Frank Jennings was Senior Private Secretary to Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies from 1963 to 1966. In this excerpt, Mr Jennings recalls the personal relationship that developed with Menzies in the office. The Prime Minister called him ‘laddie’, liked martinis after hours but never drank alone, and loved talking about his grandchildren… and the cricket. Jennings found him to be a very different person to the ‘arrogant dictatorial’ character sometimes portrayed by his opponents. Listen to the excerpt and also discover how and why Menzies found solace in Shakespeare.

Frank Jennings oral history audio transcript (MS Word)

Frank Jennings was recorded for the Oral History program by historian Barry York, in 2007 and 2008. The full interview is not currently available online but can be listened to in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre. Please contact the Centre prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 29.