Gerard Henderson | |
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| Born | 1945 (age 80–81) Balwyn, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Author, columnist and political commentator |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Xavier College |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Subject | Politics, Culture & Media |
| Spouse | Anne Henderson |
| Part ofa series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
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Gerard Henderson (born 1945) is an Australian author,columnist and political commentator noted for his right-wingCatholic andconservative views.[1][2] He founded and is the executive director ofThe Sydney Institute, a privately funded Australian current affairs forum.[3]
Henderson was educated at Melbourne's Catholic,Jesuit-runXavier College, one of the city's elite private schools. He went on to study arts and law at the prestigiousUniversity of Melbourne during the second half of the 1960s.[4] He later completed a PhD.
Henderson taught at theTasmania andLa Trobe universities before working for four years on the staff ofKevin Newman in theFraser government. He moved to theDepartment of Industrial Relations in 1980; from 1984 to 1986 he was chief-of-staff toJohn Howard, during which time Howard was deputy leader, then leader, of theLiberal Party of Australia.[2]
TheKeating government appointed Henderson to the board of the Australia Foundation for Culture and the Humanities. Later, theHoward government appointed him to the Foreign Affairs Council. He was one of the people invited toKevin Rudd'sAustralia 2020 Summit held in April 2008.[2]
For several years, Henderson had a weekly column inThe Sydney Morning Herald. He also writes "Media Watch Dog", a weekly compendium of media criticism, written from the perspective of ablue heeler named Nancy.[5] In December 2013, his column moved toThe Weekend Australian, which also carries Media Watch Dog.[6]
He has written several books.
In 1994, Henderson profiled former prime ministerBob Hawke for theABC TV programFour Corners.[2] He was a regular political commentator on radio, and appeared occasionally onInsiders, another ABC TV program.[2] In early 2020, Henderson was dropped from the show after new hostDavid Speers reportedly wanted to try new conservative voices amid claims from sources in the ABC that Henderson failed to sufficiently engage with issues during panel discussions.[7][8]
In 2006, Henderson saidJohn Howard had lost the ongoingculture wars, writing, "In my view, there is only one area where the Coalition has failed to have a significant impact – namely, in what some have termed 'the culture wars'."[9]
Henderson has supported the movement forAustralia to become a republic.[10]
This article assesses Gerard Henderson's work and ideas. Henderson mainly contributed to Australian conservatism with a concern for social justice and feels that government plays a vital role in securing the conditions for freedom. This article identifies Henderson's vision for Australian society and evaluates how well he achieves his aims. The article also takes Henderson's conservatism seriously, treating his ideas as a coherent philosophical statement worthy of analysis.
While not athink tank, it operates as a forum for debate. It does not commission research or have policies." "The institute is privately funded, with all papers delivered to it published inThe Sydney Papers.
I was at the University of Melbourne in the second half of the 1960s
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