In an age in which Australia’s richest man, packaging heir Anthony Pratt, embarrasses himself almost daily on social media, it can seem rather humdrum to be reminded of the mediocrity of our cultural, political and financial elites. But every now and then comes a shining example to focus the mind on the incessant ordinariness of our ruling class.

On Tuesday night the State Library of Victoria hosted the eighth Keith Murdoch Oration. The library, Melbourne’s bibliographic and architectural jewel, was cleared of its patrons so that the city’s elites could play dress-up, enjoy some food and wine, and hopefully raise a stack of money to fund the library’s continuing redevelopment. This year’s oration was delivered by Robert Thomson, global chief executive of News Corp. Previous speakers have included Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch. As with most things News Corp, it’s something of a family affair.