During the long nineteenth century, the Irish immigrant population of Australia were commonly perceived as impoverished, rural, uneducated papists. A stereotype existed that their methods of politics were perceived as republican and rebellious, which mirrored the political climate of Ireland during the nineteenth century. It is therefore, difficult to comprehend the possibility that the Irish could be successful in infiltrating and influencing the political sphere of colonial Australia. Discrepancies have arisen among historians with regards to such stereotypes. Those such as Andy Bielenberg argue that Catholicism and Irishness were not a handicap for the Irish immigrant population but instead reinforced their sense of uniqueness and diversity.[1] Similarly, Linsey Proudfoot maintains that as the Irish assimilated themselves into early colonial society and grew confident enough to integrate themselves into political society, they began to be viewed as more than objects within the colony.[2]
As the representation of the British crown within the colonies altered from a powerful state figurehead to a more representative government, the Irish began to be represented in positions from colonial governor to local government representative. Regardless of their origins and upbringings, they integrated and became more involved in the imperial model of government that the colony was attempting to establish. Through experiencing the failed methods of colonialistion instigated by the British in Ireland, it is possible that the Irish in Australia saw the establishment of the new colony as an opportunity to rebrand colonial policies to better effect.
Originating from various educational, political, religious and social backgrounds, the Irish immigrant population of Australia had varying levels of success with regards to the infiltration of early colonial politics and governance. Not all immigrants originated from affluent, political backgrounds. Those such as Sir Richard Bourke (1777-1855) and Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (1816-1903) possessed previous political experience both in the colony and abroad; Bourke as Lieutenant/Governor of Cape Town and Duffy as an advocate for the Young Ireland movement.[3] Their previous political experience enabled them to become involved and successful in the colonial government of Australia. Although they held different political ideologies, regarding the British Imperial order, they were both advocates for the general advancement of the colony.
In contrast, other Irish immigrants were able to utilise their reputation and character to solidify a position in the colonial government rather than relying solely on their political background. Sir Richard Robert Torrens (1814-1884), who came from a semi-political background used his reputation and family name to his advantage as he climbed the ladder of the political society in New South Wales.[4] In complete contrast, despite the fact that Patrick O’Sullivan began his life in the colony as a convict, the quality of his character enabled to him to overcome such reputation and establish himself as a respectable member of Queensland political society throughout the final decade of the nineteenth-century.
Regarding the Irish immigrant experience, there is a wealth of primary sources, such as government gazettes, memoires, governmental documents and contemporary articles which provide an insight into Irish involvement in colonial politics and governance. As the major mass media of the nineteenth century, newspapers such as The Argus, The Catholic Press, the Sidney Herald, Windsor and Richmond Gazette, Queensland Time, and The Age also provide an insight into the formal and informal life of each of the above-mentioned figures.
Bibliography
Blielenberg, Andrew, The Irish Diaspora (London, 2000).
Proudfoot, Lindsay, Imperial Spaces: Placing the Irish and Scots in Colonial Australia (Manchester, 2011).
Waugh, Maxwell, Forgotten hero : Richard Bourke, Irish Governor of New South Wales 1831-1837 (Melbourne, 2005).
Whalan, Douglas J., ‘Sir Richard Robert Torrens 1814-1884’in Australian Dictionary of Biography, 6 (1976).
[1] Andrew Blielenberg, The Irish Diaspora (London, 2000).
[2] Lindsay Proudfoot, Imperial Spaces: Placing the Irish and Scots in Colonial Australia (Manchester, 2011).
[3] Maxwell Waugh, Forgotten hero : Richard Bourke, Irish Governor of New South Wales 1831-1837 (Melbourne, 2005).
[4] Douglas J. Whalan, ‘Sir Richard Robert Torrens 1814-1884’in Australian Dictionary of Biography, 6 (1976).
Irish Aussies: historical perspectives 