The first 200 years of Allens

Step back into the 1980s to relive the deal that was not just the largest in Australian history, but also helped to define the identity of an Australian corporate giant and cement the country's position as a major player on the global market. BHP's acquisition of the construction company Utah International from General Electric in 1984 was an ambitious deal that brought with it huge economic and political benefits that can still be felt in Australia today. And Allens was at its epicentre.

Today, it’s easy to take for granted our ability to read any book we choose, but it wasn’t always this way. Until the 1970s, Australia was governed by some of the most severe censorship regulations in the Western world. The publication of Phillip Roth's book Portnoy's Complaint in 1969 proved to be the tipping point for fundamental change to censorship in Australia. From secret print runs, illegal sales and bootleg copies to colourful court scenes including testimony from Australian literary icons like Patrick White, this story will make you think twice about the freedoms we now have to read whatever we choose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen as the descendants of Prime Minister Ben Chifley and Allens partner Norman Cowper, along with banking experts, economists and historians, relive the moment Australia's banks were saved from nationalisation in a nail-biting legal battle that made it all the way to the Privy Council in London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Allens lawyer and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community Caitlin Burke, Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown, partner and ALLin Co-Chair Robert Walker and others recount Australia's emotional journey to marriage equality and the role Allens played in challenging the Federal Government's decision to annul same-sex marriages in the ACT. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.