Donald Horne (1921-2005) was perhaps the best known Australian intellectual of his era, after Manning Clark. He made his name as editor of The Bulletin magazine, and confirmed his reputation with his book The Lucky Country, an ironic and influential critique of the Australian way of life first published in 1964.

In his memoir Into the Open (2000), Horne recalled experiences, people, books and ideas that shaped his career as a journalist, writer and thinker. The extract published here focuses on the formative years leading up to the writing of The Lucky Country.