Welcome to the Churchill Society of Australia. The first Patron of the International Churchill Societies was Admiral of the Fleet The Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
"Remember Winston Churchill"
Established in 1994 as a successor to International Churchill Society of the United States. Our present Patron is The Lady Soames LG DBE, Sir Winston Churchill's youngest daughter. Among our original honorary members were The Baroness Clementine Spencer-Churchill; Randolph S. Churchill; The Rt. Hon. The Lord Stockton (Harold Macmillan); The Hon. W. Averell Harriman; S
ir John Colville; The Rt. The Lord Soames (Christopher Soames); Sir John Martin; Anthony Montague Browne. In 1995, responding to an appeal by Lady Soames, over 600 people around the world became Founding Members of the Churchill Centre. Since then The Churchill Centre has been active in promoting its mission with International Churchill Conferences in various conferences around the world. In 1998 a Theme Conference on Churchill and Eisenhower was held in Gettysburg, PA. From February 5 to June 28, 2004, the Churchill Archives, Churchill College, Cambridge, England, and the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, presented an exhibition of Churchill papers, documents and artifacts at the Library of Congress, Washington. The Churchill Centre funded the publication of a related booklet and sponsored two Symposia at the Library of Congress as part of this exhibition. The Churchill Centre has a presence in the education of students. In addition to having students attend our International Conferences, the Manard E. Pont Seminar was held in 1997 at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, in California. In 2001 a seminar on "Winston Churchill: A Leadership Model for the 21st Century" was held, in partnership with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute of Wilmington, DE, on The Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA. Undergraduate and graduate seminars have been held in Seattle (2006), California (2009), and Chicago (2009). Academic Scholarship is promoted at academic symposia: 1994, in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, the First Nation's Capital Churchill Symposium (published as Churchill as Peacemaker); 1996, also in partnership with the Wilson Centre, the Second Nation's Capital Churchill Symposium (to be published as Churchill in the Post-War Years) and also in 1996, in partnership with the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library at Westminster College, Fulton MO (published as Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech: Fifty Years Later); 1998, a Marlborough Symposium at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England (to be published as Winston Churchill's Marlborough: His Life and Times). A series of one-day, complementary high school teacher seminars began in Washington in the Fall of 2005, and as of 2009 twelve such programs have been held from Seattle to Boston and from Chicago to San Antonio. A two week high school Teacher Institute was held at the Ashbrook Center, Ashland, Ohio, in the summer of 2006 funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and co-sponsored with the Ashbrook Center. The Churchill Centre organized a three-week Institute was held at Churchill College, Cambridge, England, and in London, during the summer of 2008, also funded by NEH. Working in conjunction with Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI, a two-day teacher seminar was held on their campus in April 2009. The Proceedings of International Churchill Conferences, previously published biennially and now included within the Centre's journal, Finest Hour, are unique documents of original scholarship or personal experiences. The Churchill Centre also sponsors sessions related to Churchill at the annual meetings of the American Political Science Association. The Churchill Centre has been active in publishing since the Hon. Caspar Weinberger's Churchill, An Uncomfortable Hero in 1986 to the republication of Richard Langworth's A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill and Douglas Russell's The Orders, Decorations and Medals of Sir Winston Churchill and the republication of Churchill's own book, The River War. The Churchill Centre has made these, in addition to those of many other authors, available to the public through The Churchill Book Club. Members of The Churchill Centre receive the quarterly Finest Hour, which includes all conference and other event proceedings, and the periodic newsletter Chartwell Bulletin. The Centre began with an initial endowment of $100,000, contributed in equal parts by the International Churchill Society of the United States and its own Founding Members. That endowment has grown to over $1 million. Our continued success depends on the continued growth of our Endowment Fund and our annual Heritage Fund Appeal. You can be part of this exciting venture!
23/02/2026
đ âChurchill: Image and Powerâ The exhibition in the Uniform Room inside the house at Chartwell is reopening to visitors from 28 February 2026.
