John Robertson: Liberal of the People (Australian Biographical Monographs 25)
John Robertson, active in New South Wales politics from 1859 till his sudden death in 1891, served as premier on five separate occasions in 1875 defeating the much-lauded Henry Parkes, with whom he later collaborated with in government. Here is the story of a person of humble birth who helped forge the nation, championed the key principles of an emerging democracy and yet, as author William Coleman points out, has suffered omission from our history, misrepresentation in what he achieved and incomprehension in what he sought. Whether Robertson was a "Great Man" is a question Coleman weighs at the end of volume, and now, at least, we have in this new monograph a better insight as to how to make that assessment.
William Coleman currently Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, was formerly Professor and Reader in the School of Economics at ANU. He has written extensively on inflation, the history of economic thought, the contested position of economics in society, as well as major works on Australian political history. His recent publications include the edited must-read volume, Only in Australia: The History, Politics, and Economics of Australian Exceptionalism (2016) and the detailed and insightful Their Fiery Cross of Union: A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889-1914 (2021).
-Scott Prasser, from the Introduction
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