Annotation. Sir Paul Hasluck was for almost two and a half decades one of Australia's most prominent politicians. Born in Fremantle in 1905 and educated at Perth Modern School and The University of Western Australia, Hasluck worked for The West Australian and lectured at The University of Western Australia before moving into politics in 1949. After two decades in politics, including a variety of ministerial responsibilities, Hasluck was appointed as the 17th Governor General of Australia in 1969. This biography includes Hasluck's experience working for the Department of External Affairs during the Second World War. It covers his career as a writer, poet, historian, and politician, providing a complete and enthralling portrait of one of Australia's great men.

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This is the story of how an easy-going Sydney politician, with a reputation for enjoying the pleasures of the table and a fondness for cricket, became possessed by one enduring enthusiasm. That passion, maintained across almost two decades, was to make a new country from a collection of British colonies.

The events of November 1975 sparked off lively debate as to what the Governor-General does. The real point at issue in that controversy was not whether a Governor-General has the power to dismiss a Prime Minister. The fact that the power was exercised is proof that the power exists. The question to be asked is whether the Govenor-General was justified by the facts as he saw and interpreted them, and, if he were justified, whether he was wise to use the power. There is a difference between an extreme situation and a customary action. The controversy over the dismissal of a Prime Minister concentrated attention on one aspect, but in this lucid essay Sir Paul Hasluck sets out the wide range of the Governor-General's duties and the place of office in the whole structure of Australian government.

Collection of essays and reviews written by Paul Hasluck in the years before his death in 1993. Contrasts social attitudes in Australia early in the century with attitudes 60 or more years later. Also presents anecdotes about several of his contemporaries, including Curtin, Evatt, Menzies, Gorton, McMahon and Whitlam. Paul Hasluck was born in the country, son of Salvation Army parents. During his life he was variously: journalist, poet, drama critic, war historian, author, publisher, anthropologist, public servant, diplomat, federal minister and Governor-General. Includes an introduction and postscript by his son, Nicholas Hasluck.

Combining the perspectives of political, social and cultural history, this book presents a holistic interpretation of the complex relationship between Indigenous and settler Australians during the mid 20th century. The author provides an insightful history of the changing nature of race relations in Australia.