A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF EDWIN JAMES BRADY - Mallacoota ...

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These writings won for Brady a wide following at a time when the Boer War and later
World War 1 were stimulating an inwards searching of Australians which has
developed into a strong sense of national identity. Australia was no longer to be
regarded as a colony of Britain, or even a junior partner in the commonwealth of
nations, but an independent country in its own right with its own character, decisions
and future. Lawson, Rudd, Furphy and others had, along with The Bulletin, begun the
process in the late nineteenth century and in helping to make Australians aware of
their country, its uniqueness and inherent possibilities, Brady was furthering this
development. The fact that his writings are not always in the literary vein was not a
great disadvantage, for his travel accounts particularly, were read by those will little
more than a sense of adventure and with no pretensions to literary knowledge.
Referring to King’s Caravan as a “chatty, discursive, rather journalistic record”, a
reviewer in the English magazine The Athenaeum saw value in the book in several
ways:
It is useful for its matter-of-fact descriptions of the wide area of country
covered; and again, it is interesting in its revelation of an essentially
Australian view, not along of Australia but of life generally. The author’s
attitude of mind is typically and thoroughly Australian, It is a kindly, goodhumoured
attitude, characterised by a curious blend of utilitarian
materialism, Utopian idealism, cynicism and naivete. Doubtless these things
are largely climatic. The Utopian dreams of an era in which there will be no
capitalists, and all men on an equal footing, will share and share alike in
working for the common weal, are here blended with and corrected by healthy
primitive appetites, simple tastes, an ironical sense of humour and a youthful
keenness regarding the physical pleasure of life. It is an admirable
presentation of the Australian temperament, wholesome and markedly free
from the savage pessimism which has disfigured some of the best books
Australia has given us. 1
These remarks can be applied equally well to all books discussed in this section. The
opinions expressed form the core of a very perceptive review, especially remarkable
when one considers the time and the place of its appearing. It is true to say that
Brady’s books give an Australian view of life. His optimism does shine through them
all, displaying a hopeful, benevolent attitude towards life in general, in his case deeply
rooted in his faith in socialism’s capabilities to produce a better standard of living for
all, and enriched by his romantic, idealistic bent. With his strong utopian tendencies,
it is as if he is further reinforcing the view he expressed to William Lane before the
Paraguay episode that the new society has more chance of success if established in
this country. He might well have been saying that all the requirements for the new
society were here, now; there is no need to go across the sea to achieve these high
ideals, and Brady believed in this as firmly in the 1920’s as he did in the 1880’s. Yet
he stresses continually the need for the application of the common virtues of hard
work and sincere, intelligent effort to develop the available resources, both material
and intellectual. Although a staunch unionist, he recognises in his works that the
excesses of unionism must be curbed for the national good. His ironic sense of
humour and his own experience of life serve to keep his feet on the ground when his
idealism would encourage flights of fancy too remote from reality. To say that these
things are climatic, as the reviewer does, is hard to sustain. Other countries have the
same climatic conditions as Australia, yet their inhabitants have obviously different
national temperaments.
1 11.11.1911, p.591. The review is unsigned.