EMIGRATION
Duffy emigrates to Australia and becomes Premier of Victoria
After being feted in Sydney and Melbourne Duffy settled in Victoria. With his political and literary reputation, he was a romantic figure, particularly for the Irish community. For this reason he was feared and hated by many in the English and Scottish Protestant establishment, especially when he indicated his interest in politics.
A public appeal was held to enable him to buy the freehold property necessary to stand for the colonial parliament and he was immediately elected to the Legislative Assembly for Villiers and Heytesbury in the Western District in 1856
With the collapse of the Victorian Government's Haines Ministry, during 1857, another Irish Catholic, John O'Shanassy, became Premier and Duffy his second-in-charge. Duffy was Commissioner for Public Works and was President of the Board of Land and Works and Commissioner for Crown Lands and Survey.
Nothing like this had occurred anywhere in the British Empire, with Irish catholics serving as Cabinet Ministers.
Like other radicals, Duffy regarded unlocking the colony's lands from the grip of the squatter class as his main priority, but his 1862 lands bill was amended into ineffectiveness by the Legislative Council.
The historian Don Garden wrote: "Unfortunately Duffy's dreams were on a higher plane than his practical skills as a legislator and the morals of those opposed to him."
In 1871 Duffy led the opposition to Premier James McCulloch's plan to introduce a land tax, on the grounds that it unfairly penalised small farmers. When McCulloch's government was defeated on this issue, Duffy became Premier and Chief Secretary (June 1871 to June 1872). Victoria's finances were in a poor state and he was forced to introduce a tariff bill to provide government revenue, despite his adherence to British free trade principles.
An Irish Catholic Premier was very unpopular with the Protestant majority in the colony, and Duffy was accused of favouring Catholics in government appointments. In June 1872 his government was defeated in the Assembly on a confidence motion allegedly motivated by sectarianism. He resigned the leadership of the liberal party to Graham Berry.
After being feted in Sydney and Melbourne Duffy settled in Victoria. With his political and literary reputation, he was a romantic figure, particularly for the Irish community. For this reason he was feared and hated by many in the English and Scottish Protestant establishment, especially when he indicated his interest in politics.
A public appeal was held to enable him to buy the freehold property necessary to stand for the colonial parliament and he was immediately elected to the Legislative Assembly for Villiers and Heytesbury in the Western District in 1856
With the collapse of the Victorian Government's Haines Ministry, during 1857, another Irish Catholic, John O'Shanassy, became Premier and Duffy his second-in-charge. Duffy was Commissioner for Public Works and was President of the Board of Land and Works and Commissioner for Crown Lands and Survey.
Nothing like this had occurred anywhere in the British Empire, with Irish catholics serving as Cabinet Ministers.
Like other radicals, Duffy regarded unlocking the colony's lands from the grip of the squatter class as his main priority, but his 1862 lands bill was amended into ineffectiveness by the Legislative Council.
The historian Don Garden wrote: "Unfortunately Duffy's dreams were on a higher plane than his practical skills as a legislator and the morals of those opposed to him."
In 1871 Duffy led the opposition to Premier James McCulloch's plan to introduce a land tax, on the grounds that it unfairly penalised small farmers. When McCulloch's government was defeated on this issue, Duffy became Premier and Chief Secretary (June 1871 to June 1872). Victoria's finances were in a poor state and he was forced to introduce a tariff bill to provide government revenue, despite his adherence to British free trade principles.
An Irish Catholic Premier was very unpopular with the Protestant majority in the colony, and Duffy was accused of favouring Catholics in government appointments. In June 1872 his government was defeated in the Assembly on a confidence motion allegedly motivated by sectarianism. He resigned the leadership of the liberal party to Graham Berry.