Erik Eklund
Politics, Pride and Perversion: The Rise and Fall of Frank Arkell
ANU Press, 2025
Frank Arkell (1929–1998) was the most successful politician of his generation; an Independent who served as Wollongong’s Lord Mayor (1974–1991) and state member (1984–1991). Arkell dominated Wollongong public life with unstoppable energy, eccentric flair, and a single-minded determination to support the city through economic restructuring. Despite his popularity, at the edges of public consciousness there was growing disquiet over Arkell’s private life …
Shortlisted, NSW History Awards, NSW Community and Regional History Prize, 2025
Longlisted, The Australian Political Book of the Year, 2025
“Eklund discloses the tragic consequences of unbridled male lust, deep social inequality and unaccountable class power … we have here a shocking story of sexual abuse and official corruption that brought untold suffering, political disgrace and, in the end, a brutal murder.”
About the Author
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 Navy Research at the Sea Power Centre in Canberra.
