A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia by Frank Bongiorno

4.0

 

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