Cirrus@Austlit

'At various times in its history, the Australian Labor Party’s strict insistence that its parliamentarians vote along party lines or face expulsion has caused angst within the party. On the one hand, the practice means that talented party members might be lost to the ALP; on the other, party solidarity is the key to passing legislation and to maintaining cohesion. One of the early architects of Labor’s strict party discipline was J.C. Watson, who was a major figure within the labour movement between 1890 and 1916.' (Introduction)

'Northern Australia is rediscovered by each new generation of Australian politicians. Dams, mines, large transport projects, a food bowl for Asia and many other projects are promised and sometimes delivered, but then the political momentum fades away and the focus of attention turns to other issues. What is often missing in discussion is the region’s long history of nation-building initiatives and proposals, stretching back to 1901. Without this knowledge we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past.

'Northern Dreams brings to life the passionate arguments about Northern Australia’s national significance and analyses the political debates that have periodically drawn the public’s attention northwards. It also highlights the role that Australian politicians such as Gough Whitlam, Ben Chifley, Robert Menzies and Bob Hawke played in shaping northern development policies to suit their times. Northern Dreams is the definitive history of the politics of northern development in Australia.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Boy from Baradine is one of the latest Australian political memoirs to hit the shelves. Craig Emerson, a prominent minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments between 2007 and 2013, has some interesting stories to tell about life as a political adviser, a pragmatic supporter of the environment, and an ambitious Labor politician. Emerson comes across as genuine and down to earth. He appears not to have carried a grudge towards those who at times obstructed his political career. Indeed, one of the saddest implications of the book is the sense that political ambition tends to make political and personal friendships difficult to maintain.' (Introduction)

'The colonial fascination with northern Australia holds the key to understanding the Burke and Wills exped­ition of 1860-61. The north was well situated to increase trade and ­communication with Asian and British markets. Once explorers opened up northern Australia, the development of railways, ports and underwater telegraph cables would connect the isolated British-Australian colonies to the rest of the world.' (Introduction)

'Emeritus Professor Maurice French has made a major contribution to our historical understanding of the Darling Downs and its unofficial capital, Toowoomba. Through reading French’s work, the keen student of Queensland politics realises the extent to which Toowoomba has produced more than its share of influential politicians, including such figures as W.H. Groom, Littleton Groom, Gordon Chalk and the subject of the author’s latest book, Queensland parliamentarian Jack Duggan (1910–93).'  (Introduction)

'In 1799, five white men were founding guilty of unlawfully killing two Aborigines at Hawkesbury River settlement in a New South Wales court. However, because of various circumstances, the guilty were allowed to go free and disappear from the pages of history. Blood Revenge is a well-researched study of this law case, and it highlights a number of key factors which influenced the nature of the crime and the way in which the court case was ultimately botched.' (Introduction)

Includes memoirs of the first twenty years of the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies by Colin Roderick and of the following thirty years of the foundation by Lyndon Megarrity.