Prominentpeople

ofAustralianHistory

Aselectionofpeople,andiconiclegends,ofAustralian

history.

Manythousandscouldbelistedhere,however,hereareaselectedfew:

TheBarcaldinestrikeleaders

The1891Shearers'Strike,centredaroundBarcaldineinQueensland,duringthedepressionofthe1890s,wasinresponsetothepastoralists'reactiontofallingwoolpricesofintendingtoreducetheshearers'wages.Duringtheunrest,thecolonialadministrationorderedthearrestoftheshearers'leadersonchargesofseditionandconspiracy.Theeventualfailureofthestrikebrokeworkermilitancy戰(zhàn)斗性andledtotheformationofa

labourpoliticalmovementtorepresenttheinterestsofworkingpeople.

ArthurCalwell

Born28August1896,WestMelbourne,Victoria

Died8July1973

ArthurCalwellwasAustralia'sfirstMinisterforImmigration(1945to1949),andlaterbecametheleaderoftheAustralianLaborParty(1960to1967).HewasthechiefarchitectofAustralia'spost-warimmigrationscheme,andpopularisedtheslogan""populateorperish".Alsowell-knownforhismuch-misquotedcomment""TwoWongsdon'tmakeaWhite〃.Hisimmigrationprogramco-incidedwitha

periodwhenAustralianindustrywasgrowingrapidlyandsufferingfromshortagesofskilledandsemi-skilledlabour.AlthoughhewasanadvocatefortheWhiteAustraliaPolicy,itisinterestingtonotethatCalwellspokeChineseandhadagreatrespectforAsiancultures.

See:ArthurCalwell

/a/arthur-calwell.h

tml

See:ArthurCalwell

http://

www.fac

/a/ar/arthur_calwell.html

CarolineChisholm

Born1808,England

Died1877

CarolineChisholmarrivedinAustraliain1838andsetupahomeforotherwomenwhohadcometolivehere.SheworkedtoimprovelifeontheshipsbringingpeopletoAustraliatostartanewlifeandstartedaloansplantobringpoorchildrenandfamiliestoAustralia.ShearrangedfreetripssothatthefamiliesofconvictswhoweretransportedtoAustraliacouldcometojointhem.

CaptainCook

Born27October1728,Marton,Yorkshire,

England

Died14February1779,clubbedandstabbedto

deathbythenot-so—friendlynativesinHawaii

JamesCookwasappointedin1768tocommandHMBarkEndeavour,tocarryscientiststotheSouthSeasonobservethetransitofVenusacrossthesun(duetooccurin1769),andtoexploretheSouthPacificfortheGreatSouthLandthatwasbelievedtoexist(referredtoasNewHolland,asDutchexplorershadclaimedtohavesightedthewestandnorthcoasts).Afterthescientists'Venusobservationswerecompleted.CookchartedtheNewZealandcoastline,andthensailedwestwardtofindtheeastcoastofNewHolland(Australia).Landwas

sightedon20April1770atwhatwasnamedPointHicks,thenhesailednorth,landingatBotanyBay,setsailagain,andthenlandedonPossessionIslandon22August1770whereheformallyclaimedthewholeeastcoastforBritain,namingitNewSouthWales.

JohnCurtin

Born1885,Creswick,Victoria

Died5July1945,Canberra,ACT

Australia'swartimePrimeMinister.WaselectedsecretaryoftheTimber-Worker'sUnionin

Victoriain1911.In1916,whenBillyHugheswastryingtointroduceconscription.CurtinbecamesecretaryoftheVictorianAnti—ConscriptionCampaignCommitteeandwassentencedtothreemonths'jailforhisspeechesinoppositiontoconscription;although,afteranappeal,hewasreleasedhavingservedonlythreedaysofhis

sentence.CurtinenteredFederalParliamentastheMemberforFremantlein1928;andformedaLaborGovernmentin1941thatgoverned

