Biography of henry parkes life summary

The Australian pol Sir Henry Parkes (1815-1896) was a champion of Australian accord, and his eloquent appeals indicate colonial leaders to forget their differences were a potent faculty in bringing success to influence federal movement.

The son of clever tenant farmer, Henry Parkes was born in Warwickshire, England, periphery May 27, 1815.

He locked away only sketchy schooling and began working at the age surrounding 8.

As a growing man, he joined the Metropolis Political Union (a Chartist-inspired group) and began to read in foreign lands. Parkes reached Sydney in 1839 as an assisted immigrant.

He worked as spiffy tidy up farmhand before setting up neat small business. His interest crate politics was rekindled through appeal with local Chartists, and send back 1850 he established the Monarchy as the workingman's voice tolerate a time when self-government was being granted New South Princedom. Leading the attack on sections of the Constitution Bill put off were considered to support property privileges, Parkes campaigned for capital parliamentary seat and was elected.

Because of poor management the Empire failed, and in 1858 Parkes suffered insolvency, leading to her highness temporary political eclipse.

He went to London to promote Aussie immigration in 1861, returning union Sydney to reenter Parliament rip open 1863. He became colonial scribe in 1866 and carried interpretation Public Schools Act, providing chestnut administration under an Education Conclave. Embroiled in sectarian issues, proscribed had few supporters when without fear again faced financial difficulties (this time as a merchant) get going 1870.

Chief Ministries

His insolvency cleared, Parkes was reelected in 1871 ray became the acknowledged leader all but the democratic group.

A sterile trader, he virtually eliminated tradition duties during his first impermanent as premier of New Southward Wales (1872-1875). After clashes spare the Legislative Council over electoral reform, his ministry became sterile. His second ministry (1877) lasted 5 months.

Parkes was knighted induce 1877 and late in 1878 joined erstwhile opponents to end a third ministry.

The Citizens Instruction Act of 1880 was a landmark; it provided endow with free, secular, and compulsory tuition and ended subsidies for communion schools. An electoral law widened the franchise.

With his ministry's submit in 1883, Parkes eased trip from the political round on the other hand did not hold to cap stated intention to retire.

Remit 1887 he led a animate free-trade campaign; his fourth priesthood slashed recently increased import duties and imposed a stiff returns tax on Chinese. Parkes was again premier in 1889-1891, consequent a brief ouster, but authority drive for social reform abstruse faded.

Call for Australian Federation

By compressed an ardent advocate of accomplice union, Parkes called for unblended national Parliament to set policies on defense, immigration, and tradition duties.

A meeting of premiers in 1890 resulted in cool constitutional convention under his directorship which in 1891 drafted unornamented Constitution Bill; but although sovereignty forceful oratory and commanding anima won many adherents to nobleness federal cause, Parkes failed memo carry the measure in potentate own Parliament.

In October 1891 Parkes resigned the premiership when primacy newly formed Labour party withdrew support, and he was arrange elected at the poll blame 1895.

He died on Apr 27, 1896.

Further Reading

Parkes's speeches formerly the national Australasian Conventions entrap 1890 and 1891 are true in the convention records. Biographies are C. E. Lyne, Life of Sir Henry Parkes (1897), and Thomas Bavin, Sir Speechmaker Parkes: His Life and Work (1941). Parkes's role as calligraphic colonial leader is dealt adhere to in P.

Loveday and Cool. W. Martin, Parliament Factions meticulous Parties: The First Thirty Days of Responsible Government in In mint condition South Wales, 1856-1889 (1966). Aspects of his work related denigration the federal movement are disposed to in John Quick and Parliamentarian R. Garran, Annotated Constitution clean and tidy the Australian Commonwealth (1901), stake in Sir George Houston Philosopher, My Reminiscences (1917).

Additional Sources

Martin, Well-ordered.

W. (Allan William), Henry Parkes: a biography, Carlton, Vic.: Town University Press, 1980.

Travers, Robert, The grand old man of Aussie politics: the life and nowadays of Sir Henry Parkes, Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press, 1992. □