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Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia
A landmark book—the first full political history of Australia
In this compelling and comprehensive work, renowned historian Frank Bongiorno presents a social and cultural history of Australia's political life, from pre-settlement Indigenous systems to the present day.
Depicting a wonderful parade of dreamers and schemers, Bongiorno surveys moments of political renewal and sheds fresh light on our democratic life. From local pubs and meeting halls to the parliament and cabinet; from pamphleteers and stump orators to party agents and operatives—this enthralling account looks at the political insiders in the halls of power, as well as the agitators and outsiders who sought to shape the nation from the margins.
A work of political history like no other, Dreamers and Schemers will transform the way you look at Australian politics.
In this compelling and comprehensive work, renowned historian Frank Bongiorno presents a social and cultural history of Australia's political life, from pre-settlement Indigenous systems to the present day.
Depicting a wonderful parade of dreamers and schemers, Bongiorno surveys moments of political renewal and sheds fresh light on our democratic life. From local pubs and meeting halls to the parliament and cabinet; from pamphleteers and stump orators to party agents and operatives—this enthralling account looks at the political insiders in the halls of power, as well as the agitators and outsiders who sought to shape the nation from the margins.
A work of political history like no other, Dreamers and Schemers will transform the way you look at Australian politics.
763 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2022
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342 people want to read
About the author
Frank Bongiorno
17 books9 followersFrank Bongiorno is a professor of history and former head of the School of History at the Australian National University. His most recent book is Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 29, 2022
My overwhelming feeling on finishing this book is sheer admiration for the breadth of endeavour to write a political history of Australia right from pre-colonial through to COVID times. Few historians would take on such a task: even fewer could carry it off without flagging. But Frank Bongiorno does, with his customary clarity and a mischievous twinkle in the eye when he encounters absurdity and pretension.
The title, while catchy, is a little misleading: it evokes a 'Hundred Ratbags' sort of book based on crackpots and shysters. The book takes a much more general approach than this, with more emphasis on the big sweeps and arcs of history rather than the foibles of transitory individuals. The 'Dreamers and Schemers' are not just found on the floors of parliamentary chambers - they are out in the pubs, meeting halls, churches and unions as well, but the main focus is on formal political structures.
One of the real strengths of this book is that it considers both federal and state politics alongside each other, taking care to address each of the states, and not just the most populous ones. Personalities tended to loom larger at state level, with a predominance of 'schemers' over 'dreamers'. The distinctiveness of the different states is highlighted: the conservatism (by design) of the Legislative Council in Victoria; the radicalism of Queensland at the turn of the 20th century which contrasted so much with the Bjelke-Petersen era some 70 years later; the way that South Australia often seemed to be travelling its own path. This emphasis on the states means that the full range of politics is explored -not just the big moves of a Federal government, but the compromises and obligations of State governments as well.
This book is written for the general reader, but the relentlessness of change and a succession of actors means that it does require concentrated reading. It provides a wide sweep of history, enabling 'political junkies' to step aside from their own cauldron of day-to-day politics to reflect on continuity and courage, both of which have existed across Australia's political history. Although I have read 'generalist' Australian histories that take a broad-lens approach from settlement onwards, I haven't read another book quite like this one that is so disciplined in its focus on politics as the framework of analysis. It's an important book, and well worth reading.
The title, while catchy, is a little misleading: it evokes a 'Hundred Ratbags' sort of book based on crackpots and shysters. The book takes a much more general approach than this, with more emphasis on the big sweeps and arcs of history rather than the foibles of transitory individuals. The 'Dreamers and Schemers' are not just found on the floors of parliamentary chambers - they are out in the pubs, meeting halls, churches and unions as well, but the main focus is on formal political structures.
One of the real strengths of this book is that it considers both federal and state politics alongside each other, taking care to address each of the states, and not just the most populous ones. Personalities tended to loom larger at state level, with a predominance of 'schemers' over 'dreamers'. The distinctiveness of the different states is highlighted: the conservatism (by design) of the Legislative Council in Victoria; the radicalism of Queensland at the turn of the 20th century which contrasted so much with the Bjelke-Petersen era some 70 years later; the way that South Australia often seemed to be travelling its own path. This emphasis on the states means that the full range of politics is explored -not just the big moves of a Federal government, but the compromises and obligations of State governments as well.
This book is written for the general reader, but the relentlessness of change and a succession of actors means that it does require concentrated reading. It provides a wide sweep of history, enabling 'political junkies' to step aside from their own cauldron of day-to-day politics to reflect on continuity and courage, both of which have existed across Australia's political history. Although I have read 'generalist' Australian histories that take a broad-lens approach from settlement onwards, I haven't read another book quite like this one that is so disciplined in its focus on politics as the framework of analysis. It's an important book, and well worth reading.
