Russel Braddock Ward AM (9 November 1914 – 13 August 1995) was an Australian

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

best known for writing ''The Australian Legend'' (1958), an examination of the development of the "

Australian character The culture of Australia is primarily a Western culture, originally derived from Britain but also influenced by the unique geography of Australia and the cultural input of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other Australian people. The Bri ...

", which was awarded the

Ernest Scott Prize Ernest Scott Prize The pre-eminent prize for "original published research that contributes to the history of Australia or New Zealand or to the history of colonisation in these countries." Awarded since 1943, the prize is named in honor of Ernes ...

Early life and education

His parents were Florence Winifred Ward, née Braddock and John Frederick Ward, a teacher. Russel attended three schools at which his father worked. In the early 1920s, his father joined the staff of

Thornburgh College Blackheath and Thornburgh College is a primary and secondary (K-12) school with boarding facilities at 55 King Street, Richmond Hill, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. History By 1918, representatives of the Me ...

, in Charters Towers, Queensland. In 1923, J. F. Ward was appointed founding headmaster of Wesley College, Perth. Russel completed his schooling at

Prince Alfred College , motto_translation = Do Brave Deeds and Endure , established = 1869 , type = Independent, single-sex, day & boarding , headmaster = David Roberts , chaplain = Reverend ...

(PAC), Adelaide after his father became headmaster there in the early 1930s. At PAC Ward was a busy student, serving as prefect and on numerous committees including debating, rowing, christian union, cadets and historical society of which he was president.

Early career

Ward studied English at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

and taught at

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

and Sydney Grammar Schools. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served in an army psychological unit. Ward's membership of the

Communist Party of Australia The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been i ...

(1941 to 1949) brought him to the attention of

ASIO ''Asio'' is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and ...

; and, in 1984, he appeared before the Hope Royal Commission on Australia's security and intelligence agencies stating that ASIO had harassed him for 40 years.

Academic career

Ward was at the University of New England as a lecturer in the 1950s and deputy chancellor for eight years. In his book, ''The Australian Legend'', Ward argued that the

Australian bush "The bush" is a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia and New Zealand where it is largely synonymous with ''wikt:backwoods, backwoods'' or ''hinterland'', referring to a natural undeveloped area. The fauna and flora containe ...

was

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

and that this influenced

Australian culture The culture of Australia is primarily a Western culture, originally derived from Britain but also influenced by the unique geography of Australia and the cultural input of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other Australian people. The Bri ...

. Ward's book was both influential and controversial and is grouped among the classic historical references on Australia history. In the 40 years since its first publication, there were three editions and it has been reprinted 15 times. While the images of the Australian character in ''Legend'' may not seem to reflect modern views, it is a book that "inform Australians about the forces that have shaped them", and it raises questions that continue to be debated. His thesis in ''Legend'' was later challenged by

Humphrey McQueen Humphrey Dennis McQueen (born 26 June 1942) is an Australian political activist, socialist historian and cultural commentator. He is associated with the development of the Australian New Left. His most iconic work, ''A New Britannia'',McQueen, ...

in 1970. It would influence the development of the Australian New Left. In the 1986 Queen's Birthday honours Ward was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM) for "service to literature, particularly in the field of Australian history". Ward died in

Texas, Queensland Texas is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the , the locality of Texas had a population of 843 people. Geography The town is located just fro ...

on August 13, 1995, at the home of his partner, Jeané Upjohn.

Legacy

The Russel Ward Annual Lecture was established in his honour by the University of New England in 1986.

Bibliography

* '' Felons and folksongs'' (1955) Canberra University College, Canberra * ''The Australian Legend'' (1958) Oxford University Press, Melbourne *''Australia'' (1967) Ure Smith, Sydney * ''A Nation for a Continent: the history of Australia, 1901–1975'' (1977) Heinemann Educational Australia, Richmond * ''Australia Since the Coming of Man'' (1982) Lansdowne Press, Sydney * ''Finding Australia: the history of Australia to 1821'' (1987) Heinemann Educational Australia, Richmond * ''A Radical Life: The Autobiography of Russel Ward'', (1988) MacMillan, South Melbourne, Australia

References