1st Edition

The Australian Horn of Plenty How Britain's Australian Colonies Began Democracy

By Reg Hamilton Copyright 2025
144 Pages 21 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

144 Pages 21 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Hamilton explores in a short history how all men gained the vote, self-government and the secret ballot in South Australia (1856), Victoria (1857), and New South Wales (1858). Australia permanently democratised without a violent revolution, and at a very early time. In 1851–1858, local parliaments in the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia gave all men the vote,... Read more

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Democracy

Chapter 2: What were the 1850s constitutions and electoral laws?

Chapter 3: The ideas that formed these new Australian colonial democracies

Chapter 4: The Colonial leaders that fought for and opposed democracy

Chapter 5: Obstructive Legislative Councils (upper houses)

Chapter 6: New South Wales – the 18th century colony

Chapter 7: Victoria– the colony of the goldfields and Eureka stockade

Chapter 8: South Australia – the democracy colony

Chapter 9: The British framework

Chapter 10: Conclusion

Annexure 1: A Note on Sources

Biography

Reg Hamilton is Adjunct Professor, Central Queensland University, College of Business, School of Business and Law, formerly a Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission and Australian Industrial Relations Commission. He is the author of numerous articles on the history of the minimum wage, and books on labour relations and Australian colonial history.