The Great Debate — that Australia's history unites us

From the world's oldest continuous living culture, to the arrival of Captain Cook, the goldrush to the ANZACs, from Federation to elections to referendums, and beyond, our understanding of Australian history has evolved dramatically over recent years. Six esteemed scholars have six minutes each to wrestle with how our past unites, divides, and defines us. Who will win?

The Great Debate was recorded for Social Sciences Week with the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the National Library of Australia.

Speakers

Affirmative team

Frank BongiornoProfessor of historyDirector of the University of Canberra's Centre of Public IdeasAuthor, Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia and more

Jakelin TroyNgarigu woman from the Snowy Mountains of NSWProfessor of AnthropologyDirector of Indigenous Research at the University of Sydney

Georgina DownerCEO of the Robert Menzies Institute, University of Melbourne

Negative team

Michelle ArrowProfessor of modern history, Macquarie UniversityPresident of the Australian Historical AssociationAuthor, Women and Whitlam: Revisiting the Revolution and more

Vonda MaloneFormer member of the Queensland Truth Telling and Healing InquiryFormer CEO of the Torres Strait Regional AuthorityFirst female Mayor of the Torres Shire Council

Dan WoodmanProfessor in Sociology at the University of Melbourne

Judges

Richard HoldenProfessor of Economics, University of NSWFormer school debating champion

Chris UhlmannPolitical contributor, Sky News, columnist, The Australian

Kate Darian-SmithPresident of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia