James George Drake (1850-1941)
Event Details
- Date:
- Tuesday, 06 October 2015
- Time:
- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
- Room:
- Library Conference Room, Level 1
- UQ Location:
- Duhig Building (St Lucia)
- URL:
- http://bit.ly/James-George-Drake
- Event category(s):
Event Contact
- Name:
- Ms Tanya Ziebell
- Phone:
- 33656315
- Email:
- t.ziebell@uq.edu.au
- Org. Unit:
- University of Queensland Library
Event Description
- Full Description:
- James George Drake (1850-1941) was a London-born lawyer and journalist who played a prominent role in Queensland and federal politics for many years.
During the 1890s, he worked tirelessly to secure a popular YES vote for Federation, and championed democratic reforms such as votes for women. Drake rose from the backbenches to become Minister for Public Instruction in the Queensland Government 1899-1901), and subsequently enjoyed the honour of being the Commonwealth of Australia’s first Postmaster-General (1901-03).
A highly prominent and controversial figure in his time, Drake was sympathetic to many of the aims of the emerging Queensland Labor party, as the Independent Liberal MP for Enoggera (1888-99).
Twice refusing to become leader of a Liberal-Labor coalition in Queensland parliament, he also rejected an offer to become a Minister in the world’s first Labor Government in December 1899.
Dr Lyndon Megarrity (James Cook University) is the co-author of Made in Queensland: A New History (UQP, 2009). In 2014 he was appointed the Inaugural CAUL/Australian Society of Authors Research Fellow, to carry out research into Drake, using the collections of the Fryer Library. Dr Megarrity’s presentation will discuss the controversies and passions of James George Drake, a Queensland politician who should be remembered by the nation he helped to create. This project was assisted through a CAUL/ASA Fellowship. The author acknowledges the assistance of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, the Council of Australian University Librarians and the Australian Society of Authors.
All welcome. RSVP by 1 October.
Directions to UQ
- Google Map:
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- Directions:
- St Lucia Campus | Gatton campus.
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