The George Briscoe Kerferd Oration is an annual, free community event first held in 2003 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the naming of Beechworth. The Oration committee invited an eminent speaker to Indigo Shire, in Victoria’s North East, to challenge our thinking, foster discussion and promote active citizenship.

Barrie Cassidy, former high-profile political journalist and current affairs television presenter with a notable career spanning more than five decades, will deliver the twenty-second George Briscoe Kerferd Oration on July 7 in Beechworth.

Oration chair Ross Kearney said the organising committee was delighted that Barrie had agreed to speak about democracy in Australia and other countries.

“His long history as an analyst, journalist and incredibly deep thinker on this topic places him in a great position to provide a very interesting Kerferd Oration. On an international scale, elections have taken place or are to be held this year in a number of countries, including the Russian Federation, India, United States and United Kingdom. And those elections are being run by processes described as democratic but which can be very different to that which we experience in Australia.”

Barrie was born in Wangaratta and grew up in Chiltern before attending Rutherglen High School. His journalism career started at The Border Morning Mail , as Albury-Wodonga’s daily newspaper was then known, and he later joined the The Herald in Melbourne as a court reporter before becoming a federal political correspondent for radio and television in Canberra. He was Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery president for a time and became personal press secretary and senior political adviser from 1986 to Prime Minister Bob Hawke MP (1983-1991). He was later appointed The Australian’s Washington correspondent and then Australian Broadcasting Corporation European correspondent in Brussels. But he is likely best-known as the creator and host of ABC’s Insiders for 18 years until 2019, and its spin-off Offsiders.

Barrie was appointed chair of Old Parliament House, Canberra, home to the Museum of Australian Democracy, by federal Arts Minister Tony Burke MP in 2023.

Explore the 2023 Oration

Watch and hear media ethicist Denis Muller speak about ‘Living through the news media revolution’ and its influence and impact on democracy.

Orator Denis Muller, host Jamie Kronborg and Oration committee chair Ross Kearney opening the 2023 Oration.