AustraliathroughtherestoftheSecondWorldWar.CurtinarguedwithChurchillforthesendingofAustralia'sforcesbacktoNewGuineatofightoffsuccessfullytheJapanesethrust(untiltheUnitedStatescouldmobiliseforthedrivebacktoJapan),andhebattled(unsuccessfully)withbothChurchillandRoosevelttohavethePacificwaragainsttheJapanesegiventhesamepriorityastheEuropeanwaragainsttheGermans.WhilehisGovernmentreorganisedthewareffortandprovidedAustraliawithitsownaircraft,guns,tanks,munitionsandsoldiers,theyalsoarrangedwidows'pensions,unemploymentbenefits,aswellasplanninganAustralianGovernmentairlineandasystemoffreehospitals.Curtindidnotlivetoseetheendofthewarortoseehispost-warreconstruetionpoliciescometofulfilment,ashediedinJuly1945.CurtinisregardedasoneofthegreatestAustralianPrimeMinisters.

DanielDeniehy

■■'Born16thAugust1828,Sydney,NSW

「Died22ndOctober1865,Bathurst,丨

DahielHenryDeniehywaselected「LegislativeAssemblyin1857and.mainaimtoopenuppubliclands

：^ElectoralReformLeague,inordertopushfor^greaterdemocracy.Healsofoundedhisown^newspaperin1859,theSouthernCross,to^reviewpublicaffairs,fosternational

NSWtotheNSW1860,withhistotheworkingHehelpedformtheNewSouthWales

ss.

sentiment,andworktowardsthefederationofthecolonies.

See:

DanielDeniehy:RepublicanPatriot

.au/~natinfo/1denie

hy.htm

C?J?Dennis

Born7September1876,Auburn,SouthAustraliaDied22June1938,Melbourne

C.J.Dennis,poetandjournalist,waspopularinAustraliaforhisdown-to-earthworks,writteninthevernacularofthetimes.In1913DennispublishedavolumetitledBackblockballadsandotherverses,butitwasnotafinancialsuccess.ImmediatesuccesswasachievedwithTheSongsofasentimentalblokealovestorywritteninslang,whichwaspublishedinOctober1915;threeeditionswererequiredin1915,ninein1916,andby1976fifty—seveneditionshadbeenpublishedinAustralia,England,Canada,andtheUSA.See:PerryMiddlemiss'sitere.C.J.Dennis

/lit/authors/denniscj

MaryGilmore

Born1864(MaryCameron),CottaWalla(nearGoulburn),NewSouthWales

Died1962

MaryGilmorewasateacherandwriter.Shewastheeditorofthewomen'spagesoftheAustralianWorkernewspaperfor23years.ShejoinedWilliamLane's""NewAustralia""utopianexperimentsettlementinParaguay,andmarriedWilliamGilmoretherein1897(theybothreturnedtoAustraliain1902).Awell-knownAustralianpoet,hermostpopularpieceis"NoFoeShallGatherOurHarvest〃.

NedKelly

Birthdateunknown,commonlybelievedtobebetweenNovember1854andJanuary1855,atBeveridge(25milesnorthofMelbourne),Victoria

Diedonthe11thNovember1880,hungatMelbourneGaol,Victoria

NedKellyisAustralia'smostfamousbushranger.Saidtohavebeenforcedintobushrangingbythepolice,whowerelookingtoshoothim,heandhisgangrobbedbanksratherthanrobbingcommonfolk.TheKellyganghadmanyactivesupportersandawidefollowing,andhemadeplansfortheestablishingaRepublicofNorthEastern.NedwascapturedatGlenrowan,andwastriedatMelbourne,wherehewassentencedtodeathbyhanging.

