Makers Of Miracles: The Cast of the Federation Story

(Paperback)

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Description

This book brings the creators of our Commonwealth to life as characters, as living people in the context of their time and place. The road that led to the inauguration of the Australian nation in Centennial Park, Sydney, on 1 January 1901 was by no means smooth travelling. Alfred Deakin later noted that Federation 'must always appear to have been secured by a series of miracles'. These 'miracles' needed committed Australians to make them happen. But many individuals who helped to write the Federation story have long been forgotten. Who were these movers and shakers What were their hopes for the fledgling nation Our founders were an eclectic bunch of characters, with their own ambitions, dreams and foibles; from the substantial Reid who liked to offer his seat on the tram to not one but two ladies, to the cunning orator Parkes whom The Bulletin cheekily dubbed the 'great hi ham'. Makers of Miracles allows us to see behind the public activities of these men and women and to understand their private thoughts and aspirations. It is a book not so much of politics as of personalities, bringing the creators of our Commonwealth vividly to life.

Reviews

"This book is very accessible and readable and would be highly useful and informative to teachers, senior students and uni bods, particularly as a supplement to a more formal curriculum. The general readers should enjoy the tangential lights thrown into previously obscure corners and glimpse the noble aspirations and human face of our forebears." --The Canberra Times

Author Bio

Dr David Headon is Director of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies (Canberra) and teaches in the Department of English, University of New South Wales (ADFA). He was recently appointed a Special Adviser to the ACT Centenary of Federation Committee. Dr John Williams is a Senior Lecturer at the Law School, University of Adelaide. His major areas of research are constitutional law, legal history and human rights. He is the founder and co-editor of the The New Federalist- The Journal of Australian Federation History.