Sir Graham Berry

Graham Berry (28 August 1822 - 25 January 1904), Australian colonial politician, was the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the landowning class. Download high resolution version (765x1061, 189 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (765x1061, 189 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 1822 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... List of Premiers of Victoria Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Victoria. ... The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. ...

Berry was born in Twickenham, near London, where his father was a trader. He had a primary education, then became an apprentice draper. In 1852 he migrated to Victoria, and went into business as a grocer in Prahran, then as a general storekeeper in South Yarra. His business skills and Victoria's booming economy soon made him a wealthy man. In 1849 he married Harriet Bencower, with whom he had eleven children. After her death he married, in 1869, Rebecca Evans, with whom he had another seven. Twickenham is a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in the south-west of London It is best known as the home of Twickenham Stadium - the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union. ... St. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... Prahran (pronounced prah-RAN) is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... South Yarra is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In Victoria Berry, by voracious reading, acquired the education he had missed in England, and taught himself economics, literature and philosophy. But all his life he retained a broad London accent, which many Victorian conservatives found either offensive and amusing. In Parliament he once asked the Speaker: "What is now before the 'Ouse?" To which the Leader of the Opposition interjected: "An H!" He developed a powerful rhetorical style modelled on that of his hero William Gladstone, equally effective in the rough-house of the colonial Parliament or on the hustings. The conservative newspaper The Argus conceded: "His oratory might not be polished: it certainly was not—but it was passionate, and it told." Noted for his humour, Berry was nevertheless a tough and determined politician. William Ewart Gladstone (December 29, 1809 - May 19, 1898) was a British Liberal politician and Prime Minister (1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886 and 1892-1894). ... The Argus was a newspaper in Melbourne. ...

Political career

Berry was elected to the Legislative Assembly for East Melbourne at a by-election in 1861, as what The Argus called "an extreme liberal." At the general election later in the same year he switched to Collingwood, then famously the most radical electorate in the colony. He was re-elected in 1864, but his criticism of James McCulloch's government during the tariff crisis of 1865 led to his defeat in that year's snap election. The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of Victoria in Australia. ... East Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Collingwood is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Australia. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Sir James McCulloch (1819 - 31 January 1893), Australian colonial politician, was the 5th Premier of Victoria. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

In 1866 Berry moved to Geelong, where he started a newspaper, the Geelong Register, as a rival to the established Geelong Advertiser. When this proved unsuccessful, he bought the Advertiser, and made himself editor of the merged paper. Using the paper as a platform, he was elected for West Geelong in 1869. In 1877 he switched to Geelong, which he represented until 1886. He was briefly Treasurer in John MacPherson's government in 1870. When Charles Gavan Duffy formed a strong liberal government in June 1871, Berry again became Treasurer. He was a convinced protectionist, and steered a bill for increased tariffs through the Parliament. 1866 is a common year starting on Monday. ... - - Nickname: City by the Bay Geography Area: 1,240 km² Coordinates: Time Zone UTC +10:00 Population (2003) 200,067 Among Australian cities: Density: persons/km² Political Mayor: Shane Dowling Governing body: City of Greater Geelong Geelong is a port city of 200,067 people (2003 census) located on Corio... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 9 - The United States of America is 40,000 days old. ... John Alexander MacPherson (15 October 1833 - 17 February 1894), Australian colonial politician, was the 7th Premier of Victoria. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (1816 - 1903) was a poet, born in Monaghan, early took to journalism, and became one of the founders of the Nature newspaper, and one of the leaders of the Young Ireland movement. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Protectionism is the economic policy of relying on tariffs for government revenue in order to reduce or eliminate other forms of taxation, such as income and sales taxes. ... A tariff is a tax placed on imported and/or exported goods, sometimes called a customs duty. ...

After the conservative interlude of the Francis and Kerferd governments, Berry assumed leadership of the liberals and became Premier and Treasurer in August 1875. But the liberal majority in the Assembly was unreliable, and in October the government's budget was defeated and Berry resigned. He asked the Governor, Sir George Bowen, for a dissolution, but was refused. He then campaigned across the colony in opposition to the third McCulloch government. At the May 1877 election, with the powerful backing of the Melbourne Age under David Syme, he won a huge liberal majority in the Assembly and returned to office at the head of a radical ministry. James Goodall Francis (9 January 1819 - 25 January 1884), Australian colonial politician, was the 9th Premier of Victoria. ... George Briscoe Kerferd (21 January 1831 - 31 December 1899), Australian colonial politician, was the 10th Premier of Victoria. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... List of Governors of Victoria See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... Sir George Ferguson Bowen (November 2, 1821 - February 21, 1899) was a British colonial governor. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, founded on October 17, 1854. ...

Reforming Premier

Berry's election manifesto proposed a punitive land tax designed to break up the squatter class's great pastoral properties - about 800 men at this time owned most of Victoria's grazing lands. He also advocated a high tariff to foster local manufacturing, which threatened to harm the importing and banking interests. He promised that if the Council, which was elected on a limited property-based franchise, blocked his program, it would be "dealt with according to its deserts." He described the Council as "a chamber which robs the people of the gold in the soil and the land God gave them." Given that there was no mechanism in the Victorian Constitution to override the Council, this was taken by conservatives to be a threat of revolutionary violence. Land Value Taxation (LVT) is the policy of raising state revenues by charging each landholder a portion of the assessed site-only value of the unimproved land. ... This article is about occupying land without permission. ...