See:NedKelly:AustralianIronOutlawhttp://

www.iron

incl.ahistoryoftheKellyGanghttp://

www.iron

/html/history_01.html

ThemenofKokoda一the

(I

1942

j-?ft

The...NewGuineacampaign,whichincluded

Bay

Track,is,

andwastypifiedbytheKododaseenasadefiningmomentin

Australia'shistory.ThiswaswherethepreceivedinvincibilityoftheJapaneseArmywasfirstseentobebroken.ThecourageandismofourtroopsontheKokodaTrackis

savioursofAustralia

oneoftheproudestandandmostmemorable

episodesinAustralia'swartimehistory.

See:

TheKokodaTrackMemorialWalkway

.au

incl.animpressivemap[§ional

diagram]ofKokodaTrack

.au/stations/map.html

See:BattleForAustralia

http://

www.ba

.au/kokodal.html

TheLambingFlatRebellion

1861

TheLambingFlatRebellionwasaseriesofviolentanti—ChinesedemonstrationsthattookplacearoundtheLambingFlat(nowYoung)areaofNewSouthWales.TheMiners'ProtectiveLeaguedemandedparliamentaryrepresentation,protectionofindustry,andtheexpulsionoftheChinese.IthasbeensaidthatitwasthisrebellionthatwasthestartingpointfortheeventualWhiteAustraliaPolicyatFederation.

JackLang

Born21December1876,Sydney,NSW

Died27September1975,Auburn,NSW

JohnThomasLang(familiarlyknownas""Jack",andnicknamed""TheBigFella")wasTreasurerintheNSWLaborgovernmentof1920—21,andPremierandTreasureroftheStatetwice(1925—27and1930-32).Hisfirsttermbroughtmanysignificantinnovations,includingchildendowment,widows'pensions,increasedworkers'compensationrates,reversiontothe44—hourweek,abolitionofsecondaryschoolfees,andvotesforallinlocalgovernmentelections.Lang'ssecondterm,whichcoincidedwiththeworstyearsoftheGreatDepression,endedwiththedismissalofhisgovernmentby

theStateGovernor(SirPhilipGame).Lang'sdismissalarosefromhisrefusaltopayinterestongovernmentloansborrowedfromfinanciersintheUnitedKingdomattheheightoftheGreatDepression.

JohnDunmoreLang

rn1799

ed1878

&-^^TleRev.JohnDunmoreLangwas,besidesbeingaminister為freligion,arepublicanorator,writerandpoliticalorganizer,whocampaignedforarepublicinthe1840sand1l50s,puttingforwardhisplanfora"UnitedStatesofAu$tralia,thegreatrepublicoftheSouthernSeas".Langlobbiedfortheendoftransportation,whichhesawasanendlessconduitofiniquitypouringintotheColony.See:JohnDunmoreLang—Patriot,Republican,Statesman.Evangelical,&Engima

.au/~gsmunro/TEXT/essays/Lang.html

See:

JohnDunmoreLangBicentenary1999

http://

.au/Lang/welcome.h

tml

HenryLawson

BBorn17June1867,ontheGrenfellgoldfields^^1(372kmwestofSydney),NSW念諮寸Died2September1922,Abbotsford,Sydney,NSW

-HenryLawsonwasoneofAustralia'sgreatest^Jwriters.Hisinterestintherepublicanmovement^^|wassparkedbyhisexposuretotheradicalismof

friendsofhismother,Louisa.In1887hebecame

:■-...titularpublisheroftheRepublican(inwhichhisfirstwritingsappeared),andhisfirstpublishedverse,"SongoftheRepublic",

