Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Tom Roberts (1856-1931), via the Royal Collection and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
In 1890, Sir Henry Parkes reminded Australians that they had a natural kinship and declared them ready to manage their own affairs.
Read
© Coekon, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
In 1852 the Council of New South Wales sent a strongly-worded petition to London, demanding the right of self-government.
Thomas Phillips, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Lord Durham warned Westminster that colonial Canada must be run by elected MPs, not career bureaucrats.
Anonymous c. 1902, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Some wanted Britain on a path to being a thoroughly European nation, but William Monypenny wanted her at the world’s crossroads.
© Mike Qunn, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
A shepherd boy has fun teasing the local farmers, but comes to regret it.
By Adolphe Roehn (1780–1867), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The fear that Russia might make an ally of Great Britain drove the would-be Emperor of Europe to extreme measures.