Democratic Adventurer: Graham Berry and the Making of Australian Politics (Biography) - Hardcover

Graham Berry (1822-1904) was colonial Australia&;s most gifted, creative, and controversial politician. A riveting speaker, a newspaper proprietor and editor, and the founder of Australia&;s first mass political party, he wielded these tools to launch an age of reform: spearheading the adoption of a &;protectionist&; economic policy, the payment of parliamentarians, and the taxing of large landowners. He also sought the reform of the Constitution, precipitating a crisis that the London Times likened to a &;revolution.&; This book recovers Berry&;s forgotten and fascinating life. It explores his drives and aspirations, the scandals and defeats that nearly derailed his career, and his remarkable rise from linen-draper and grocer to adored popular leader. It establishes his formative influence on later Australian politics, and it also uses Berry&;s life to reflect on the possibilities and constraints of democratic politics, hoping thereby to enrich the contemporary political imagination.