#22 - Hon Jeff Kennett AC ('65)

In this episode of the OSCA Podcast, guest hosts Angus Bodon ('20), and Hudson Schwarz ('22) sit down with one of Victoria’s most consequential public figures — former Premier, two-time Hawthorn Football Club President, former Chairman of The Torch, and founding Chairman of Beyond Blue, Jeff Kennett ('65).What begins as a conversation about Scotch College Melbourne and Jeff’s early years quickly broadens into something far more expansive — covering leadership, discipline, mental health, military service, public life, and Victoria’s past and future. Throughout, Jeff reflects on the people and experiences that shaped him long before public office: teachers, cadets, national service, teamwork, and the lessons that endure.What emerges in this conversation, is a side of Jeff rarely captured in the media — reflective, nostalgic, deeply thoughtful, and highly conscious of legacy, service, and the direction of Victoria.The episode later turns to what young voters should be looking for as Victoria heads toward the polls in November: responsibility, discipline, integrity, long-term thinking, and the importance of holding government to the same standards expected in everyday life.Regardless of political perspective, this episode offers a rare and personal window into the life and thinking of a leader whose influence on Victoria continues to resonate.