Colonial liberalism was the political movement that was active in the Australian colonies between the 1850s and the 1890s that combined

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

with the demands of the

Chartists Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of ...

. Colonial liberalism was a unique movement that was unlike anything in any other country. This movement led to particular approaches to education, trade, industrial relations and economic management being developed which were used by the Australian colonies and later the federated

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of , making it the sixth-largest country in ...

. This radical movement helped give birth to the foundations of the Australian ideals of

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

egalitarianism Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hum ...

and the 'Fair Go' in life. Colonial liberalism had a major impact in the Australian colonies until the labour strikes of the 1890s led to the formation of the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...

and the

Australian labour movement The Australian labour movement began in the early 19th century and since the late 19th century has included industrial (Australian unions) and political wings (Australian Labor Party). Trade unions in Australia may be formed on the basis of cra ...

. The Australian gold rush (starting in 1851) led to a huge influx of emigrants to the colonies, including a significant number of

and Liberals. The liberals were used to fighting the conservative forces of society, and demanding political reform such as the Reform Acts 1832. The chartists in Britain were unable to obtain the same rights. In Australia, there were very few conservative forces to rail against. Because of the semi-universal suffrage obtained by the colonies in the 1850s, the liberal and chartists were able to effect widespread change and gain seats in parliament. Colonial liberals had majorities in the governments of

NSW New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. T ...

, Victoria and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

by 1860. These governments instituted compulsory, secular state schools, built railways, and promoted prosperity for the middle and working classes; the vast majority of the population.

Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister of Australia from 1903 to 1904, 1905 to 1908, and 1909 to 1910. He held office as the leader of th ...

, who identified as a liberal, wrote in December 1900:

A Colonial Liberal is one who favours State interference with liberty and industry at the pleasure and in the interest of the majority, while those who stand for the free play of individual choice and energy are classed as Conservatives.

Notable colonial liberals

William Wentworth William Charles Wentworth (August 179020 March 1872) was an Australian statesman, pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in colonial New South Wales. He ...

James Service James Service (27 November 1823 – 12 April 1899), an Australian colonial politician, was the 12th premier of Victoria, Australia. Biography Service was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Robert Service. As a young man James ...

Henry Parkes Sir Henry Parkes, (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and the longest-serving non-consecutive Premier of New South Wales, premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in ...

George Reid Sir George Houston Reid (25 February 1845 – 12 September 1918) was a Scottish-born Australian and British politician, diplomat, and barrister who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister of Australia from 1904 t ...

Charles Kingston Charles Cameron Kingston (22 October 1850 – 11 May 1908) was an Australian politician. From 1893 to 1899 he was a radical liberal Premier of South Australia, occupying this office with the support of Labor, which in the House of Assembly ...

Graham Berry Sir Graham Berry, (28 August 1822 – 25 January 1904), was an Australian colonial politician and the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most de ...

References

*McDermott, Alex. ''Australian History for Dummies''. For Dummies: Wiley Publishing Australia, 2011. *{{cite book, first=Gregory, last=Melleuish, authorlink=Gregory Melleuish, title=A Short History of Australian Liberalism, year=2001, publisher=

Centre for Independent Studies The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian think tank founded in 1976 by Greg Lindsay. The CIS specialises in public policy research and publishes material in areas such as economics, education, culture and foreign policy. Alth ...

, url=https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/07/op74.pdf Political movements in Australia

Notable colonial liberals

See also

References