The twenty-fourth John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) Anniversary Lecture was held on Remembrance Day, 11 November, and delivered by Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, to an audience of nearly 200. Guests included John Curtin’s grandchildren John Curtin and Barbara Davidson, great-granddaughter Rebecca Curtin, and current and former members of Parliament including Zaneta Mascarenhas MP, Hon Dr John Cowdell, Hon Gary Gray AO, Hon Bob Kucera APM, Hon Dr Cheryl Davenport, and Hon Kay Hallahan AO.
Following a heartfelt Welcome to Country by Barry McGuire, MC and JCPML Director Kylie Percival acknowledged the late Emeritus Professor David Black, honorary historical consultant to the JCPML, and the recent passing of Professor John Maloney, former Curtin Vice-Chancellor at the time of the JCPML’s establishment. Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne then introduced the Hon Jason Clare MP.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam government, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the death of wartime Prime Minister John Curtin, Clare opened with reflections on leadership, legacy, and the role of great universities.
… real greatness isn’t about titles. It’s about choices. It’s about character. And it’s about what you do. However you measure it, John Curtin fits the bill… He made decisions that shaped the war and still shape the country we are today. He changed the way Australia worked. He was a practical man who thought deeply. He had that most elemental of virtues that all great leaders need. Courage. And he acted with intent. That’s why he is arguably the greatest Prime Minister we have ever had. And why this university carries his name.
From the education legacies of the Whitlam, Hawke, Keating, Rudd and Gillard Labor governments, to the reform agenda of the Albanese government in which he now serves, Clare provided his listeners with a comprehensive view of the expansive programs which aim to build a higher education system for the future and ‘open the doors or our universities wider to more Australians’.
A vote of thanks was given thoughtfully by Hon Dr Toni Buti, Attorney General and Minister for International and Tertiary Education, Western Australia. Afterwards, guests enjoyed refreshments served outside on the lawn on a beautiful early summer evening.
The 2025 lecture recording is available online:
The JCPML Anniversary Lecture has been held since 1998. Previous lectures are available on the JCPML website:
