Director's Newsletter
Director's Newsletter
2 June, 2026
Dear Supporters,
Our Emeritus Director, Dr David Daintree kindly offered to provide the Dawson Centre Newsletter for June.
CULTURAL CRINGE
The late Paul Ramsay AO was a leading Australian businessman who was passionate about education and wished to educate future generations in the traditions and practices of western civilisation: its history, philosophy, literature, science, theology, music, art and architecture.
He left behind a huge bequest to fund teaching in these areas. The Ramsay Centre was established (in the words of its own charter) to ‘advance education by promoting studies and discussion associated with the establishment and development of western civilisation, including through establishing scholarship funds and educational courses in partnership with universities’.
In 2017 the Centre entered into discussions with the Australian National University towards developing a joint programme of studies in the humanities. Following widespread condemnation from factions within the ANU the Centre’s approach was firmly rebuffed. The objections were all too predictable: the ‘eurocentric’ view of the world, according to objectors, is essentially racist, classist, homophobic and sexist. All the old tags from the usual suspects. Universities, it seems, may legitimately be allowed to have Centres of Asian Studies (Melbourne), Southeast Asian Studies (Monash), or Indigenous Studies (Charles Sturt), but Western Studies are still pretty much on the nose in radical circles.
That said, a few universities such as Wollongong and the ACU had the courage to accept the gift they were offered - and which some of the 'major' universities so irresponsibly scorned - and proceeded to construct rich and useful programmes which are now going strong and threaten nobody. But the old prejudices stubbornly endure.
We all owe so much to the Western - and Christian – tradition. The rule of law, music and painting of the very finest ever produced by mankind, great literature, science and the spirit of enquiry, the thirst for social justice, freedom of speech (even the freedom to talk arrant nonsense, so useful to the enemies of civilisation!) – all these things are blessings for the whole world. How long will public bodies such as universities and broadcasters kowtow to the loudest tirades against our culture and the crudest parodies of our history?
The West has given so much to the whole world. But it has not been a one-way street: our culture was and continues to be the beneficiary of many others. By contrast an educational system that encourages the limiting of knowledge by allowing some fields of study while blocking out others is simply a disgrace and deserves our scorn. Gilbert and Sullivan offer a light-hearted comment on the typical despiser of the West:
‘The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
All centuries but this, and every country but his own…’
Wiser, though, and more generous is a reminder from Christopher Dawson that the achievements of the Christian West amount to a common resource of all, and that men and women of every race and nation on earth have not only been its beneficiaries, but have actively contributed to the sum of its attainments:
Christianity is not bound up with any particular race or culture. It is neither of the East or of the West, but has a universal mission to the human race as a whole…’
HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS!
Use our Words, not theirs is a challenging article by Christopher Akehurst in Quadrant Online 7 May. Here's a sample:
'Avoid accommodating leftists by using their terminology. Never say "woman" of someone who isn’t one. Don’t fall for expostulations like "of course I’m not a sexist." If you do, you have already conceded ground by recognising a leftist concept as legitimate.'
'QUEENSLAND ABORTION CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA'
So claims Dr Joanna Howe, who reports that 'almost every week a baby is left to die after a failed abortion in Queensland'. Watch this interview.
NSW HUMAN RIGHTS BILL
FROM THE HON GREG DONNELLY MLC (NSW)
Late last year Greens MP Jenny Leong introduced the Human Rights Bill 2025 into the NSW Legislative Assembly. After presenting her Second Reading speech, debate on the bill was adjourned. This is the bill’s webpage -
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=18724.
This link will take you to the inquiry’s webpage - https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3183#tab-members.
Submissions to the inquiry are due by Friday, 3 July 2026.
Upload submissions here -
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/lodge-a-submission.aspx?pk=3183.
Those advocating for a Human Rights Act for NSW are very well organised by Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties -
https://humanrightsfornsw.org/news/2025/10/20/its-time-for-an-inquiry-into-a-human-rights-act.
COLLOQUIUM 2024 BOOK NOW ON SALE
'AUTHENTIC HUMANISM AND THE CRISIS OF CULTURE'
This is a collection of essays by Richard Brown, Bella D’Abrera, Natalie Kenndy, Anna Krohn, Lucas McLennan, Archbishop Julian Porteous, Karl Schmude, Prof Steven Schwartz, Fr Matthew Solomon, Anna Walsh
$20 posted.
To order your copy transfer $20 per copy to: Christopher Dawson Centre, B.S.B. 063-225, A/C 10639017, with your surname as the reference, and forward postal address to dccdain@gmail.com
COLLOQUOIUM 2026
'CAN WE ARREST THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILISATION AND IF SO, HOW?
KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY SENATOR BABET
'POLITICS NEEDS CHRIST'
7:00PM FRIDAY 10 JULY,
ST PETER'S PARISH CENTRE 581 TOORAK ROAD, TOORAK
TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH - EVENTBRITE:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/christopher-dawson-centre-colloquium-keynote-address-senator-ralph-babet-tickets-1986801464664?aff=oddtdtcreator
PRESENTATION OF COLLOQUIUM PAPERS
FROM 9:00AM SATURDAY 11 JULY, ST PETER'S PARISH CENTRE
581 TOORAK ROAD TOORAK
SPEAKER INCLUDE:
DR DAVID DAINTREE
DR KEVIN DONNELLY
DR MARK HOBART
JOHN ROSKHAM
ANNA KROHN
CATHERINE SHEEHAN
SOPHIE YORK
ELENA DOUGLAS
MICHAEL SUTTIE
JOHN SMYTH
LEIGH FETTER
PETER AUGUST
REGISTRATION THROUGH EVENTBRITE
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/can-we-arrest-the-decline-of-western-civilisation-dawson-colloquium-2026-tickets-1990270073366?aff=oddtdtcreator
For more details go to the Dawson centre website: www.dawsoncentre.org
With best wishes to all,
