2012 Kenneth Myer lecture with Kerry O'Brien
In an age awash with information, how easily we forget the past
The longer a person lives, the more they are able to draw on the past to understand the present and have some inkling about the future.
In nearly 50 years of journalism covering politics, the Australian social story and significant international events, Kerry O'Brien has been an eye witness to a period of momentous change. He now finds himself in a digital age awash with information, and yet he says we seem to be so excited by or anxious about the now and the future, that we find it too easy to forget the past.
Whatever happened to the axiom that we ignore the lessons of history at our peril? How can we learn from the past if we ignore it or simply forget it? Are we breeding generations for whom the past beyond a few years or a few events has no relevance?
These are questions O'Brien will address in the 2012 Kenneth Myer Lecture at the National Library.
Theatre & Foyer
$30 Friends, $40 non-members (includes refreshments)
Bookings: http://friends.nla.gov.au or 02 6262 1698