March 31, 2024
Like eating vegetables
July 4, 2023
Accessible and entertaining political history, but a very big book. The text covers the period from European settlement to the present and presents a vast array of characters including both the most prominent and lesser known ones. I really liked the way each period, cast of characters and analysis was addressed by giving key events and insights and linking it to the bigger picture. At times, I felt that the treatment of some people and events was a little superficial, but, given the scope of the history, this was very understandable. I was really impressed with this book, but it was a big read that required dedication to finish. I think this will be one that I will keep as a reference and go back to and reread some relevant parts when prompted by current events and issues. An impressive body of work recommended for lovers of history and politics.
December 7, 2022
A very good history of Australia focusing on the political side. Supported by a very interesting selection of photos. Would have like to see a bit more analysis rather than a straight-forward retelling of events.
March 31, 2024
Dreamers and Schemers is a fast-moving narrative history of Australian politics. It is mostly politics of the type reported by the daily media - clashes of personalties, parties, interests and ideologies - but with the historian's benefit of hindsight, of who and what mattered in the long run.
Broader social history and narrower policy detail are included only as brief context, but 50 pages of references provide sources to follow up for readers wanting to know more.
The book's author, ANU historian Frank Bongiorno, mostly keeps the partisan and polemical style of his Twitter feed out; when it appears it is usually better than cheap social media insults, and can convey a lot in a few words through memorable images and juxtapositions.
An example is Pauline Hanson and One Nation's political return in 2016, described as a 'madcap revival tour of an ageing rock group, but one that had been pretty dreadful the first time around'. I could picture this imaginary group playing in the RSL clubs where Hanson's supporters get cheap meals and then lose their money in the pokies machines.
This style is regularly and successfully used through Dreamers and Schemers. I am no expert on Queensland's parliament in the late 19th century, but Bongiorno's description of it - 'an island where unpolished wool kings and knockabout lawyers were guided by the poise, polish and obscure Greek and Latin allusions of English imperial careerists such as Bowen and Herbert' - conveys a lot of information in a small number of words.
Bongiorno's one-sentence descriptions of his characters are also effective. In conveying Labor politician HV Evatt's mid-20th century potential appeal to middle-class voters, at a time when the Labor Party was still working class, his vivid lead into the main point reads 'with dazzling qualifications, a stellar career, and a Modigliani on the wall of a happy family home...', with the Modigliani mention hinting at how Evatt would end up just being too weird for anyone to tolerate (later we are told that Evatt so feared flying that he once took fishing lines on board, to catch food in the event of crash).
The social background of 1940s NSW Labor premier (and later Governor-General), William McKell, after Bongiorno praises him for increased funding for the arts, is also quickly summarised through his tastes - 'Gilbert and Sullivan, Rugby League and horsereacing'. Victorian premier Henry Bolte was a Liberal, but otherwise McKell's southern sociological equivalent, he 'enjoyed reading the form guide, was sports mad, and looked like a porcine country bookmaker.'
When Bongiorno reaches the 1980s, the subject of one of his previous books, he covers events I remember. These include the 1985 Victorian Labor conference when right-wing unions that had split from Labor in the 1950s were readmitted: 'angry opponents sprayed insults, saliva, fists and tomatoes ...'. For a while the left of Victorian Labor was known as the 'tomato left', for reasons Bongiorno's quote makes clear, but which at the time must have baffled people new to the political scene. What do tomatoes have to do with socialism?
The 1980s political contest for the federal Liberal leadership, between Andrew Peacock and John Howard, was 'a little like comparing a character out of LA Law to a suburban solicitor with a solid conveyancing practice'. Another politician said to exude the 'image of the prudent suburban solicitor that he had been before elected to parliament', Victorian 1980s Labor premier John Cain, like Howard enjoyed greater political success than many of the more flamboyant leaders in Bongiorno's history.
Dreamers and Schemers accidentally highlighted me for me that Johns played an outsized role in late 20th century politics. John Elliott, once touted as a future Liberal leader, is portrayed as of the McKell and Bolte social type: 'Elliott exuded an old-fashioned masculinity that found expression in beer, smokes and sport'. Someone who did become Liberal leader, John Hewson, was 'an academic economist, restaurateur, and political adviser', the first two descriptions doing the picture painting work.
With former Pauline Hanson adviser John Pasquarelli the last two descriptions are key: 'bald headed, former Papua and New Guinea politician and crocodile hunter', his colourful CV at odds with the former student politicians who often became political advisers from the 1980s onwards. Hanson's previous life as a fish-and-chip shop owner of course gets a mention.
The dreamers and schemers theme, the visionaries and the pragmatists, is only implied through most of the text. Gough Whitlam was a dreamer, but his point that 'only the impotent are pure' is made; it takes both political types to get things done. This book is a readable account of the political figures who have shaped Australian life since European settlement began in 1788.
Broader social history and narrower policy detail are included only as brief context, but 50 pages of references provide sources to follow up for readers wanting to know more.
The book's author, ANU historian Frank Bongiorno, mostly keeps the partisan and polemical style of his Twitter feed out; when it appears it is usually better than cheap social media insults, and can convey a lot in a few words through memorable images and juxtapositions.
An example is Pauline Hanson and One Nation's political return in 2016, described as a 'madcap revival tour of an ageing rock group, but one that had been pretty dreadful the first time around'. I could picture this imaginary group playing in the RSL clubs where Hanson's supporters get cheap meals and then lose their money in the pokies machines.
This style is regularly and successfully used through Dreamers and Schemers. I am no expert on Queensland's parliament in the late 19th century, but Bongiorno's description of it - 'an island where unpolished wool kings and knockabout lawyers were guided by the poise, polish and obscure Greek and Latin allusions of English imperial careerists such as Bowen and Herbert' - conveys a lot of information in a small number of words.
Bongiorno's one-sentence descriptions of his characters are also effective. In conveying Labor politician HV Evatt's mid-20th century potential appeal to middle-class voters, at a time when the Labor Party was still working class, his vivid lead into the main point reads 'with dazzling qualifications, a stellar career, and a Modigliani on the wall of a happy family home...', with the Modigliani mention hinting at how Evatt would end up just being too weird for anyone to tolerate (later we are told that Evatt so feared flying that he once took fishing lines on board, to catch food in the event of crash).
The social background of 1940s NSW Labor premier (and later Governor-General), William McKell, after Bongiorno praises him for increased funding for the arts, is also quickly summarised through his tastes - 'Gilbert and Sullivan, Rugby League and horsereacing'. Victorian premier Henry Bolte was a Liberal, but otherwise McKell's southern sociological equivalent, he 'enjoyed reading the form guide, was sports mad, and looked like a porcine country bookmaker.'
When Bongiorno reaches the 1980s, the subject of one of his previous books, he covers events I remember. These include the 1985 Victorian Labor conference when right-wing unions that had split from Labor in the 1950s were readmitted: 'angry opponents sprayed insults, saliva, fists and tomatoes ...'. For a while the left of Victorian Labor was known as the 'tomato left', for reasons Bongiorno's quote makes clear, but which at the time must have baffled people new to the political scene. What do tomatoes have to do with socialism?
The 1980s political contest for the federal Liberal leadership, between Andrew Peacock and John Howard, was 'a little like comparing a character out of LA Law to a suburban solicitor with a solid conveyancing practice'. Another politician said to exude the 'image of the prudent suburban solicitor that he had been before elected to parliament', Victorian 1980s Labor premier John Cain, like Howard enjoyed greater political success than many of the more flamboyant leaders in Bongiorno's history.
Dreamers and Schemers accidentally highlighted me for me that Johns played an outsized role in late 20th century politics. John Elliott, once touted as a future Liberal leader, is portrayed as of the McKell and Bolte social type: 'Elliott exuded an old-fashioned masculinity that found expression in beer, smokes and sport'. Someone who did become Liberal leader, John Hewson, was 'an academic economist, restaurateur, and political adviser', the first two descriptions doing the picture painting work.
With former Pauline Hanson adviser John Pasquarelli the last two descriptions are key: 'bald headed, former Papua and New Guinea politician and crocodile hunter', his colourful CV at odds with the former student politicians who often became political advisers from the 1980s onwards. Hanson's previous life as a fish-and-chip shop owner of course gets a mention.
The dreamers and schemers theme, the visionaries and the pragmatists, is only implied through most of the text. Gough Whitlam was a dreamer, but his point that 'only the impotent are pure' is made; it takes both political types to get things done. This book is a readable account of the political figures who have shaped Australian life since European settlement began in 1788.
November 14, 2022
An overview of Australian politics from the Dreaming. Yes, the First Nations had their own political systems that gave power to the old and wise, that worked well in solving disputes, and generally running the communities. This was of course unrecognized and over ridden by the early settlers and ever since.
Making democracy work in white Australia came in several phases. From 1855 voting rights were granted to white men with money, women being “slaves in all but name”. It took many years for means testing to disappear. In 1890 on the Labor party took shape and party politics as such came about, with the recognition that the states needed to be united, and along came Federation with Edmund Barton as prime minister, followed by Alfred Deakin. The first decade of the 20th century was very productive and nationalistic, but WW1 knocked any ideas of an independent Australia: the Empire was now all important and remained so until the end of WW2. Possibly Australia’s best time was postwar reconstruction which went on until the 60s, when Vietnam War brought revolt, different confronting values, and the end of Menzies, who despite the adulation and his longevity in fact achieved little. The long reign of dull Liberalism was over, giving way to Whitlam but after him Labor veered to the right and took on neoliberalism under Hawke and Keating. Then with a brief reversion to Labor, Rudd Gillard Rudd years (Bongiorno acknowledges the tremendous effectiveness of Gillard's legislation record) it was hard right liberalism until Albanese was elected. The title Dreamers and Schemers divides our PMs into two kinds: the visionaries like Barton, Deakin, Chifley perhaps, certainly Whitlam and Keating, all of whom transformed the polity, and the schemers who played the political game for their own ends, like Reid, Abbott, Morrison. He also hints at another categorization: the transformers, who are like the Dreamers but who were actually effective, as against the tinkerers who played at the edges, and even Menzies might be placed as a tinkerer given he transformed little. I would add the category of Rorters like Morrison, who never had a national vision at all, it was all about himself. Perhaps too we might distinguish the Flounderers who were simply out of their depth, like McMahon and oddly Turnbull as PM, who made an awful lot of money but as a political leader in the Republican movement and as PM was ineffective. But however you play around with this, the book gives a well-argued and balanced coverage, which really came to life for me within my own memory. Bongiorno can be criticized for leaving out a lot of what others might see as important – his take on the Tamar Valley pulp mill for instance was too superficial to explain how a project backed by state and federal Labor and Liberal parties sank without trace -- and for going into too much detail on long forgotten minor players (the tinkerers). The title of the books also seems to support the view that politics is about the leaders, less about the dynamics on the ground within the electorates. Nevertheless, it is a very useful reference for getting the big picture straight
Making democracy work in white Australia came in several phases. From 1855 voting rights were granted to white men with money, women being “slaves in all but name”. It took many years for means testing to disappear. In 1890 on the Labor party took shape and party politics as such came about, with the recognition that the states needed to be united, and along came Federation with Edmund Barton as prime minister, followed by Alfred Deakin. The first decade of the 20th century was very productive and nationalistic, but WW1 knocked any ideas of an independent Australia: the Empire was now all important and remained so until the end of WW2. Possibly Australia’s best time was postwar reconstruction which went on until the 60s, when Vietnam War brought revolt, different confronting values, and the end of Menzies, who despite the adulation and his longevity in fact achieved little. The long reign of dull Liberalism was over, giving way to Whitlam but after him Labor veered to the right and took on neoliberalism under Hawke and Keating. Then with a brief reversion to Labor, Rudd Gillard Rudd years (Bongiorno acknowledges the tremendous effectiveness of Gillard's legislation record) it was hard right liberalism until Albanese was elected. The title Dreamers and Schemers divides our PMs into two kinds: the visionaries like Barton, Deakin, Chifley perhaps, certainly Whitlam and Keating, all of whom transformed the polity, and the schemers who played the political game for their own ends, like Reid, Abbott, Morrison. He also hints at another categorization: the transformers, who are like the Dreamers but who were actually effective, as against the tinkerers who played at the edges, and even Menzies might be placed as a tinkerer given he transformed little. I would add the category of Rorters like Morrison, who never had a national vision at all, it was all about himself. Perhaps too we might distinguish the Flounderers who were simply out of their depth, like McMahon and oddly Turnbull as PM, who made an awful lot of money but as a political leader in the Republican movement and as PM was ineffective. But however you play around with this, the book gives a well-argued and balanced coverage, which really came to life for me within my own memory. Bongiorno can be criticized for leaving out a lot of what others might see as important – his take on the Tamar Valley pulp mill for instance was too superficial to explain how a project backed by state and federal Labor and Liberal parties sank without trace -- and for going into too much detail on long forgotten minor players (the tinkerers). The title of the books also seems to support the view that politics is about the leaders, less about the dynamics on the ground within the electorates. Nevertheless, it is a very useful reference for getting the big picture straight
April 25, 2023
It is often remarked that Australian history is boring, but only a boring person finds the history of their own country uninteresting. Fortunately, this philistine stereotype and culturally cringy excuse for ignorance is simply not true. Australian history is interesting. Readers of Frank Bongiorno’s recent political history of Australia, Dreamers and Schemers (2022), will encounter stories they wouldn’t expect to find in Australia: violence at polling booths, political assassinations, an MP who earned the moniker “the minister for murder” because his political opponents kept disappearing without a trace…and branch-stacking allegations so severe they resulted in the whistle-blower being brutally bashed inside his own home.
I don’t mean to imply that history is only interesting when it is violent. These examples service a broader point. Australians like to imagine that we achieved our democracy peacefully, as if in 1901 all the frontier violence against Indigenous peoples ceased, our political institutions were perfectly representative, and our present-day prosperity was preordained. Of course, none of this is true. Well into the middle of the twentieth century there was violent repression of Indigenous people and state elections were gerrymandered in ways that would make the US Republican Party blush. Australia’s peaceful and prosperous stability is very recent.
Australian political history is also filled with near misses. Robert Menzies’ political domination almost never happened. In 1954, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) won more votes than the Coalition, capturing 50.7% of the two-party preferred vote. Labor also won more votes than the Coalition at the 1998 federal election, with the Howard Government suffering a 7.7% swing against it. Had Labor won in 1998, Howard would have been Prime Minister for less than three years. Instead, he is Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister. Labor has learnt the hard way that is the number of seats that matters, not just the number of votes. These results also seem to pour cold water on the Right’s favourite bedtime story, the notion that Australians are naturally conservative. It is the structure of our electoral system that has done so much to ensure the Coalition’s electoral dominance, not a widespread repudiation of Labor and centre-left politics.
So, should you read Dreamers and Schemers? Yes. Absolutely. Bongiorno has written a wonderfully accessible introduction to Australia’s political history. It comprehensively covers state politics as well as federal. My only criticism, though it is minor, is that sometimes the book could do with more analysis rather than simply recounting events. Bongiorno gives us the what and the how, but the why is sometimes missing.
Australian politics is filled with both dreamers (idealists) and schemers (pragmatists), but it is the dreamers who made Australia what it is today. On the cover page, “Dreamers” appears in blue and “Schemers” appears in red, inverting the assumption that only Labor Governments make reform. To quote that learned custodian of the English language, Donald Trump: there are very fine people on both sides.
I don’t mean to imply that history is only interesting when it is violent. These examples service a broader point. Australians like to imagine that we achieved our democracy peacefully, as if in 1901 all the frontier violence against Indigenous peoples ceased, our political institutions were perfectly representative, and our present-day prosperity was preordained. Of course, none of this is true. Well into the middle of the twentieth century there was violent repression of Indigenous people and state elections were gerrymandered in ways that would make the US Republican Party blush. Australia’s peaceful and prosperous stability is very recent.
Australian political history is also filled with near misses. Robert Menzies’ political domination almost never happened. In 1954, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) won more votes than the Coalition, capturing 50.7% of the two-party preferred vote. Labor also won more votes than the Coalition at the 1998 federal election, with the Howard Government suffering a 7.7% swing against it. Had Labor won in 1998, Howard would have been Prime Minister for less than three years. Instead, he is Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister. Labor has learnt the hard way that is the number of seats that matters, not just the number of votes. These results also seem to pour cold water on the Right’s favourite bedtime story, the notion that Australians are naturally conservative. It is the structure of our electoral system that has done so much to ensure the Coalition’s electoral dominance, not a widespread repudiation of Labor and centre-left politics.
So, should you read Dreamers and Schemers? Yes. Absolutely. Bongiorno has written a wonderfully accessible introduction to Australia’s political history. It comprehensively covers state politics as well as federal. My only criticism, though it is minor, is that sometimes the book could do with more analysis rather than simply recounting events. Bongiorno gives us the what and the how, but the why is sometimes missing.
Australian politics is filled with both dreamers (idealists) and schemers (pragmatists), but it is the dreamers who made Australia what it is today. On the cover page, “Dreamers” appears in blue and “Schemers” appears in red, inverting the assumption that only Labor Governments make reform. To quote that learned custodian of the English language, Donald Trump: there are very fine people on both sides.
June 10, 2025
I can understand why Harry Hartog declared this book as its winning book for 2023, because it perfectly illustrates and demonstrates Australia’s political history in the most impartial and unbiased manner possible.
Frank Bongiorno’s writing style and fluency is exceptional. Connecting Australia’s history from the times of the Gold Rush in the 1850s to changing tides of Australia’s changing political landscape in the 2022 Federal Election is woven extremely deeply and beautifully. It demonstrates the change and continuity that Australia has experienced across all levels of politics, ranging from Local, State, Federal and Global. By interconnecting each specific timeline within a chapter to the preceding chapters and events greatly enhances the overall experience and engagement with how readers perceive and interpret such developments and evolution.
It also provides a spotlight on key marginalised groups and communities, highlighting their impact and importance to the wider political landscape and spectrum, in how when times change, so do they, in terms of how Australia’s leaders treat issues specific to them domestically and internationally. When Bongiorno claims Australia’s democracy is like a democracy sausage, he isn’t wrong. The various groups and communities that shape Australia very much summarises Australia and its democratic history. What was originally very Anglo-Saxon and deeply intrenched in British history has evolved into something so unique and powerful.
Lastly, and perhaps being off-topic on the book, when I had the privilege to meet the author to have this book signed, I asked him a very important question, about whether a new coalition government would adopt a more populist approach that mirrors the current Trumpian government we have in the U.S. He found it very unlikely for two reasons: First, because of the balance of power amongst the internal factions of the party providing that restraint. And second, because despite such rhetoric from key leaders and figures in the coalition, Australia is very much different from America. If the coalition were to ever form government, they would always have to adapt a pragmatic approach that would cater to the centric Australian people, who form the majority of Australia’s political demographic.
Ultimately, this book is a true masterpiece that all political hopefuls should read if they were to ever enter politics. I couldn’t recommend this book enough, as it could very well shape your political life and help you learn from where our predecessors failed.
Frank Bongiorno’s writing style and fluency is exceptional. Connecting Australia’s history from the times of the Gold Rush in the 1850s to changing tides of Australia’s changing political landscape in the 2022 Federal Election is woven extremely deeply and beautifully. It demonstrates the change and continuity that Australia has experienced across all levels of politics, ranging from Local, State, Federal and Global. By interconnecting each specific timeline within a chapter to the preceding chapters and events greatly enhances the overall experience and engagement with how readers perceive and interpret such developments and evolution.
It also provides a spotlight on key marginalised groups and communities, highlighting their impact and importance to the wider political landscape and spectrum, in how when times change, so do they, in terms of how Australia’s leaders treat issues specific to them domestically and internationally. When Bongiorno claims Australia’s democracy is like a democracy sausage, he isn’t wrong. The various groups and communities that shape Australia very much summarises Australia and its democratic history. What was originally very Anglo-Saxon and deeply intrenched in British history has evolved into something so unique and powerful.
Lastly, and perhaps being off-topic on the book, when I had the privilege to meet the author to have this book signed, I asked him a very important question, about whether a new coalition government would adopt a more populist approach that mirrors the current Trumpian government we have in the U.S. He found it very unlikely for two reasons: First, because of the balance of power amongst the internal factions of the party providing that restraint. And second, because despite such rhetoric from key leaders and figures in the coalition, Australia is very much different from America. If the coalition were to ever form government, they would always have to adapt a pragmatic approach that would cater to the centric Australian people, who form the majority of Australia’s political demographic.
Ultimately, this book is a true masterpiece that all political hopefuls should read if they were to ever enter politics. I couldn’t recommend this book enough, as it could very well shape your political life and help you learn from where our predecessors failed.
July 20, 2024
Frank Bongiorno crafts an excellent political history of Australia. Whilst the book does not provide an extensive discussion of miniature of Australian political history, this is not the books purpose and there are other more appropiate books for just that. Instead, the book covers the main themes of Australian political history, integrating the defining people, ideas and events.
The book starts with a discussion of the early political economy of the Indigenous peoples of Australia. IT quickly rebuts the position that Aboriginal people had no political system because they were not civilised. Said argument was on the basis that it must replicate the English mode of thinking. It is further perplexed by their complex dreaming and rituals. Said deference is continued throughout the book.
It is interestering how at the start of the colony two ideas played such a big role. Firstly, sectarianism was a significant influence in the early Australian history. secondly, the role of trade policy was also important, with the two predominant parties being named after their preferred trade policy.
The introduction of poetry throughout the book brings a welcome reprise to the history. It colour the history of the book and further stimulates thinking.
The book starts with a discussion of the early political economy of the Indigenous peoples of Australia. IT quickly rebuts the position that Aboriginal people had no political system because they were not civilised. Said argument was on the basis that it must replicate the English mode of thinking. It is further perplexed by their complex dreaming and rituals. Said deference is continued throughout the book.
It is interestering how at the start of the colony two ideas played such a big role. Firstly, sectarianism was a significant influence in the early Australian history. secondly, the role of trade policy was also important, with the two predominant parties being named after their preferred trade policy.
The introduction of poetry throughout the book brings a welcome reprise to the history. It colour the history of the book and further stimulates thinking.
January 21, 2024
This is truly a remarkable work. Frank Bongiorno has created a near-narrative of Australian politics, impressively weaving together First Nations history pre-invasion, the colonial period, and state and federal politics to provide a comprehensive overview of our country’s political history. His writing is very readable, and there is a sense of critical analysis which is both non-partisan and balanced, but does not hesitate to discredit unsound positions under the guise of ‘objectivity’. Given the scale of the book, I would say the narrative the author creates is benefitted by prior knowledge, as many important events are only touched on briefly or merely alluded to. In saying so, the book is terrifically referenced, outling all the relevant literature on each topic, so it acts as a great resource for further reading. Highly recommend.
June 19, 2025
호주도 한국이나 미국처럼 두개의 정당(Labor party, Liberal party)가 경쟁해 가며 정권을 가져가기 위해 다투는 정치 시스템이다. 호주 정치의 전개 역사에 대해 알고 싶었는데 마침 이책을 알게 되었다.
1788년 시드니에 영국에서 온 해군 함대가 도착한 순간 부터 2022년 까지의 정치적 변동의 역사를 정권교체에 따른 법 개정, 시민의 권리의 점진적인 진전, 원주민의 권리 회복등을 노동당과 자유당의 주요인물과 연관시켜 설명해 주고 있다.
초기 정착민들에게 자신들의 정치적 시스템은 살아 남는데 지대한 영향이 있었고, 낮은 계급인 일반 노동자의 이해를 대변하는 노동당의 탄생은 자연스러운 일 이었다. 그 후 자유당이라는 기치하에 모이게 되는 정당들의 탄생, 활동 모습이나, 초기 호주에서 강력한 카톨릭 종교의 조직력을 기반 삼아 정치력을 행사하는 보수 세력도 눈여겨 볼 만하다. 특히 여성들이 투표권을 가지게 되는 과정과 그 한참 뒤 여성이 정치에 직접 참여 할 수 있는 권리를 갖게 되고, 이행하는 아주 느리지만 변해 가는 정치 사회 환경의 진보적인 모습을 이 책은 잘 담고 있다.
아시안을 극도로 무시하고 차별하던 백호 정책을 펴던 호주정치가 그를 포기해야 했던 정치사회적 변화도 이야기 하고 있다. 아보리지날 원주민을 점차 없어져야 할 종족으로 무시하고 가차없이 대했던 호주역사의 비인간성을 반성하고, 아보리지날의 인권을 옹호하고 되찾아 주는 진보적인 노동당과 그의 지도자의 모습에서, 호주 국가의 정체성을 세계에 인정 받고 싶어하는 그들의 큰 노력이 보인다. 법제정으로 확보된 아보리지날의 권리마저 무시해가며 기업들의 개발 권리를 우선시하는 자유당과 뚜렷히 구별된다.
많은 정치적 용어 때문에 힘들었지만 호주에 사는 사람으로서 무척 유익한 독서였다.
1788년 시드니에 영국에서 온 해군 함대가 도착한 순간 부터 2022년 까지의 정치적 변동의 역사를 정권교체에 따른 법 개정, 시민의 권리의 점진적인 진전, 원주민의 권리 회복등을 노동당과 자유당의 주요인물과 연관시켜 설명해 주고 있다.
초기 정착민들에게 자신들의 정치적 시스템은 살아 남는데 지대한 영향이 있었고, 낮은 계급인 일반 노동자의 이해를 대변하는 노동당의 탄생은 자연스러운 일 이었다. 그 후 자유당이라는 기치하에 모이게 되는 정당들의 탄생, 활동 모습이나, 초기 호주에서 강력한 카톨릭 종교의 조직력을 기반 삼아 정치력을 행사하는 보수 세력도 눈여겨 볼 만하다. 특히 여성들이 투표권을 가지게 되는 과정과 그 한참 뒤 여성이 정치에 직접 참여 할 수 있는 권리를 갖게 되고, 이행하는 아주 느리지만 변해 가는 정치 사회 환경의 진보적인 모습을 이 책은 잘 담고 있다.
아시안을 극도로 무시하고 차별하던 백호 정책을 펴던 호주정치가 그를 포기해야 했던 정치사회적 변화도 이야기 하고 있다. 아보리지날 원주민을 점차 없어져야 할 종족으로 무시하고 가차없이 대했던 호주역사의 비인간성을 반성하고, 아보리지날의 인권을 옹호하고 되찾아 주는 진보적인 노동당과 그의 지도자의 모습에서, 호주 국가의 정체성을 세계에 인정 받고 싶어하는 그들의 큰 노력이 보인다. 법제정으로 확보된 아보리지날의 권리마저 무시해가며 기업들의 개발 권리를 우선시하는 자유당과 뚜렷히 구별된다.
많은 정치적 용어 때문에 힘들었지만 호주에 사는 사람으로서 무척 유익한 독서였다.
September 28, 2023
This was an impressive, engaging book - well written and with an eye for the catchy detail. Bongiorno covers a lot of ground here but still manages to include stories that I was not familiar with. Memorable ones included the violence against Peter Baldwin amidst ALP infighting and the protests against the dismissal of the Whitlam government. It could have included more stories of ‘dreamers’ fighting from the margins, but perhaps that’s another book to be written. A great introduction to Australian political history.
February 21, 2023
An excellent long read covering every part of Australian political history. Don't come to this for a deep dive into a particular moment or era, but it will give you a sense of what was happening through the entire period, from pre-settlement Indigenous society to the 2022 election. This wide perspective also lets you see repeating tropes and broad long-term trends playing out.
May 2, 2023
A ‘giant’ of a book in depth and volume. Rather small print which I found difficult at first, particularly when each page is heavy in block print, and little/no dialogue. However a significant reference book of Australian politics, well written
March 18, 2024
Excellent and very readable overview of Australia's political history. I learnt a lot, especially about the politics of the colonial and early Federation eras. I really appreciated the inclusion of indigenous politics throughout the narrative.
February 26, 2023
A huge hmmmm but my Dreamers and Schemers playlist of course helped
April 28, 2023
This detailed history of Australian politics is sure to suck you in.
December 19, 2024
Just did Frank’s Australian Political History course. Good stuff. Synoptic book.
August 11, 2024
Magisterial and highly informative, my only problem with this book is that it's too descriptive and insufficiently analytical.
February 2, 2025
A first and incisive global political history of Australia, much needed and immensely appreciated!!
December 19, 2025
Somehow, this book slipped completely under my radar until it was awarded the 2023 ACT Book of the Year in December 2023. I immediately grabbed a copy and started reading.
This book provides a comprehensive account of the history of Australian parliamentary politics. Professor Bongiorno examines political parties (including factional divisions) and national elections.
While my focus is more on national politics, Professor Bongiorno starts with pre–European Indigenous systems, moves through autocratic rule to colonial parliaments, to the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. This includes the history of political parties (and their factions) in Australia, their leaders, and national elections.
Fascinating stuff. If the process of forming the Commonwealth owes much to various dreamers, the dreaming doesn’t end there. And the scheming has never stopped. From the back cover:
‘Depicting a wonderful parade of dreamers and schemers, Bongiorno surveys moments of political renewal and sheds fresh light on our democratic life. From local pubs and meeting halls to the parliament and cabinet; from pamphleteers and stump orators to party agents and operatives—this enthralling account looks at the political insiders in the halls of power, as well as the agitators and outsiders who sought to shape the nation from the margins.’
The most valuable part of the book, for me, was the reminder of how fraught the negotiations were to get the states to agree to federation. While I knew something of the history of democracy in various Australian states, I gained a far more complete picture from this book.
This is a narrative history, and a resource which will sit on my bookshelf for reference. I enjoyed the way the facts were presented and particularly reading the history up until I became politically aware at the beginning of the 1970s. Reading about Billy Hughes and his attempts to introduce conscription during World War I reminded me of the differing views within my family, and my own opposition to conscription during the Vietnam conflict.
Where to from here? What does our political future hold? Will ‘the Teals’ consolidate to become a new force on the political landscape? Will we see more independents elected as a consequence of our cynicism and frustration with existing party politics?
Food for thought.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This book provides a comprehensive account of the history of Australian parliamentary politics. Professor Bongiorno examines political parties (including factional divisions) and national elections.
While my focus is more on national politics, Professor Bongiorno starts with pre–European Indigenous systems, moves through autocratic rule to colonial parliaments, to the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. This includes the history of political parties (and their factions) in Australia, their leaders, and national elections.
Fascinating stuff. If the process of forming the Commonwealth owes much to various dreamers, the dreaming doesn’t end there. And the scheming has never stopped. From the back cover:
‘Depicting a wonderful parade of dreamers and schemers, Bongiorno surveys moments of political renewal and sheds fresh light on our democratic life. From local pubs and meeting halls to the parliament and cabinet; from pamphleteers and stump orators to party agents and operatives—this enthralling account looks at the political insiders in the halls of power, as well as the agitators and outsiders who sought to shape the nation from the margins.’
The most valuable part of the book, for me, was the reminder of how fraught the negotiations were to get the states to agree to federation. While I knew something of the history of democracy in various Australian states, I gained a far more complete picture from this book.
This is a narrative history, and a resource which will sit on my bookshelf for reference. I enjoyed the way the facts were presented and particularly reading the history up until I became politically aware at the beginning of the 1970s. Reading about Billy Hughes and his attempts to introduce conscription during World War I reminded me of the differing views within my family, and my own opposition to conscription during the Vietnam conflict.
Where to from here? What does our political future hold? Will ‘the Teals’ consolidate to become a new force on the political landscape? Will we see more independents elected as a consequence of our cynicism and frustration with existing party politics?
Food for thought.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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