Girt Nation: the unauthorised history of Australia volume 3

The past years of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown weaknesses in the Australian federal system of government with the states frequently working independently to protect the welfare of constituents. Girt Nation by David Hunt examines the years leading up to federation, often providing information about events not normally publicised. Girt Nation is a sequel to Girt and True Girt.

This volume largely tells the story through incidents in the lives of politicians such as Alfred Deakin and Henry Parkes plus poets and authors such as Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. Topics discussed include the rise of unions and the Labour Party, not to mention wholesale discrimination against Chinese and other immigrants leading to the establishment of the White Australia Policy plus, of course, discrimination against women. Involvement of the colonists in the Boer War and Boxer Rebellion is also discussed as is the rise of larrikin gangs in the cities. The book proves that nothing is new as the author describes the array of conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs, religious and otherwise, that existed in the period of Australian history leading to Federation.

David Hunt definitely looks for the quirky, often amusing aspects of history when telling his story but the reader soon becomes aware that this only highlights the miracle that Federation ever occurred with all the differing opinions and attitudes at the time. Unfortunately it is not difficult to think of parallel events, incidents and attitudes occurring in society today. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in Australian history.