Book Launch: Fancies I Dare Not Speak, The Hidden Verse of R.G. Menzies

You are warmly invited to the launch of our latest book ‘Fancies I Dare Not Speak: The Hidden Verse of R.G. Menzies'. This book brings together poems and verses by the great Sir Robert Menzies himself – and they are warm funny witty and insightful.

The book will be launched by Julian Leeser MP with remarks by Dr Damien Freeman who has written the foreword to the collection.

Date: Wednesday 15 October 2025

Time: 5:30pm - 7pm

Venue: Robert Menzies Museum East Wing Old Quad The University of Melbourne Parkville 3010

Tickets: FREE for members / $30 for non-members

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 in verse.

This new collection brings to light Menzies's hidden artistry from childhood rhymes about football to witty parodies of his political rivals. Some poems are short and heartfelt for friends and family. Others are long brimming with rhythmic commentary to be read aloud to an attentive audience. They all offer a rare glimpse into a moment in time otherwise lost where Menzies's thoughts were so overpowering they could only be expressed through the art of poetry.

This compilation was made possible by the generous support of the Alan and Mary-Louise Archibald Foundation.

Edited by Dr William Cook Georgina Downer and Victoria Hronas with an introduction by Dr Damien Freeman. Published in 2025 by Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd under the Jeparit Press Imprint in conjunction with the Robert Menzies Institute.