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

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Brady accepted the position gratefully on economic grounds, also grateful to be back
in what he regarded as the centre of things, but privately confessed he did not want the
position. His objection was that The Worker at that time was regarded mainly as a
shearers’ paper, most members paying their subscription and leaving the paper
unopened at country post offices. Metropolitan circulation was almost nil. He
summed up his opinion of it by stating that “as a political weapon for Labor it seemed
to be about as effective as a blackfellow’s spear”. 1 But he took the position, coaxed
by Don MacDonnell (later Chief Secretary in the Holman Government) and Jack
Meehan (M.L.A. for Bourke), and as Lamond was glad to see the last of Black, with
whom he frequently fought, and pleased to see Brady, with whom he had got along
well with in the past, the new editor was permitted to keep his Press Agency going.
Needless to say, his acceptance did not enamour him of Black, who had been editor
since May, 1900 and whose parting shots included one at literature in general and
Lawson in particular. Black alleged that most of Lawson’s stories were not original
but had been going the rounds of the bush for years before Lawson wrote them down.
He stated that Favenc, Warung, Dyson, Chambers, Swan and “fifty others” wrote such
bush yarns before Lawson “quite broke the shell”.
Brady found, as Black had found before him, that Lamond was not an easy person to
work with, and suggested after a few months that Lamond be made Managing Editor
(so that he could fight with himself) and Brady agreed to supply the paper with
editorial matter. After about a year in office Brady stepped down. The proposed plan
was implemented but Lamond found the dual role more onerous. After a couple of
interim editors, the position was taken and filled with distinction for many years by
H.E. Boote. After Brady’s resignation (at the end of September 1905) he received
three pounds a week for four columns.
The Bulletin noticed the resignation by two brief paragraphs, one of which stated that
“during his control he considerably brightened the paper; but as the Board of Control
is chiefly Scotch the rupture was inevitable.” 2 One of his last tasks was to serve as
organising secretary to a fund to provide for the widow and family of his old friend,
Victor Dayley. A theatre performance (with a programme cover designed by Norman
Lindsay), donations and various activities led to sufficient money to set up a
tombstone over the grave and to provide 300 pounds for the family, which ahd been
left almost penniless. 3
Brady’s departure from Sydney for Melbourne, where he set up another press agency,
was noticed in The Worker and in The Socialist. 4 The grand farewell was attended by
“sixty brother scribes and bards”. The departure from The Worker meant that, for the
time at least, his direct involvement in politics had ceased, although his interest
remained. He was disillusioned by the in-fighting which so often attended political
events, informing one friend that New South Wales politics were “mere bubbling
mud”. 5 But he still kept contact with his numerous political friends. Perhaps it can be
said that this withdrawal was yet another instance of his dilettantism and general lack
of perseverance, but it can also be argues that he was genuinely interested in the
public relations work of his agency and may have considered his assistance to people
by this means was more real.
1
“Early Lights of Labor”, The Red Objective
2
14.10.1905
3
The subscription lists are in Mitchell Library
4
The Worker, 29.11.1906; The Socialist, 8.12.1906
5
Letter Brady to Fred Johns, 12.2.1913, in Mitchell Library.