In fact Berry was a devoted constitutional liberal and had no plans for illegal measures. But the Councillors were sufficiently alarmed to pass a modified version of Berry's land tax bill, despite the urgings of the ultra-conservative former Premier Sir Charles Sladen to reject it outright. Berry, emboldened, next introduced a bill for the payment of members of the Assembly, which the trade unions were demanding so that working class candidates could be elected. Berry "tacked" the bill to the Appropriations Bill so that Council could not reject it without paralysing the Colony's finances. The Council resented this blackmail and at Sladen's urging rejected the bill. Charles Sladen (28 August 1816 – 22 February 1884), Australian colonial politician, was the 6th Premier of Victoria. ...

With the two Houses deadlocked, Berry embarked on a public campaign of "coercion" against the Council. "We coerce madmen," he said, "We put them into lunatic asylums, and never was anything more the act of madmen than the rejection of the Appropriation Bill." To bring matters to a head, on 8 January 1878 ("Black Wednesday") Berry's government began to dismiss public servants, starting with police and judges, arguing that without an Appropriations Bill they could not be paid. Berry next brought in a bill to strip the Council of its powers, which the Council of course rejected. January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

For the next two years Berry clung to office while the colony was gripped with class conflict, including huge torchlit processions through Melbourne sponsored by The Age (pro-Berry) and The Argus (anti-Berry) - although, remarkably, there was almost no violence. Almost no legislation was passed and the administration ground to a halt as funds ran out. Berry's next tactic was to pass a bill through the Assembly stating that finance bills did not need to passed by the Council, but would become law when passed by the Assembly. Bowen thought this bill unconstitutional, but signed it on Berry's advice. When the Colonial Office learned of this, Bowen was recalled and the bill overturned.

Finally a compromise was reached, the payment of members bill was passed, and the sacked public servants were reinstated. Berry then introduced another bill to reduce the powers of the Council. When this was rejected, he decided to appeal directly to London. In 1879 Berry and another leading liberal, Charles Pearson, travelled to London to try and persuade the British Government to amend the Victorian Constitution in such a way as to reduce the power of the Council. Unfortunately for them, the Conservatives under Benjamin Disraeli were in power, and the Colonial Secretary, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, refused to agree to Berry's requests. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The new logo of the Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the largest centre right political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and literary figure. ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ... The Rt Hon. ...

Returning to Melbourne empty-handed, Berry was welcomed by huge crowds, but he found that the popularity of his government was declining and his majority in the Assembly was crumbling under the strain of the crisis. He tried to pass another bill to amend the Constitution, but in December 1879 it failed by one vote to gain the necessary two-thirds in the Assembly. Berry then resigned, and at the subsequent election he was very narrowly defeated. The conservatives under James Service formed a weak government, which resigned in June 1880, leading to another election, which the liberals won, though not as convincingly as they had done in 1877. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Berry returned as Premier, but he formed a much more moderate ministry than the one which had fallen in 1879. Both sides were exhausted by the struggle, and in July 1881 a modest reform bill was passed, including some reforms of Council elections, but no concessions on the essential powers of the Council. Berry, feeling he could do no more, resigned, and Bryan O'Loghlen formed another weak conservative government. Later Berry accepted office as Chief Secretary and Postmaster-General in a coalition government led by Service, from 1883 to 1886. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 9 - The United States of America is 40,000 days old. ...

Later years

In 1886 Berry resigned from Parliament and was appointed Victorian Agent-General in London, then an important and prestigious post. He was lionised as a liberal hero in London, and made a KCMG, becoming Sir Graham Berry. Although he was now 70, he was not yet done with politics. Returning to Melbourne in 1892, just as the great post Gold Rush economic boom was collapsing and the colony entering a severe depression, he was elected for East Bourke Boroughs at the May 1892 elections. He was Treasurer in William Shiels's Liberal government, but the days of reforming liberalism in Victoria were over for the time being and he resigned in January 1893. In October 1894 he was elected Speaker, a post he held until 1897, when he finally retired. 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 9 - The United States of America is 40,000 days old. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Gold rush ad A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Berry was granted a pension by the Parliament, and devoted the remainder of his life to supporting the cause of Australian Federation. In 1897 he was elected a Victorian delegate to the Constitutional Convention which drafted the Australian Constitution, mainly because of the support of The Age. At 75, however, he was too frail to contribute much except his prestige as one of the country's liberal heroes. He retired to the seaside with his enormous family, and died at St Kilda in 1904. He was given a state funeral and eulogised by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin. The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federated on 1 January 1901, to form the Commonwealth of Australia, of which they became component states. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... In Australian history, the term Constitutional Convention refers to four distinct gatherings. ... The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Alternate use: Saint Kilda, island in Scotland. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Hon Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919 ) was an intellectual leader of the movement for Australian federation and second Prime Minister of Australia, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of English immigrants. ...

The Age editorialised on Berry's death: "Sir Graham Berry had ten years of such storms as might well have daunted one less resolute. But he lived to see the triumph of almost all the great reforms he had fought for." This was not strictly true, since the conservative domination of the Legislative Council lasted unbroken for nearly a century after his death, but Berry certainly deserved to be remembered as the most determined liberal politician in 19th century Victoria.

Premiers of Victoria

Haines | O'Shanassy | Nicholson | Heales | McCulloch | Sladen | MacPherson | Duffy | Francis | Kerferd | Berry | O'Loghlen | Service | Gillies | Munro | Shiels | Patterson | Turner | Peacock | Irvine | Bent | Murray | Watt | Elmslie | Bowser | Lawson | Prendergast | Allan | Hogan | McPherson | Argyle | Dunstan | Cain Sr | McFarlan | Hollway | McDonald | Bolte | Hamer | Thompson | Cain Jr | Kirner | Kennett | Bracks