Outline the post Federation career of Alfred Deakin Consider what his career reveals about the nature
Alfred Deakin, Australia’s second Prime Minister and perhaps the most influential politician of his time, contributed immensely to the development and advancement of the political life of the Commonwealth. ... Deakin also played a large role in the formation and development of the new Commonwealth and the Australian constitution, working “tirelessly” in an effort to federate Australia. It was through Deakin’s dedication to and immense loyalty to Australian interests and needs that he helped form the social policies that are taken for granted these days. The fact that Deakin’s political actions in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century are still relevant, to some extent, to our own ‘modern’ society, having being reviewed only recently, illustrates clearly the momentous impact Deakin’s actions, insight and understanding of Australian social views and values, which have allowed these frames to remain relevant, has had on the development of all aspects of life in the Commonwealth. Whether or not Deakin was a socialist or whether he was in fact an active and protective capitalist has been questioned recurringly by historians. ... Many of Deakin’s political actions during his time in Australian politics have been seen to be quintessentially socialist. The Harvester Judgement for example has been seen by many to be an expression of, “a kind of ‘state socialism’ which had brought about “a progressive policy of justice for all classes.”” Deakin’s own social background was hardly a socialist promoting background; however, it is clear that he cared about “the average man” and how he lived. ... Clearly Deakin never attempts to do this, however this is the only Socialist ideal which he does not fulfil. ... ” Whether or not Deakin intended to implement socialist principles is not clear, Peter Westaway, suggests however, that “Australia was never threatened by a socialist revolution…(with) the Australian attitude to socialism (being) one of amusement.” Many of Deakin’s actions would confirm this believe, such as the White Australia Policy, which attempted to fulfil Australian racial sentiments and not socialist motives. In general, Deakin’s actions, when seen in retrospect, were clearly carried out in an attempt to protect and develop capitalist sentiments within Australia, as the unemployment of the Depression had put it at threat. The Depression of the 1890’s was catastrophic, and the consequential strikes influenced the thoughts and minds of those who lived through it immensely, as was Deakin’s. The legislation and frames put into place by Deakin attempted to provide for the workers, protecting capitalism and the role of the Commonwealth in Australia. Deakin’s childhood and upbringing were greatly influenced by the British Empire, in all that it represented in Australia, and by the growing republican sentiments of the time. ... ” It was not however a childhood of poverty, with Deakin attending Melbourne Grammar School for his secondary education, something which was not, at the time, subsidised, in any way, by the government. ... This “dreamy, bookish youth with eclectric interests in high-Victorian speculative thought,” as MacIntyre described him, was influenced immensely by the authors Bunyon, Swift, Defoe, Shelley and Wordsworth during his childhood, with Deakin being a voracious reader. ... Whilst at The University of Melbourne, Deakin was captivated by the literary works of Carlyle and Ruskin, and the ideas of Darwin and Huxley. It was perhaps here, among his books that Deakin’s interest shifted away from a literary career and towards a political career. One historian, Watt, described Deakin as “an idealist and something of a mystic,” with his strong spiritual beliefs often influencing both his public and private life significantly. Deakin was a “proud ‘native born’ Australian colonial boy” and a staunch imperialist, being labelled by many as an “independent Briton.” The various aspects of Deakin’s middle class childhood and upbringing, would have undoubtedly influenced and contributed to the formation of the Deakin we know of today.