Following a major conservation project, made possible by generous donations and supportersâ legacies, the Uniform Room at Chartwell has been transformed to showcase Sir Winston Churchillâs recently restored uniforms.
Visit Chartwell to explore the story of how Britainâs wartime Prime Minister became one of the most recognisable ďŹgures in history.
đď¸Entrance to the house is via timed-entry tickets available on the day from the Visitor Centre. A small number of our afternoon timeslots can be pre-booked online.
âšď¸ Head to the website for more information to plan your visit.
𡠊National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra
Trust London and South East National Trust Visit Westerham Zenzie Tinker Conservation Ltd.
19/02/2026
125 years ago today on the 18th of February 1901, Winston Churchill one of England's greatest ever men, made his maiden speech in the House of Commons, in Westminster, London, England.
Churchill delivered his maiden speech shortly after being elected MP for Oldham in the 1900 general election.
It was a confident, wellâreceived defence of his actions in the Boer War and marked the beginning of his 64âyear parliamentary career.
Churchill was one of the most prolific parliamentary speakers in British history, with his estimated total speeches in the House of Commons, being over 3,000 speeches (widely accepted scholarly estimate)
Hansard did not record every intervention in the early 20th century.
Churchill frequently spoke multiple times in a single debate.
His career spanned 1900â1964, with only two short interruptions.
Historians generally place the total between 3,000 and 3,500.
Winston Churchillâs Last Speech in the House of Commons was over 54 years after his 1st on the 1st or March 1955.
This was a short, reflective contribution during a debate on foreign affairs.
He resigned as Prime Minister a month later (April 1955) but remained an MP until 1964.
He did not speak again in the chamber after 1955 due to declining health.
Despite his long time as an MP, Churchill was never Father of the House.
Even though he served from start to finish for over 60 years, he was not the longestâcontinuouslyâserving MP at any one point.
Churchill lost his seat twice (1908 and 1922), breaking continuity.
The title goes to the MP, with the longest unbroken service, not the longest total service.
During his later years, the Father of the House was Sir Winstonâs cousin, Sir George Schuster, and later Rab Butler.
19/01/2026
Building Chartwell
An Architectural Outside Tour
Explore the fascinating architectural history of Chartwell in free a 45-minute tour around the formal gardens and exterior of the house.
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays from 23 January to Sunday 22 February
11â11.45am, 12.30â1.15pm
Limited tickets, pre-booking advisable.
Usual admission or National Trust membership applies upon arrival to the visitor centre.
𡠊National Trust Images/Andrew Butler
National Trust London and South East National Trust
19/01/2026
Winston Churchillâs Tests of Freedom: Then and Now
"These simple, practical tests, are some of the title-deeds on which a new Italy could be founded." Think of the years of experience, thought, and hard political lessons that went into those basic tenets. How Churchill expressed them in only 201 words, mostly of one or two syllables. How little they...
18/11/2025
Wishing His Majesty King Charles III a very happy 77th birthday. Marked on 14 November, the occasion reflects a lifetime of service, as King, and as a husband, father, and grandfather grounded in duty throughout his public work.
Image Source: Sandringham Estate
13/11/2025
Join us at Churchill War Rooms on 19 November for a special discussion exploring the craft of writing about one of the most written-about figures in history, Winston Churchill. Esther Gilbert, Sinclair McKay, Peter Caddick-Adams, Katherine Carter and Allen Packwood will share their unique perspectives on capturing Churchillâs life, legacy and complexities on the page.
The panel will be chaired by James Taylor, IWMâs Head of Public History, offering insights into how historians and biographers navigate research, narrative, and the myths surrounding Britainâs wartime leader. Following the talk, ask your questions, meet the speakers and enjoy an after-hours viewing of Churchill War Rooms.
13/11/2025
Alexander Churchill Becomes First Youth Ambassador.
We are proud to share that 11-year-old Alexander Churchill, great-great-grandson of Sir Winston, has become the first Youth Ambassador for the Winston Churchill Centre for Education at the British Normandy Memorial.
23/02/2026
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