After a two-year hiatus, the annual Daniel Deniehy Oration is back.
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This year Assistant Minister for the Republic of Australia MP Matt Thistlethwaite is presenting the oration to be held at the Goulburn Soldiers Club on October 28.
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II the issue of an Australian republic has gained momentum and serious questions are now being asked about the sort of republic Australians would want and the process of getting to that point.
President of the Goulburn State Electorate Council, Michael Pilbrow believes it is important to create opportunities to dig deep into our past and explore various ways of thinking and living that have contributed to our political culture.
Mr Pilbrow said Geoff Gallop said it eloquently in his 2018 oration, stating "Deniehy had fire in his belly and the words to back it up. Reflecting on his life leads us to think about the relationship between ideas and politics."
Deniehy is closely connected to Goulburn's history. As the Member for Argyle he represented a wide ranging constituency.
He was a colourful politician, teacher, journalist, father and gifted orator. He wanted a more just and equal society. Deniehy is well-known for his 'Bunyip Aristocracy' speech, delivered in 1853 - in which he challenged the idea of a hereditary peerage in the Upper House in the Colony of NSW, as proposed by William Charles Wentworth.
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His office sign at Mandelson's acts as an historic landmark to his contribution
Matt Thistlethwaite will be speaking at an important point in Australia's history. To become a republic, Australians will have to vote in a referendum, and oration organisers said whether this vote could coincide with the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament was an interesting prospect.
Mr Pilbrow added that this year, the event will also be an opportunity to honour the passing of the beloved Laszlo Strasser, an ardent local republican.
Tickets are available from nswlabor.org.au/2022_daniel_deniehy_oration or call Michael Pilbrow 0418 405 489 or Ursula Stephens or 0407 228 727.
