Australian Democrat

In a long and vigorous political career from the 1870s to the early years of the twentieth century, Edward William O’Sullivan preached conceptions of social justice and advocated measures for the relief of poverty. He carried the name of “radical” and “democrat” forcefully and proudly against considerable opposition. FOUR NEWSPAPERS AGAINST ONE MAN! thus ran the headlines of a leaflet which in 1904 he addressed to the electors of Belmore, N.S.W. Political labels are vague things, but the sensitive analysis of the ideas of one man can bring us much closer to an understanding. Such analysis is the main achievement of Australian Democrat (first published in 1965), though it is in several respects an important contribution to the knowledge and understanding of a formative and fascinating period in the history of New South Wales and Australia. The author has in his life of O’Sullivan performed the particular task that the reader expects from a biography—he helps the reader to project his imagination into the past. O’Sullivan’s career illustrates most aspects of political life. He was a trade unionist, political journalist, and a member of Parliament. He was also one of the creators of the Protectionist Party of the 1880s, through which modern political organization came to New South Wales, and in 1899, he became Minister of Public Works. Among other achievements, he was responsible for the building of Sydney Central Railway Station—“a building which” according to the Bulletin in January 1902, “will combine all the salient features of the Colosseum, St Paul’s, the Kremlin and a Yankee skyscraper in one magnificent, impressive and O’Sullivanesque whole”.