The past that is still with us

Distinguished journalists Hugh Lunn and George Megalogenis will be the guest speakers as the Alfred Deakin Research Institute launches its Contemporary History Group in June.

“We will be the first group of historians in Australia to have identified and given ourselves the mission of writing contemporary history,” said Professor David Lowe, the director of ADRI.

“We are defining contemporary history as ‘the past that is still with us’.

 “We want to start by paying tribute to the special role of journalists in writing contemporary history which is why we have chosen Hugh and George to be the guest speakers as we launch the group in June.

Hugh Lunn has had a long and distinguished career as a journalist, and also as a successful author.

His books include the poignant Vietnam, A Reporter’s War; the biography of Australian tennis player Ken Fletcher and Over the Top with Jim, which was serialised on ABC Radio.

George Megalogenis is an Australian journalist, political commentator and author.

A senior feature writer for The Australian he is also a regular on the ABC’s political analysis program Insider.

His most recent took, The Australian Moment, is, according to Don Watson: "Likely to become the essential short work on modern Australia.

The book also won praise from Annabel Crabb, Waleed Aly and David Marr for its insight into the way Australia and Australians coped with the Global Financial Crisis.

"This man is perhaps the sanest journalist in Australia," Marr wrote.

The launch of the Contemporary History Group will be held at Deakin University’s Melbourne City Campus on June 20th.