Democratic Adventurer

Graham Berry and the Making of Australian Politics

Sean Scalmer

$39.95

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English

Monash University Publishing
01 December 2025

Australasian & Pacific history; Biography - Australian

Series: Biography

Graham Berry (1822–1904) was colonial Australia’s most gifted, creative and controversial politician. A riveting speaker, a newspaper proprietor and editor, and the founder of Australia’s first mass political party, he wielded these tools to launch an age of reform: spearheading the adoption of a ‘protectionist’ economic policy, the payment of parliamentarians, and the taxing of large landholdings. He also sought the reform of the Constitution, precipitating a crisis that the London Times likened to a ‘revolution’. This book recovers Berry’s forgotten and fascinating life. It explores his drives and aspirations, the scandals and defeats that nearly derailed his career, and his remarkable rise from linen-draper and grocer to adored popular leader. It establishes his formative influence on later Australian politics. And it also uses Berry’s life to reflect on the possibilities and constraints of democratic politics, hoping thereby to enrich the contemporary political imagination.

By: Sean Scalmer
Imprint: Monash University Publishing
Country of Publication: Australia
Edition: Paperback edition
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781923192607
ISBN 10: 1923192604
Series: Biography
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 01 December 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Sean Scalmer teaches at the University of Melbourne, where he is a Professor of History. He is the author of several works of political history, including the prize-winning On the Stump (2017), Gandhi in the West (2011), The Little History of Australian Unionism (2006) and Dissent Events (2002).