Henry Bournes
Higgins. photograph neg.4293 National
Library of Australia |
THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA'S FEDERATION
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HIGGINS, HENRY BOURNES (1851-1929)
Higgins was born on 30 June 1851 at
Newtownards, Ireland and migrated to Victoria in 1870 with his family. He
completed a law degree at Melbourne University and entered the Victorian
Legislative Assembly as the member for Geelong in 1894.
Elected as a
Victorian delegate to the Federation Conventions of 1897-98, Higgins was one of
the few delegates who opposed the Constitution Bill. The nature of his
opposition can be summarised by one of his early comments: 'unless we federate
on sound lines we had better not federate at all'.
Higgins was
concerned that the Senate was being constructed as a states' house with equal
representation for each State, regardless of population size. His other main
concern was that the proposed Constitution was too rigid. He argued that any
constitution should be amenable to moral pressure and public
opinion.
Elected to the first federal parliament in 1901, becoming
Attorney-General 1904-06. Higgins become a justice of the High Court and
President of the Arbitration Court.
He died at Dromana, Vic., on 13
January 1929.
Books of
interest
Higgins, H. B. (1900). Essays and addresses on
the Australian Commonwealth Bill. Melbourne: Atlas Press.
Palmer,
Nettie. (1931). Henry Bournes Higgins: a memoir. London: Harrap.
Richard, John. (1984). H.B. Higgins: the rebel as judge.
Sydney: George Allen & Unwin.
Higgins' papers are
held at the National Library in the Manuscripts Collection (MS 1057). A
description of the contents is located at: http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/1057.html
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