Fancies I Dare Not Speak

Sir Robert Menzies was arguably Australia’s greatest political orator, but how did he develop his magnificent way with words?

The language of the ‘Forgotten People’ has etched itself permanently in the Australian political lexicon, but few realise that Menzies learned to write speeches in part by writing verse. This new collection brings to light Menzies’s hidden artistry, from childhood rhymes about football to witty parodies of his political rivals. In doing so, it offers a new wind…