1 February 1869, Lord Protector's Palace, Australasia
He could only blame himself for his defeat, thought Henry Parkes. The state of his own finances and the debt incurred had driven him into receivership and that had been an overriding factor in bringing down his government of some eight years, being two seats short of a majority. It was a regrettable circumstance, especially when one considered the incoming government. William Forster would head the incoming government, a curious alliance of the Liberal Protectionists, Independents and the Federation of Australasian Labour (or the "Red Feds" as they were commonly known).
Personally, Parkes could not see such an alliance lasting. Which may be a good thing. Forster favoured wealthy landowners, whilst the Red Feds were very much a working class party. Their main common ground was a dislike of immigration, but particularly Chinese immigration. Forster had stated last year about aboriginal murders in Carpentaria "I should say murders of that kind must always be expected on the frontier, more or less. The great number of murders committed recently may be owing to peculiar causes; but that murders must occur in taking up new country, by collisions between the whites and the aborigines, is a necessity almost of that sort of colonization, really." Parkes had himself been originally against Chinese immigration and, whilst still uncomfortable, recognised the necessity of such. He had always rejected the claim that the Chinese should be excluded because they were an "inferior" race. He had said of them: "They are a superior set of people . . . a nation of an old and deep-rooted civilisation. . . . It is because I believe the Chinese to be a powerful race capable of taking a great hold upon the country and because I want to preserve the type of my own nation that I have misgivings. Yet, many Chinese had made good on their wealth and had thriving businesses, their political influence growing. Especially here in Melbourne, indeed Aurelia(renamed from Victoria 1866) as a state.
Still, he had reason to be proud. He had laid the foundations of a new country, with the establishment of functioning State and Federal Governments and parliaments. Then had come the Railway Act 1860, 1860 Customs Act, Assisted Immigration Acts 1861, Poor Law 1862, Army Act 1862, 1863 Telegraph Act, 1865 Working Hours Act, 1865 Navy Act, 1866 Currency Act,1867 Native Act and 1868 New Guinea Protectorate Act. Australasia had gone to issuing it's own currency in 1866, which was decimalised, 100 Pence to Pound. These were often called Bucks, a play on the Lord Protector's name.
The population of the country had surged. It now stood at 2.7 million people, possibly more if Aboriginals were to be counted fully. By State, this amounted to Aurelia - 891,000, New South Wales - 652,000, South Australia - 261,000, New Zealand - 190,000, Aotearoa 160,000(85,000 native), Capricornia 176,000, Tasmania 132,000, Combined Islands 78,000(60,000 native), New England 59,000, Riverina 46,000, Murray 29,000, North Australia 34,000(20,000+ native). Immigration continued to flow, although he had concerns that this may fall away now, with the new government.
Finally the Lord Protector arrived. Richard Plantagenet was not a man to stand on ceremony, bidding him to sit, carrying his 8 year old daughter Caroline, his eldest child, a pleasing mix of tanned skin, curly black hair and light brown eyes. The Lord Protector had two girls. Parkes hoped they would have a boy, but that seemed unlikely now both himself and his wife were over 40. Parkes started to speak "As you know, Your Excellency, this will be our last meeting with myself as Prime Minister. I just wished to thank you for both your advice and your support."
"No, thank you Henry, your have been an ideal Prime Minister, having presided over an unparalleled period of growth, both economically, socially, politically and in regards to population. When all this started back on the goldfields, we had no plan, no real vision of what we wished for. We only knew what we did not want. Our objectives were immediate. When they were obtained, we struggled to see where we would go from there, to formulate long term goals. You have made those goals a reality, have delivered a long term plan. So no, thank you."
"I shall miss it, I think."
"Political alliances are like shifting sands, Henry, things may well change."'
That was true, though Parkes. It was only last year Thomas Winton, leader of the Federation of Australian Labour, described Foster as "disagreeable in opposition, insufferable as a supporter, and fatal as a colleague". Yes, things may well not last. Thankfully, their last act in government had been to confirm via the Treaty of San Francisco dividing the lands of the Pacific between the USA and Australasia, the later gaining all territories below the medidian 5 degrees South of the Equator. Excluding, of course, that already occupied by another colonial power, such as the Dutch in the East Indies, Portuguese in Timor, British in New Hebrides and French in Tahati. This had been much favoured by the expansionist Secretary of State, William Henry Seward. Article 16 of that treaty provided that "The present arrangement shall be held secret."
In any event, Parkes' suspicions of an uneasy marriage quickly bore fruit. After less than 6 months in office, Forster's repealing of previously enacted land Laws causing the FAL's two members to cross the floor and vote in no confidence motion, bringing down the Forster government. On 20th July 1869, Parkes was to see himself as interim Prime Minister, until another election could be called.
The highly unusual Lord Protectors Place, Melbourne