James Greenwood (Australian politician)

Bright, the sometime editor of Melbourne Punch, moved on to be aspirant politician, campaigning journalist, education reformer and Free thinker.

In 1875, Greenwood returned to Melbourne to preach at the Albert Street Baptist church[9] where his sermons were listened to with 'great attention'.

After his death, the papers reported that he had begun to doubt his calling and he left the ministry with the intention of studying for the Bar, but was diverted from that course by the education campaign and his election to Parliament.

However, the Northern Star in Lismore referenced an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Victorian educational progress ‘which some would at once attribute to his pen’.

[15] The content of the 3 May article matches the newspaper reports of Greenwood's education campaign speeches and is consistent with the assessment of his obituary writers.

He watched eagerly for the appearance of public documents, which he studied with patient enthusiasm, and compelled them to yield fresh and valuable results to the political thought of the country.‘Statistical returns of any kind had meanings for him that few other eyes discerned.

Protectionists, land monopolists, surplus-treasurers, and other jugglers with figures, had their carefully constructed balloons fatally pricked by his sharp and watchful pen.’[16] It was also said that many of the statistical returns issued by the Government had been greatly improved following his suggestions and that the inaugural role of Government statist would have been offered to him if he had wanted it.

On all occasions, and in every possible way, the Herald has opposed the Illawarra Railway, and will probably do so to the end, and if it should transpire that Mr. Greenwood will support the project while he is connected with that paper, it will be a matter for general surprise, and will greatly add to the high estimation in which he is now held by the people of this colony as a public man.

[22] In which he argued for greater (though not complete) equality, opposing the views in Sir William Hamilton's Metaphysics and referencing John Stuart Mill.

What a degradation of woman to make that her only prospect in life 1 Why not multiply the avenues of feminine industry and give our daughters as good chances of independence as our sons ?

'[11] While pastor Greenwood became a prominent campaigner for National, Secular, Compulsory and Free education under the banner of the Public School League.

In NSW at that time many young people did not receive an education and most of those who were eduacated passed through the denominational schools (Anglican and Catholic).

Greenwood, the main speaker, proposed the establishment of what became the New South Wales Public School League, for the advocacy of a national [NSW] system of education – secular, compulsory, and free.

‘The manner, in which he has mastered every detail, the labour with which he has got up his figures and his facts, and the admirable skill with which he has so disciplined and arrayed them are worthy of all praise.’[30] In the words of the Argus, Greenwood burst into political life as the great platform speaker and champion of the League.

[31] Greenwood's leadership was recognised by Joseph Paxton[32] a wealthy gold miner turned philanthropist led a group that offered to fund his election campaign and provide him with a salary of £800 a-year, if he stood for Parliament.

One observer described Greenwood as a fluent speaker, but weak in voice, and lacking animation and the faculty of emphasising and pressing home his arguments.

[34] In 1875, returning to Sydney overland from his month at the Albert Street Baptist Church in Melbourne, Greenwood spoke at a public meeting at Fry's Hotel in Gundagai.

[35][36] Reports of this lecture prompted a self-described Catholic to write ‘As well expect that persons should pay attention to the mad ravings of a Socialist, or Communist, or common Highwayman as listen to the twaddle of the Rev.

This was a time before formal political parties, and MPs formed and reformed fluid short-term coalitions that elevated to Premier, either the devious faction leaders Parkes and Robertson or a compromise candidate.

He is a hard worker and a long-headed thinker, and possesses undeniably the gift of the gab – but he 'blows' [bloviates] more 'blowingly' than a dozen native-born Australians rolled into one.

'[44] The Argus in Melbourne called him the most interesting among the new candidates and predicted he would be troublesome to those who disagreed with him including Sir John Robertson, Mr. Garrett and the Ministry who will ‘do the utmost to defeat him’.

[46] In a three-hour address at the Temperance Hall on 17 October in which ‘some of the speaker's remarks were somewhat humorous and were greeted with continuous laughter and cheers.’ Greenwood laid out his policies beyond education.

He said he stood for (in today's terms) good governance and criticised those who clung to place without power (such as Parkes) and those who collided with the Crown (such as Robertson for his clashes with the Governor).

[47] Nominations for the election were held on 22 October 1877 in Hyde Park where ten thousand people gathered in front of the hustings.

[51][52] In his nomination speech, Greenwood restated his ‘good governance’ position, said he was in favour of subsidising immigration through the proceeds of land sales, of State subsidies to the city of Sydney and the railways and the sewerage and water schemes of William Clark (which included the Bondi sewer outfall, and the Nepean Reservoir.)

[55]) Following the election, Parkes sought to form a Government and sounded out Stuart, before asking Davies, then Greenwood if they would serve as Treasurer.

The new Parkes Government passed the Public Instruction Act 1880 which contained most[61] if not all the education campaigners and Greenwood had sought.

And so it was that one of Greenwood's 'most conspicuous opponents and merciless critics was the distinguished person [Parkes] who is now, by the very irony of fate, looked up to as the author of our educational system'.

[62] Obituary writers recognised that as in MP he was very active, and perhaps more than any other member, went minutely into the subjects to which he gave his attention but judged his political career to be far from a success and disappointing.