Vasish Vasireddy, 2023 competition winner

Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer presenting Vasish with his award

Robert Menzies Institute Speech Competition

“Aim at simple, clear speech, and if you aim at that and achieve it, you will find that this will make a very great difference right through your lives”
— Robert Menzies, Speech to King’s School Sydney, 14 December 1960

Submissions close 20 July 2025

Outline

The Robert Menzies Institute Speech Competition is a program for secondary students in Australia to practice oratorical skills in a speech relating to the legacy of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies. Robert Menzies was well-known for his powerful speeches, including the Jefferson Oration, delivered on US Independence Day at Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia in 1963. Sir Robert Menzies spoke often of the importance of a good speech: “Aim at simple, clear speech, and if you aim at that and achieve it, you will find that this will make a very great difference right through your lives.”

Theme: “How important is respectful debate to the health of a democracy?”

    • This competition is open to students in years 9 - 12, studying in Australia.

    • Record a speech of between 5 - 7 minutes addressing the theme. You must refer to Robert Menzies’s policies and involvement in boosting respectful debate in Australia.

    • Submit your recorded video and supporting documentation via a shareable link by the 20th of July 2025.

    • Finalists will be selected and will be invited to deliver their speeches at a live event in 2024.

    • The winning entrant will be invited to deliver their speech at our annual academic conference at The University of Melbourne in November 2025.

    • Speeches will be judged on:

      Preparation

      Subject matter

      Structure

      Delivery

    • Students must provide a hardcopy of the speech and supporting notes to show their research and include a list of references.

    • The speech must engage directly with the theme and demonstrate strong argumentation with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

    • Students will be judged on their use of confident and appropriate language that is clear and audible to the listener.

  • Judges for the 2025 competition will be announced soon.

  • The winner will be invited to deliver their speech at the Robert Menzies Institute Annual Conference in November 2025.

    The winner will also receive a $400 book voucher plus a selection of Robert Menzies Institute publications up to the value of $250!

  • The Robert Menzies Institute values the privacy of all entrants. Written permission will be sought from the entrant and their guardian/s before any material is published or shared.

If you have any questions, please contact Matt Allanby at schools@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au.

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