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The puzzled patriots;: The story of the Australia First Movement
200 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 15, 2024
When the book explores the lives of Rud Mils, Stephenson and Miles it does a great job in fleshing out what these men did, what they believed, their small but significant influence in the world of politics, literature and religion (Rud Mils), the history of publishing company The Publicist.
Miles intellectual journey was diverse. He collected large and broad ranging library, studying systematically various thinkers from T.H. Huxley, J.S. Mill Darwin. He directed the affairs of the Rationalist Association of NSW, and he disparaged the imperial link between Australia and Britain. His views were complex and evolving. He held both Anglophobic and pro-monarchical views, describing British subjects as “the English garrison in Australia”. He saw war as a law of life, and pacificism as a waste of time. In July 1935, he came across P.R. Stephensen’s essay subtitled “An Essay towards National Self Respect”, published in The Australian Mercury. Which eventually brought the two men together
Stephenson was born in Marysborough Queensland. Raised Christian from birth, then at the age of fourteen finding himself walking out of a church service. In the year 1919, he studied arts at the University of Quensland. Gaining positions of leadership there, he made the decision to change the Queensland University Magazine to the Aboriginal Galmahra, meaning poet, seer, teacher or philosopher among the tribes. In 1922, Miles graduated in Brisbane and left to teach at Ipswich Grammar, where he formed a communist association. His work including cultivating Australian literature, and his political preoccupations included a desire for national self-reliance. In 1937 he made Pro-Japan comments, and in July 1939
He wrote "We need here a Mahomet, a Hideyoshi, a Cromwell—or a Hitler —a man of harsh vitality, a born leader, a man of action, not one sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought. Fanatics are needed, crude harsh men, not sweet and decorous men, to arouse us from the lethargy of decadence, softness and lies which threatens death to White Australia."
Due to political persecution and perceived security threats, both Miles and Stephenson are interned by the Australian government. After Stephensen’s release from internment, he lived as a recluse on a farm at Warburton East, fifty five miles form Melbourne, where in 1954, Walter Stone persuaded him to write his recollections of the Fanfrolico Press days. Stone published Stephensen's autobiography, Kookaburras and Satyrs. In 1965 Stephensen died.
Towards the final chapters, there is revealed the foiled terrorist plot in Perth, which the author states was insignificant in terms of being an actual threat. Was this really the case though? The truth of the matter is unclear. With a complicated legal system, accusations of spies, reprehensible comments from members of the group involved, undercover detectives, general paranoia from the government, tabloid journalism. The narrative here becomes murky, filled with multiple characters, names, figures. Too many too remember to be fair. There is a large amount of exposition about the unfair internments that subsequently occurred of Australia First members, including Miles, Stephensen, Rud and others, of the Sydney and Melbourne group. There are descriptions of the reprehensible remarks made by the members about antisemitism, Hitler, and the axis powers. Reprehensible yes; but terrorist plots, quislings, national security threats, probably not. The court proceedings are long and dull but do not offer much to the narrative, other than excess details of dates, legalese, papers, accusations, legal defences, more dates, more defences, more dates, ministers of Parliament, politicians, and so on. The book ends with the author’s evaluation of the legal events that conspired, which was nothing spectacular.
Miles intellectual journey was diverse. He collected large and broad ranging library, studying systematically various thinkers from T.H. Huxley, J.S. Mill Darwin. He directed the affairs of the Rationalist Association of NSW, and he disparaged the imperial link between Australia and Britain. His views were complex and evolving. He held both Anglophobic and pro-monarchical views, describing British subjects as “the English garrison in Australia”. He saw war as a law of life, and pacificism as a waste of time. In July 1935, he came across P.R. Stephensen’s essay subtitled “An Essay towards National Self Respect”, published in The Australian Mercury. Which eventually brought the two men together
Stephenson was born in Marysborough Queensland. Raised Christian from birth, then at the age of fourteen finding himself walking out of a church service. In the year 1919, he studied arts at the University of Quensland. Gaining positions of leadership there, he made the decision to change the Queensland University Magazine to the Aboriginal Galmahra, meaning poet, seer, teacher or philosopher among the tribes. In 1922, Miles graduated in Brisbane and left to teach at Ipswich Grammar, where he formed a communist association. His work including cultivating Australian literature, and his political preoccupations included a desire for national self-reliance. In 1937 he made Pro-Japan comments, and in July 1939
He wrote "We need here a Mahomet, a Hideyoshi, a Cromwell—or a Hitler —a man of harsh vitality, a born leader, a man of action, not one sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought. Fanatics are needed, crude harsh men, not sweet and decorous men, to arouse us from the lethargy of decadence, softness and lies which threatens death to White Australia."
Due to political persecution and perceived security threats, both Miles and Stephenson are interned by the Australian government. After Stephensen’s release from internment, he lived as a recluse on a farm at Warburton East, fifty five miles form Melbourne, where in 1954, Walter Stone persuaded him to write his recollections of the Fanfrolico Press days. Stone published Stephensen's autobiography, Kookaburras and Satyrs. In 1965 Stephensen died.
Towards the final chapters, there is revealed the foiled terrorist plot in Perth, which the author states was insignificant in terms of being an actual threat. Was this really the case though? The truth of the matter is unclear. With a complicated legal system, accusations of spies, reprehensible comments from members of the group involved, undercover detectives, general paranoia from the government, tabloid journalism. The narrative here becomes murky, filled with multiple characters, names, figures. Too many too remember to be fair. There is a large amount of exposition about the unfair internments that subsequently occurred of Australia First members, including Miles, Stephensen, Rud and others, of the Sydney and Melbourne group. There are descriptions of the reprehensible remarks made by the members about antisemitism, Hitler, and the axis powers. Reprehensible yes; but terrorist plots, quislings, national security threats, probably not. The court proceedings are long and dull but do not offer much to the narrative, other than excess details of dates, legalese, papers, accusations, legal defences, more dates, more defences, more dates, ministers of Parliament, politicians, and so on. The book ends with the author’s evaluation of the legal events that conspired, which was nothing spectacular.
October 4, 2023
To be able to read about the development of the Right Wing Nationalist movement in Australia is so important. Densely written and from first hand sources.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews