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Book Review
| Paul Davey, The Nationals: The Progressive, Country and National Party in New South Wales 1919 to 2006, Federation Press, Sydney, 2006. pp. xiv + 530. $49.50 cloth.
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| We need to find more ways to have sesquicentenary celebrations. At last count 21 titles, including this study of the National Party and its predecessors have been produced with assistance from the committee of the Sesquicentary of Responsible Government in New South Wales. Other titles in this reputable series are enhanced by Paul Davey's handsomely produced addition. Unlike many other political groups and parties in Australia, the National Party and its antecedents have not produced a large corpus of works. Considering its central role in mainstream politics it is surprising that even the Communist Party of Australia has attracted a greater amount of attention to every aspect of that movement. In terms of scope it extends our knowledge of conservative politics from Ulrich Ellis's 1958 and Don Aitkin's 1972 studies of the Country Party in New South Wales. |
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Davey's history therefore necessarily covers ground familiar to those who have consulted either of these earlier studies but is especially useful in bringing the story of the National Party up to the present era. I found the sections on the ramifications for the New South Wales party of the 'Joh for Canberra' campaign and Pauline Hanson's movement especially interesting in extending our understanding of these two events. While Davey does a commendable job of explaining how the party coped with these phenomena, it is surprising that absolutely no mention of the Australian League of Rights is made. While the League could never be said to be a mainstream player, its limpet like attachment to what was then the Country Party should have, I think, merited some attention. Certainly the League managed, however briefly, to attract the attention of both Doug Anthony and Ian Sinclair. |
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The book is very much an inside account of the party. As well as relying upon the party's own records, for which he was given unfettered access, Mr Davey has also had access to a wide range of people involved in all aspects of the National Party. Despite his own affiliations with the party, he generally gives a fair minded account that is quite relaxed in pointing not only to the merits of the party but also its pitfalls and perils. The book is well written, though occasionally the organisation is slightly confused. It will, however, be the starting point for those who wish to further study the history of our conservative politics. Paul Davey is to be congratulated on this lucid and readable study. |
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| University of Newcastle |
PETER HENDERSON | |
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