appearedinTheBulletinLawsonbecameoneofAustralia'smostinfluentialwritersandshowed

hisinterestintheordinarymenandwomenofAustralia,suchasinhisstory""TheDrover'sWife"aboutawomanlivingandsubsistingoffthelandonanAustralianselection.Hiswritingwasoftentakenfrommemoriesofhischildhood,especiallyatPipeclay/Eurunderee.Towardstheendof1892,hewasunemployed,andJ.F.Archibald(editorofTheBulletin)stakedhimforhisfamousBourkejourney;whiletherehefoundemploymentpaintinghouses,andthen,duringabrutaldrought,humpedhisbluey,thereandback,toHungerford.ThisrevelationoftheharshnessoftheoutbackwaspivotalinLawson'sunderstandingofthecountry,leavingadeepmarkonLawson'spsycheandvalidatinghisbeliefinthe""horrorsofbushlife",andsuppliedtheimpetusfor""TheUnionBuriesItsDead"and""Hungerford".Lawsonwaswellknownforhisbushballads""TheTeams",""TheRoaringDays",and"Andy'sGonewiththeCattle",aswellashissocialandpoliticalworks,suchas"WatchontheKerb","FacesintheStreet","FreedomontheWallaby",and"TheArmyoftheRear".In1986,LawsonmarriedBerthaBredt(stepdaughteroftheradicalSydneybooksellerW.H.McNamara,andsister-inTawofJackLang).HetriedhishandinNewZealand(1897),theninEngland(1900),andreturnedtoSydneyin1902.Hisalcoholism,datingfrom1898,thenbecameamajorproblemleadingtoseparationfromhiswifein1903.From1907to1918Lawsonwasoftendestitute,althoughhewaslaterawardedaweeklypensionfromtheCommonwealthLiteraryFundin1920.Whenhediedin1922,LawsonwasgivenastatefuneralatSt.Andrew'sChurch.

See:OldPoetry

/authors/Henry_Lawson

See:ThePoetryofHenryLawson

.au/~natinfo/lawson

TedMack

TedMackistheonlyAustraliantoeverhavebeenelectedandre-electedasanindependenttolocal,state,andfederalgovernment.HewaselectedtotheNorthSydneyCityCouncilasanAldermanin1974,whereheserveduntil1988(hewasMayorofNorthSydney1980-1988);whileservingasmayor,hewaselectedtotheNewSouthWalesstateparliamentastheMemberoftheLegislativeAssemblyforNorthShore1981-1988;andwaselectedasthefederalMemberofParliamentforNorthSydneyfrom1990to

1996.Heinstituteddemocraticreformsinhislocal

areaandiswell-respectedasamanofdemocracy.Mackhasbeenastaunchdefenderofelectors'rightsandapassionatesupporterofpeoples'righttoagreatersayingovernment.HewasalsoelectedasanindependentRepublicandelegatetothe1998ConstitutionalConvention,whereheopposedthemodelfavouredbytheAustralianRepublicanMovement,andarguedthatAustralianvotersshouldhaveadirectsayintheprocesstodecidetheirHeadofState.

See:

TedMack-TheIndependent

http://

www.johns

/ted_mack_a.html#tmp

See:

ThetrulyhonorableMrMack

.au/www_root/pdf/tiO10402.pdf

CaptainMoonlight

Born1842,NorthIreland

Died20January1880,hunginDarlinghurstGaol,Sydney,NSW

AndrewScott,betterknownasCaptainMoonlight,wasabushranger.HerobbedtheMt.Egertonbranch(Victoria)oftheLondonCharteredBank,on20December1870,hewasbroughtbeforetheSydneyQuarterSessionsforpassingbadchequesandandhewassentencedtotwelvemonthsinMaitlandGaol.OnhisreleaseinMarch1872hewaspromptly

arrestedandextraditedtoVictoriatofaceare-openingoftheMt.Egertonbankrobberycase,JudgeRedmondBarry(thesamejudgethattriedNedKelly)sentencedhimtotenyearsimprisonmentfortherobberyandgavehimanadditionaltwelvemonthsforescapingfromBallaratGaolforafewdayswhilstawaitingtrial.Hewasreleased18March1879,andwassoonafterstronglysuspectedofrobbingtheLancefieldbank,wenttoNSW,helduptheWantabadgeryStationhomestead(endingupwithover30hostages);however,whenthepolicewerealerted,Scottandhispartners-in-crimeescaped,althoughtheywerelaterrecapturedwhentheyholedupinanotherhomestead.HewastriedinSydneyon8December1879,andsentencedtodeath.

