Australia’s Democracy: A Short History

Australians did not invent political democracy, but they have created a unique form of it. Australia’s Democracy tells the story of the political structures Australians have made.

It’s a story which traces the growth of democratic rights and freedoms from convict times until the present. It charts the transitions from the era when racism limited political rights to today’s concern that everyone’s human rights be respected; from the demand that governments be free to carry out the people’s wishes to the current desire to see all government power checked and controlled. It examines notable Australian political innovations like the secret ballot, the basic wage and the practice of democratic manners.

Australia’s Democracy also explores the oddities of Australia’s political society: where there has been strong opposition to military conscription but not to compulsory voting; where egalitarianism and the belief in ‘a fair go’ have not led to a universal welfare system nor prohibited the growth of private schools; where politicians have been held in contempt but governments have been competent and efficient; where the people have been scornful of British snobbishness but loyal to a British monarch; and where men have been keen about mateship, leaving women to take citizenship seriously.

This is the first book on Australia’s democratic history. It is written by one of Australia’s most notable historians whose hallmark is fresh interpretation, an engaging style and a compelling eye for the human story in history. John Hirst brings the history of our particular democracy to life in a lucid, entertaining and vivid way for students of history and for general readers so that they can better understand the society in which they live.