It was brought home to me once again how dependent I've become on the internet as an information source.
This morning I was glancing at the Sydney Morning Herald and saw an advertisement for Bonhams & Goodman auction house on page 11 of the Spectrum supplement.
My eye lit upon a photo of Sir Isaac Isaacs' Federation Medal. I once collected medals and medallions, but had never heard of a Federation Medal.
This prompted a breakfast conversation about Sir Isaac Isaacs. I was trying to recall his exact place in Australian history, and what his position would have been at the time of Australia's Federation (1901). I knew he had been a High Court Justice, a High Court Chief Justice and Governor-General. My father-in-law recalled that the High Court of Australia did not yet exist in 1901, and that he thought Sir Isaac Isaac's appointment as Governor-General had been opposed in England, as up to that time only King's men had held the position. He also recalled that Scullin may have been Prime Minister at the time of Isaacs' appointment to the Governor-Generalship, which would place it in the 1930's.
I thought I'd better research the facts to make sure. But the internet connection was down.
Then my dependency was revealed. I looked around our substantial household library for a reference book which could clarify the facts such as an encyclopaedia, or Barry Jones' Dictionay of World Biography but there was none to be had.
The confirmation was in abeyance until later today when the internet connection was up again, and I could find this:
Isaacs attended to his duties with zest. His age was no impediment to great enthusiasm and he discharged the ceremonial duties of his office with obvious enjoyment. To his constitutional duties he brought not only great application and assiduity but also a unique learning and knowledge. In special cases, he furnished elaborate memoranda expounding the reasons for his action. Of these the most notable was his answer to the address of the Opposition-controlled Senate in 1931 praying that he should refuse to approve certain regulations under the Transport Workers Act. He also wrote at length to explain why he had accepted Scullin's request in November for a dissolution. No difficult constitutional issues emerged during his further period of office. By the time he retired on 23 January 1936 it was generally acknowledged that he had served as governor-general during harsh depression years with dignity and distinction. He had voluntarily surrendered one-quarter of his salary and declined to take his retired judge's pension while he held office.
But what was Sir Isaac Isaacs doing at the time of Federation?
He was elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria's Parliament from 1892 - 1901.
Federation was on 1 January, 1901.
The first federal election was held on 29 March 1901.
He entered the first Commonwealth Parliment as the Member for Indi, and that Parliament first sat on 9 May, 1901.
Sir Isaac Isaacs now receives most retrospective recognition as our first Australian born Governor-General.
It's worth noting too that he was the first Jew to hold that position, the only other being Sir Zelman Cowan.
ADDED: A gem from the National Archives of Australia. Here's an image of the Proclamation appointing Sir Isaac Isaacs as Governor-General of Australia. GOD SAVE THE KING!
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