See:AndrewGeorgeScott(alias"CaptainMoonlight").au/bushrangers/scott_a.ht

BreakerMorant

BornChristmas1865,Bideford,Devon,England(accordingtohim)

Died27February1902,Pretoria,SouthAfrica,shotbyafiringsquad

Harry"Breaker"Morantwasahorsebreakerofmuchrepute,aswellasbeingawriterforTheBulletinHisoriginsareshroudedinmystery,andseemstohaveappearedinAustraliafromnowhere(or,atleast,noofficialtraceofhimarriving,orofhisorigins,hasyetbeenfound).HesignedupfortheBoerWar,wasallegedtohaveshotsomeBoerprisonersunder

ordersfromhissuperiorofficer,Captain

Hunt,andwasexecutedbytheBritishArmy.ThefilmBreakerMorantisworthwhilewatching.

HenryParkes

Bornin1815,England

Diedin1896

SirHenryParkeswasafamousjournalistandpolitician.Hewasanex-chartistandhemigratedtoSydneyin1839andworkedasatoymaker,alabourerandajournalist.HeestablishedtheEmpireNewspaperin1850,whichfailedfinancially.Heledpublicprotestsagainstre-introductionofconvictlabour.ElectedtoLegislativeCouncilin1854,hewasastrongdemocratanddisagreedwithWilliamWentworth'samendedConstitution-heconsideredita"squatter'sconstitution".Heorganisedlocalgovernmentbodies,andinitiatedhospitalreforms.Healsointroducedcompulsoryfreeeducation,withdrawingallstateaidtochurchschoolsin1880.HewasappointedColonialsecretary(1866)andPremierofNewSouthWalesin1872;andremainedapoliticalgiantuntilthefinalcollapseofhisgovernmentin1891whichmarkedtheendofhispoliticalcareer.HewasagreatadvocateofFederation.In1880hecalledanIntercolonialConferencetodiscussChineseimmigration,followingwhichallstates(exceptWesternAustralia)agreedtoimposerestrietions.HemadeafamousafterdinnerspeechatTenterfieldin1889whichwasapowerfulemotionalappealonbehalfofFederation.LatersimilarspeechesthroughoutN.S.W.resultedinanunsuccessfulFederalConferenceinMelbourne(1890).Parkeswasthepresidentof1891NationalConventionbutdisapprovedofthedraftconstitutions.TheAustralianNativesAssociationatCorowa(1893)adoptedhissuggestionthataconventionbeelectedtodrawupaconstitution.

BanjoPaterson

Born17February1864,nearOrange,NewSouthWales

Died5February1941,Sydney,NSW

AndrewBartonPatersonispossiblyAustralia'smostpopularpoet,withhiscompositionsincludingWaltzingMatilda.TheManfromSnowyRiver,ClancyoftheOverflow,andTheGeebungPoloClub.Heusedthepseudonymof""TheBanjo"forhismagazinewritings(analiasderivedfromthenameofaracehorsethefamilyowned),andhadadeepaffectionforhorses,beinganaturalhorseman,and,notsurprisingly,manyofhisworkshavea""horsetheme".PatersonwascaughtupincolonialAustralia'scommitmenttotheunfortunateBoer

War,becomingawarcorrespondent.Beforehisdeathin1941,hehadprovidedatimelessliterarylegacyofAustralia'suniqueculturalheritageandidentity.

See:

OldPoetry

/authors/A_B_Banjo_Paterson

W?G?Spence

Born1846,inavillageintheOrkneyIslands,Scotland

Died13December1926

WilliamGuthrieSpenceiswell-knownasatradeunionleader.HecametoAustraliawithhisfatherhop