The Common Man's Australia: Martin W. Godfrey, 1901 to 2003

By Rhonda Godfrey Gibson

The winds of change had blown across this sunburnt country in 1901 when Australia was born.

Henry Parkes had called for One People One Destiny, and Henry Lawson had written The Song of the Republic, a land that belongs to you. What would this mean for the common man born in Australia, who had fought bitter fights for justice, for the vote, and for decent wages and working conditions? Would he have a voice in the future developments of his country? And what of the native Australian? Are we British or are we Australian?

Martin was the son of Alf Martin Godfrey and Emma Amelia Green. Emma was the daughter of wealthy pastoralist Henry Green of Coonamble. Martin was greatly influenced by the experiences of his father, but would leave the Outback permanently in 1942, moving as far south as possible when the Japanese bombed Darwin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, "Let Australia Go " Martin was a Labor man, a union man, and a socialist, but at the age of 75 one Labor Prime Minister lost his vote.

In Melbourne Martin's transport changed from horse to horsepower, his family with five children did not escape tragedy; suicide shocked their very foundation, and illegal abortion brought fear unknown. Nearing his twilight he reflected on the journey of the common man over the century past, One People One Destiny, of the Republic, and of what had changed for white and black Australians.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1876882492
• ISBN13: 9781876882495
• Release Date: December 2019
• Publisher: Zeus Publications
• Length: 568 Pages
• Weight: 1.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.3"