Frank Bongiorno is Professor of History in the ANU School of History.

Frank researches Australian history, especially Australian politics. He is the author of Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia and co-author of A Little History of the Australian Labor Party.

He is a regular contributor to the media, especially Inside Story, for which he was London correspondent from 2008 until 2011, and The Conversation. Frank has also written for Australian Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, The Monthly, The Australian and Fairfax Media.


Fields of expertise



Articles

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Democracy Sausage: Hungry for hope in the new year

After a turbulent year for democracy, does incumbency offer an advantage anymore?  What does this say about the…

13 December 2024



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Democracy Sausage: Shaking up the race

Biden has backed out of the presidential race, should he have withdrawn earlier?  How will likely democratic candidate…


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Democracy Sausage: God, unions and the Labor Party

What does Scott Morrison’s autobiography reveal about his time as Prime Minister? How have Australian political parties tended…


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The fourth annual Democracy Sausage Awards

Who performed the most flagrant and self-interested political backflip? What was the risible explanation for a government or…

19 December 2023



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If there is to be any healing after the Voice referendum, it will be a long journey

The result of the Voice referendum on Saturday was unexceptional if considered in light of the constitutional history…


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Democracy Sausage: Saying the quiet part out loud

How damaging is internal criticism within the Labor Party around the leadership’s positions on issues like AUKUS and…


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Democracy Sausage: Is Labor’s long honeymoon over?

Is the Albanese government’s post-election honeymoon period finally coming to an end? Can the Liberal Party be a…


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The Australian War Memorial must deal properly with the frontier wars

The recent media rounds of the new chair of the Australian War Memorial Council, Kim Beazley, appear to…


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Australia is now almost entirely held by Labor – but that doesn’t necessarily make life easier for leaders

When Dominic Perrottet gave a gracious concession speech after his defeat in the New South Wales election on…


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The history of referendums in Australia is riddled with failure. Albanese has much at risk – and much to gain

The Australian summer has not been kind to the proposal for a First Nations Voice to Parliament. A…

14 February 2023



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‘He played his ukulele as the ship went down’: the political year that was

Two summers did for Scott Morrison. The first was that of 2019-20, with its fire, smoke and ash.…

19 December 2022



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‘The spectre of serious civil violence’: how Australia reacted to the Whitlam dismissal

Millions of words have been said and written in condemnation and justification of the actions of the key…


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The Liberal Party is in a dire state across Australia right now. That should worry us all

“The duty of an Opposition is to oppose”—attributed to Lord Randolph Churchill—is one of those quotations I remember…


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Did Australia just make a move to the left?  

Political commentators often use the idea of a political spectrum from left to right as shorthand for understanding…


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Fact checking The Crown: ‘Di Down Under gets 5/100’

Season four of The Crown has dropped, ruffling some Royalists’ feathers on the show’s accuracy. ANU historian Professor…

30 November 2020



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