Sir Henry Parkes - "Father of Federation"

Sir Henry Parkes
Portrait by J.H.Chinner

watercolour; 26 x 16 cm
PIC R40650
National Library of Australia
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA'S
FEDERATION GATEWAY


PARKES, SIR HENRY (1815-1896)

Henry Parkes was born on 27 May 1815 in Stoneleigh, England, and is known as the 'Father of Federation' . He arrived in Australia in 1839 with his family, emigrating from England. After assisting in political campaigns including that of John Dunmore Lang in 1850 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council (the New South Wales Upper House) in 1854. He moved to the Legislative Assembly in 1856. His political career included five periods as Premier of New South Wales, despite interruptions through insolvency. In 1866 Parkes became a Minister in the government of James Martin, and became Premier of New South Wales in 1872 for the first time. Parkes expressed interest in a federation as early as the 1867 '...these colonies should be united by some federal bond of connection' and in speeches at the 1880-1881 inter-colonial conference.

On 24 October 1889, returning from Brisbane to Sydney, Parkes addressed a group in Tenterfield calling for 'a great national government for all Australians'. The address is reported in The Sydney Morning Herald of 25 October 1889, including the call for

'...a convention of leading men from all the colonies, delegates appointed by the authority of Parliament, who would fully represent the opinions of different Parliaments of the colonies.'

Parkes pursued with enthusiasm his dream, resulting in the inter-colonial conference in Melbourne in 1890. In setting forth the issues to be addressed, such as tariffs, trade and defence, in 1891 Parkes introduced conciliation and arbitration legislation-the first in the Australian colonies. Parkes made a most significant contribution to Federation. He presided over the first Federal convention held in Sydney in 1891. The draft constitution of this convention provided the basis for the next 10 years of discussion and negotiation between the Colonies. Ill health forced him to retire from proceedings. Sir Samuel Griffith took his place representing Queensland; Edmund Barton (NSW); Andrew Inglis Clark (Tas.); Charles Cameron Kingston (S.A.); all contributing to the constitution.

Parkes was also a poet and writer. He died on 27 April 1896, four years before Australia became a Federation, having established the political directions for the new country.

Books of interest

Martin,A.W. (1964). Henry Parkes. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Martin,A.W. (1990).Parkes and the 1890 Conference. Canberra: Department of the Senate, Parliament House.

Travers, Robert. (1992). The Grand Old Man of Australian Politics : The Life and Times of Sir Henry Parkes.Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press.

The National Library of Australia has a collection of letters (MS 736) and visiting cards, programs and invitations (MS 3266).

 

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