Education
Deniehy was educated at the best schools Sydney then had to offer, including Sydney College, and completed his education in England at his father's expense.
Deniehy was educated at the best schools Sydney then had to offer, including Sydney College, and completed his education in England at his father's expense.
It was at a public meeting, on 15th August 1853, that
Daniel Deniehy first appeared "on the public stage". He opposed William
Wentworth's draft NSW Constitution, which proposed to establish a
parliamentary Upper House consisting of hereditary Australian Lordships.
At that, and a subsequent meeting Deniehy eloquently condemned what he
called Wentworth's proposed "Bunyip Aristocracy", and spoke in favour of
a widespread democracy. His speech caused great laughter at the
Establishment's expense, and was roundly applauded; and later reported
favourably in the newspapers of the day.
Deniehy, a thorough republican, later became involved with free-thinkers
such as Henry Parkes, Charles Harpur and the Rev. J.D. Lang. Deniehy
supported Lang in his opposition to Britain's "foreign war" in the
Crimea. He hoped to set up a popular party, to oppose the entrenched
squattocracy and non-elected politicians (appointed by the colony's
Governor).
Daniehy was elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly in 1857, with his
main aim to open up public lands to the working class. He helped form
the New South Wales Electoral Reform League, in order to push for
greater democracy. He stayed in the Legislative Assembly at great
personal expense, as in these days Members of Parliament were not paid.
He had to fund his time there, losing money in constant travelling to
Sydney and lodging there, together with the loss of trade to his
business (he finally had to move to Sydney). The Reform Leagues policies
became generally accepted, and a law was passed which essentially
granted for representation by population (rather than by land-owners)
and for more equal electorates; however, several undemocratic features
remained.
Deniehy's reputation as an orator and propagandist for land reform
attracted much attention, especially in Victoria where similar attempts
were being made. Indeed, one of the demands of the Eureka rebels in 1854
was to "unlock the lands". In 1858 Deniehy was invited to Victoria, and
gave a speech to a large meeting of the Land Convention Brotherhood of
United Australians.
Deniehy also spoke out against giving top public service jobs to
specially imported Englishmen, and to government funding of religion
(after a row with the Catholic hierarchy, Deniehy was excommunicated).
After being defeated in electoral contests, Deniehy founded his own
newspaper, the Southern Cross (the first issue appeared on 1st October
1859) which aimed to review public affairs, foster "national sentiment",
and work towards the federation of the colonies. It was in the Southern
Cross that he published the most famous of his writings "How I Became
Attorney-General of New Baratavia", ridiculing the Cowper governments
appointment of L.H. Bayley to the ministry, in what "was considered at
the time to be one of the most forceful and brilliant political satires
in the English language". Unfortunately his newspaper closed on 11th
August 1860, due to financial difficulties. Before its closure, however,
Deniehy had written, besides his purely political pieces, "with insight
and elegance on a wide range of topics".
In May 1860 Deniehy was re-elected to parliament, but was defeated in
December of the same year. Thereafter he rarely appeared at public
functions. However, he came "out of retirement" to address the large
assembly of Australians in the anti-Chinese demonstrations in Sydney,
following the riots at Lambing Flat, whereby he deplored the recent
violence, although acknowledging the consequences of aliens being
present in a European civilisation.
He tried one last time for re-election in September 1861, but failed.
The following year he went to Melbourne to edit the Victorian newspaper.
His outspokenness meant that the paper ran into trouble, and it was
closed in April 1864, by which time he was seriously ill, as well as
impoverished. The death of his only surviving son later in that same
month degraded his sobriety.
Wrestling with ill-health, poverty, and alcoholism, he returned to
Sydney where he tried to re-establish his legal practice; after which he
went to Bathurst, where he died on 22nd October 1865.
Daniel Henry Deniehy, nativist republican patriot, led his life according to his principles. He worked hard to:
1: advance a genuine people's democracy.
2. make land available to the ordinary citizen.
3: promote Australianism against imperialism.
In these times, when the Establishment undermines the future of
Australia through domination and exploitation by foreign interests,
where our own culture heritage and identity is scorned by
anti-Australian multiculturalists, mass immigrationists and Asianisers,
Daniel Deniehy remains a beacon for Nationalists.
He was influenced by both English Chartism and Irish nationalism.Deniehy was a follower of the radical leader John Dunmore Lang (despite Lang's violent dislike of the Irish and of Roman Catholicism), and a member of Lang's organisation, the Australian League. He practised law in Goulburn 1854–58, in Sydney 1858-62, in Melbourne 1862-64 and in Bathurst 1865. In all these places he was active in local politics and journalism.Deniehy was an advocate of extended democracy in the emerging political systems of the Australian colonies