A Capital Idea, Two Visions: The long road to Federation
Concept artwork for this story. Wentworth and Clark belonged to different generations and never met. What did self-government mean in colonial Australia, and what kind of federation should follow? From William Charles Wentworth’s campaigns in New South Wales to Andrew Inglis Clark’s constitutional work in Tasmania, the answers were argued over for generations. Imagine opening […]
Read MoreAustralia Day - Celebration of a Nation
Colonel Lachlan Macquarie was no stranger to a lively celebration, but when he stepped into the chaos of Sydney in January 1810 as Governor of New South Wales, he quickly discovered that the Colony was steeped in corruption beyond comparison. In fact, it made Dodge City seem like a child's playground. This stark reality set […]
Read MoreAustralia's First Christmas
Australia's First Christmas by Christopher Reynolds What a Capital Idea - Australia 1788-1901 Captain David Collins, Judge Advocate for the Colony, reports that on Thursday, December 25, 1788 “the Christmas Day was observed with proper ceremony. Mr. Johnson preached a sermon adapted to the occasion, and the major part of the officers of the settlement […]
Read MoreWhy didn’t Britain write a Treaty?
[Information is derived from What a Capital Idea – Australia 1770-1901 by Christopher Reynolds] When considering establishing a military base and civil society in New South Wales, the British, as the most developed and advance nation on earth, had previously purchased land, paid stipends to rulers – as it did in India, or signed treaties […]
Read MoreMedia Release
MEDIA RELEASE WHAT A CAPITAL IDEA -Australia 1770-1901 Was there an Invasion? Why didn’t Aborigines get a Treaty? Did Aborigines have Sovereignty over the Land/? Was there a secret plan behind the Settlement in Australia? Why was Arthur Phillip made an Aborigine? Did the Eureka Stockade advance Australian Democracy? […]
Read MoreThe Secret Plan behind the Australian Settlement
Two coachmen drove their four horse carriage around the corner to enter St. James Street, Westminster. It was 10.00 pm. An autumn evening in late October, 1786. A warm mist filled the London streets. The coach, with its gold crest of the House of Townshend on the carriage door, pulled to an abrupt halt outside […]
Read MoreWhat do you know of Australian history?
Captain Arthur Phillip worked as a spy for the Secret Service of the Office of War and the Colonies, under Secretary of State, Lord Sydney. Arthur Phillip was paid the equivalent to a navy admiral’s salary for his employment as the Governor of New South Wales and went home with some US$3 million (at today’s […]
Read MoreThe Pirate's Pirate - William Dampier
Harold Underhill stepped from the coach at the docks of Plymouth Harbour, England. It was July, the summer of 1843. The sea air was fresh. The sun danced across the water providing a morning glow as seagulls circled the dock looking for scraps of food. Harold’s trip down from Birmingham had concluded without incident, despite […]
Read MoreKing Charles III of Australia
I was sitting at the bar in a Sydney hotel and the fellow next to me said, “I was saddened to here that Queen Elizabeth had passed away. She was a great Christian and a world leader. She was loved by millions of people across the world. I can’t believe She has gone. But I […]
Read MoreShane Warne and Tom Wills
I was sitting at the bar in a Sydney hotel and the fellow next to me said, “I read that Shane Wayne has been recongised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List as an officer of the Order of Australia. It was a real shame that Shane Warne passed away so tragically. He was probably […]
Read MoreAustralian Flag Controversy
I was sitting at the bar in a Sydney hotel and the fellow next to me said, “I heard that some green bloke said the Australian flag was a symbol of lingering pain and then his green lady friend said that it represented dispossession, massacre and genocide. I mean this sounds like treason to me. […]
Read MoreThe Bugle
The Bugle By Christopher Reynolds In a small country town In the back of beyond I stopped to take a look around The antique shop And search for treasures unfound I wandered down aisles Of junk and dust Of glassware on sideboards And tools against walls So many things hidden So many things just lost […]
Read MoreWhat a Capital Idea - Australia 1770-1901
Australia’s origin story has a few surprises in it Convicts. Gold. French spies. British money. And a country built around a plan most of us were never taught. You know the standard version: Britain needed somewhere to send convicts, so it started a colony on the other side of the world. End of story. But […]
Read More
