<p>There is something a little different for the Russel Ward Memorial lecture in 2021. Well not entirely. When first asked to consider presenting the lecture I was hesitant in view of the many outstanding presentations of the Annual Lecture over the years, including the very first from Russel Ward himself.¹ I have attended most of these and know what is expected. The thirty-five lecturers who precede me literally represent a Who's Who of front-line scholars of Australian history since 1986, when the series began. The names of those mentioned on the history webpage advertising the Russel Ward lecture - Ken Inglis, Ann Curthoys, Henry Reynolds, Geoffrey Blainey, Barry Smith and Stuart Macintyre — unequivocally confirm this. But so too would any of the other 29 lecturers if similarly singled out.²</p>