Title: The sentimental nation : the making of the Australian Commonwealth /
Authors: Hirst, J. B.
Publisher: Oxford University Press,
Year: 2000
Subjects: Federal government Australia History; Constitutional history Australia; Australia Politics and government; Australia History; Australia History
Abstract: "Was Australia's Federation merely a practical, business arrangement? No, says John Hirst. It was accomplished by poets, patriots, and politicians pursuing the ideal of nationhood. They expressed and encouraged a national sentiment without which union would have been impossible. There was no pressing need to federate; this was a sentimental nation." "This comprehensive history of the attainment of Federation in Australia is a major contribution to the centenary in 2001. The Sentimental Nation is written by one of Australia's leading historians. John Hirst is superbly equipped to communicate the dramas and intricacies of our national history in lucid, entertaining, and sophisticated ways. One of Australia's most cogent historians and commentators, he has an enviable ability to make Australian history more enticing to non-specialist readers." "Dr. Hirst's research into Federation has occupied much of his time in recent years. He has visited archives throughout Australia. Much of this research has never been undertaken before. Whereas the history is intended for a broad popular readership, its scholarly credentials are impeccable, and it is destined to become the primary reference on the subject."--Jacket.