• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

Lord Brassey on Australian topics [4 July 1887]

23 September 2022 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This article, about the visit of Lord Brassey to Australia (and his views on several topics), was published in The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 4 July 1887.]

Lord Brassey on Australian topics.

Lord Brassey is suffering from an affection of the eye, which first manifested itself during his visit to Melbourne. After the fatigue of the voyage he was desirous of spending the evening in rest, and he felt disinclined last night to discuss his views upon Australian topics at length.

His lordship has expressed his sympathy and interest in Imperial federation, but he states that he recognises the difficulties standing in the way of it, although he does not regard them as insuperable. In any Imperial Council that might be formed there is the difficulty of representation. Australia at the recent Imperial Conference has agreed to share the expense of defending her commerce, and that gives her an undeniable right to a voice in Imperial affairs — only a small right, it is true, but it might be increased by increased participation. In any council that might be formed, based on proportionate representation of population and wealth, the Australian vote would be so small as to be practically ineffective.

Lord Brassey believes that the despatch of the Soudan Contingent from New South Wales did more for the Empire and for the maintenance of its unity than all other deeds of the century. It was felt in Europe that Australia, alive to the fact that the occasion was one in which a united Empire should be exhibited to the world, came forward to succour the mother-country. It was an evidence to other nations that in times of difficulty it would not be with England alone they would have to reckon, but with the Empire.

With regard to the disposition amongst the wealthier classes in England to seek Australian or colonial investments, he thinks that English capital is flowing into these colonies, and will continue to flow, but Englishmen who love their own land best will continue to abide therein. There might be social troubles ahead in England, but there was no disposition observable amongst wealthy Englishmen to flee from them and seek refuge in Australia. England must remain the centre of the cultured, courtly, and refined life of the Empire.

Touching the relations of labour and capital, and the influence of trades unions, his lordship is of opinion that trades unions are useful, and even necessary, to facilitate business between employers and large bodies of men; and, further, that a few trained and competent men, representing a great multitude, engaged in any trade or occupation, might be the means of gathering and distributing useful knowledge as to the facts which must govern the price to be paid for labour. Periodical reports issued by carpenters’, brickmakers’, or shoemakers’ societies, pointing out the conditions of the trades in various countries, and the causes which might render necessary a temporary reduction of the labour rates, would be hailed with pleasure.

In reference to naval matters and the Australian squadron, his lordship thinks that some of the weaknesses of the navy are strikingly exemplified. In the Australian squadron there were a good many vessels, a good many pennants flying, but coming to real fighting vessels there was but one — the Nelson — a first-rate ship of the second class of British ironclads. Certainly, under the new arrangement agreed to by the Imperial Conference there would be a great improvement; but two heavy-belted cruisers and three vessels of the Archer class would be preferable to having the whole of the vessels of the one type.

There are many matters upon which Lord Brassey’s opinions will be of interest to Australians, and he will take the opportunity during his visit of expressing them at length.



Source:
The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 4 July 1887, p. 3

Editor’s notes:
See also: Alex Hutchison, “Lord Brassey on Australian loyalty”, The Armidale Express, and New England General Advertiser (Armidale, NSW), 27 January 1888, p. 3

alive = aware of, having knowledge of, interested in, seized with a recognition of something’s importance; active, alert, animated, full of emotion; active, busy, exciting

Empire = in the context of early Australia, the British Empire

ironclad = a naval vessel whose sides were clad (covered) with metal plates, so as to provide armour for protection during warfare (such ships were especially used in the mid to late 19th Century)

mother-country = in an historical Australian context, Great Britain; may also refer to England specifically (may also be hyphenated, i.e. mother-country)

Soudan contingent = a contingent of 758 soldiers sent by the colony of New South Wales to aid the British military in the Anglo-Sudan War (1885), also known as the Mahdist War (“Soudan” is an archaic spelling of “Sudan”)
See: 1) “Sudan (New South Wales Contingent) March-June 1885”, Australian War Memorial
2) “New South Wales Contingent”, Wikipedia
3) “Mahdist War”, Wikipedia

succour = assistance, help, or support, particularly in a time of distress or difficulty (also spelt “succor”)

[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]

Filed Under: articles Tagged With: 500x500, defence, Imperial Federation, SourceTrove, Thomas Brassey (1836-1918) (subject), year1887

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • Dee from Invercauld [postcard, 28 August 1913]
  • Sydney Town Hall [postcard, 20 June 1913]
  • Flinders Lane, Melbourne [postcard, 26 April 1913]
  • Have you ever had a dream like this [postcard, 15 April 1913]
  • A loving greeting [postcard, 15 April 1913]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
  • Australian slang
  • Timeline of Australian history and culture

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • rob buntine on No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
  • Carol on Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Annie Crestani on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Peter Pearsall on The Clarence [poem by Jack Moses]
  • Trevor Hurst on Timeline of Australian history and culture

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in