite the Prime Minister to launch the Menzies Virtual Museum.

Sir Daryl Dawson

About the MVM

res-newmvm

The site is designed for school children and the public who have an interest in the life and times of Sir Robert Menzies. Learn more...

National History Challenge

Sir Robert Menzies

The Menzies Foundation is sponsoring the Special Category: Sir Robert Menzies in the National History Challenge. Learn more...

Resources

Robert Menzies and Patti Menzies 1938The MV is an educational resource which documents the life and achievements of Sir Robert Menzies. See our Resources here...

Speech is of Time

res mw119848Selected Speeches and Writings
The Right Hon Robert Gordon Menzies C.H., Q.C., M.P. Published in 1958.
Read here... 

The Forgotten People

The Forgotten PeopleFrom the standpoint of a true patriot and in the spirit of man to man, Mr Menzies examines relevant issues, in The Forgotten People. Read here...

Timeline

Sir Robert MenziesThe Rt Hon Sir Robert Gordon MENZIES, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC was born in Jeparit, Victoria. View the highlights of Sir Robert's life here...