The lectures have been held annually since 1978, and are named in honour of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest-serving prime minister.
The 1981 appearance of Margaret Thatcher drew strong protests from students; at the same time, Thatcher's lecture was one of the best-remembered of the series - receiving coverage on the front page of The Times in London as Thatcher rebuked former Tory prime minister Edward Heath and his call for a consensus government.
The Monash University Liberal Club continues to be involved with the Trust in the operation of the lecture.
John Howard is the only person to have given the lecture on two occasions (in 1980 when he was the Federal Treasurer, and again in 1996 after he had become Prime Minister).
Sir Robert Menzies willingly agreed to lend his name to the Trust, but died before the inaugural lecture was delivered.