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Australian
Law

     history

This page considers the development of the Constitution, federation and intergovernmental relationships in the era of the GII.This page considers Federation and the development of the Constitution, federation and intergovernmental relationships in the era of the GII.

     orientations

Overviews of the Constitution include Helen Irving's To constitute a nation: a cultural history of Australia's Constitution (Cambridge: Cambridge Uni Press 1997), Brian Galligan's A Federal Republic: Australia's Constitutional System of Government (Cambridge: Cambridge Uni Press 1995), W G McMinn's A constitutional history of Australia (Oxford: Oxford Uni Press 1979), Geoffrey Sawer's Australian Politics and Law 1901-1929 (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1956).

     founding fathers

For accounts of and by the 'founding fathers' see Alfred Deakin's 'And be one people': Alfred Deakin's Federal story (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1995) edited by Stuart Macintyre and Federated Australia: selections from letters to the Morning Post, 1900-1910 (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1968) edited by John La Nauze, L. F. Crisp's Federation Fathers (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1990), La Nauze's perceptive The making of the Australian Constitution (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1972), Prosper the Commonwealth (Sydney: Angus & Robertson 1958) by Robert Garran and The Centenary companion to Australian federation (Cambridge: Cambridge Uni Press 1999) edited by Helen Irving and The emergent Commonwealth: Australian federation, expectations & fulfilment 1889-1910 (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1975) by Ronald Norris.

Salient biographies are Henry Parkes (Melbourne: Oxford Uni Press 1964) by A W Martin, Edmund Barton (Melbourne: Oxford Uni Press 1974) by Martha Rutledge, George Reid (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1989) by W G McMinn, Good Iron Mac: the life of Australian federation father Sir William McMillan (Sydney: Federation Press 1995) by Peter Gunnar, Samuel Walker Griffith (St Lucia: Uni of Queensland Press 1984) by Roger Joyce, H.B. Higgins: the rebel as judge (Sydney: Allen & Unwin 1984) by John Rickard.

Pointers to early archival material are provided in Federation: the guide to records (Canberra: Australian Archives 1998) by Steven Foster, Susan Marsden and Roslyn Russell.

Studies of the early years include A nation at last?: the changing character of Australian nationalism 1880-1988 (North Ryde: Angus & Robertson 1988) by Stephen Alomes, Unto God and Caesar: religious issues in the emerging Commonwealth, 1891-1906 (Carlton: Melbourne Uni Press 1976) by Richard Ely, The sentimental nation: the making of the Australian Commonwealth (Melbourne: Oxford Uni Press 2000) by John Hirst.

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