RAHS Special Lecture – A Darkened Heart: The life and times of Frank Arkell

Event Date & Time: Wednesday, 18 March 2026 @ 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm

Event Location: History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000 (hybrid)

Cost: Free

Event Description:

In the 1970s and 1980s, Frank Arkell dominated Wollongong politics. His irrepressible energy and relentless advocacy for the city won him widespread popularity. But there was growing disquiet over his private life which many said involved anonymous assignations with young men and even boys. In 1997 these rumours culminated in police charges of sexual abuse. Before legal proceedings could be concluded, he was brutally murdered by a young man on 26 June 1998. Erik Eklund’s work on Arkell tries to make sense of these extremes of civic engagement and private perversion all cut short by a dramatic fall from grace and then a shocking murder.

About the speaker:

Erik Eklund is an award-winning historian and Adjunct Professor of History at the Australian National University. He was Professor of History and Head of School at Monash University from 2008 to 2013 and the Keith Cameron Visiting Professor in Australian History at University College Dublin, Ireland, from 2015 to 2016. He is currently working as the Deputy Director of Research at the Sea Power Centre in Canberra.