     sir henry parkes,  (27 may 1815 â 27 april 1896) was regarded as the father of the australian federation.  as the earliest advocate of a federal council of the colonies of australia, a precursor to the commonwealth of australia, he was the most prominent of the australian founding fathers. parkes was described during his lifetime by the times as "the most commanding figure in australian politics". alfred deakin described him as "though not rich or versatile, his personality was massive, durable and imposing, resting upon elementary qualities of human nature elevated by a strong mind. he was cast in the mould of a great man and though he suffered from numerous pettinesses, spites and failings, he was in himself a large-brained self-educated titan whose natural field was found in parliament and whose resources of character and intellect enabled him in his later years to overshadow all his contemporaries". parkes was tall, with rugged facial features, a leonine mane of hair and a commanding personality. he was a persuasive orator, too, who eschewed flights of rhetoric and spoke as a plain man to plain men, with great effect, in spite of occasional difficulties in controlling his aspirates. he had no schooling worthy of the name but had read widely. it has been said of hi
1815_births 1896_deaths Australian_federationists Australian_knights Australian_people_of_English_descent Colonial_Secretaries_of_New_South_Wales English_emigrants_to_Australia Free_Trade_Party_politicians Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George Members_of_the_New_South_Wales_Legislative_Assembly Members_of_the_New_South_Wales_Legislative_Council People_from_Coventry People_from_the_Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales) Premiers_of_New_South_Wales