Lunch with Dennis Altman AM

Thank you to Dennis Altman for presenting a deeply engaging and thought-provoking lunchtime event. Our thanks also to John Ridley AM for facilitating such a rich and considered discussion.

Dennis brought to the conversation a remarkable breadth of experience as an academic, writer, and public intellectual, tracing the arc of his influential work from 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭: 𝘖𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 through to his most recent collection, 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥: 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺. Dennis' reflections on a life shaped by scholarship and activism—spanning queer liberation movements, the HIV/AIDS crisis, refugee advocacy, and his engagement with the Jewish Council of Australia—offered a compelling lens on how ideas, lived experience, and public action continually intersect.

We are grateful for the generosity and candour with which he shared his perspectives, and for the way he invited reflection on the enduring relationship between rights, responsibility, and civic engagement. Thank you to all members and guests who attended and contributed to the conversation.