Mr Howard, whose appearance was presented by the Centre for Ethics and The Lane Bookshop, was in high spirits for the Perth launch of Lazarus Rising, which chronicles the second-longest serving Prime Minister’s personal and political journey.

The audience, many with signed books in hand, were given an insight into the autobiography as Mr Howard spoke of his early interest in politics, as the son of a struggling small business owner, through to his thoughts on the extraordinary position of the current Government.

He also touched on some of the personalities in world politics, a fashion faux pas and the Australian public’s love of sport, sharing humorous examples, before fielding questions from the audience.

Director of the Centre for Ethics, Canon Frank Sheehan, said it was a great honour to have Mr Howard speak in the Chapel. “I think we all came away with a deep understanding of the man and his values,” Canon Sheehan said. “He was generous, humorous and very insightful as he told about those events in the Australian story, which he shaped and influenced. It was quite fascinating.”

Headmaster Garth Wynne said Mr Howard impressed upon the audience, in a variety of ways, the importance of knowing yourself and living by your values. “He had an understanding that what he believed in, sometimes, was not always the popular view,” Mr Wynne said. “However, he showed strength in making those tough decisions because he knew what his values were.”

Mr Howard stayed on to sign more books and pose for photographs with fans, both adults and students.