30 Facts About Graham Berry

Graham Berry was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the landowning class.

At his death, Graham Berry was survived by eight of the children from his first marriage and all seven of the children from his second marriage.

Graham Berry was re-elected in 1864, but his criticism of James McCulloch's government during the tariff crisis of 1865 led to his defeat in that year's snap election.

In 1866 Graham Berry moved to Geelong, where he started a newspaper, the Geelong Register, as a rival to the established Geelong Advertiser.

Graham Berry was briefly Treasurer in John MacPherson's government in 1870.

When Charles Gavan Duffy formed a strong liberal government in June 1871, Graham Berry again became Treasurer.

Graham Berry was a convinced protectionist, and steered a bill for increased tariffs through the Parliament.

Graham Berry asked the Governor, Sir George Bowen, for a dissolution, but was refused.

Graham Berry then campaigned across the colony in opposition to the third McCulloch government.

Graham Berry advocated a high tariff to benefit local manufacturing, which threatened to harm the importing and banking interests.

Graham Berry was a devoted constitutional liberal and had no plans for illegal measures.

Graham Berry, emboldened, next introduced a bill for the payment of members of the Assembly, which the trade unions were demanding so that working class candidates could be elected.

Graham Berry "tacked" the bill to the Appropriation Bill so that Council could not reject it without paralysing the Colony's finances.

Graham Berry next brought in a bill to strip the Council of its powers, which the Council of course rejected.

Graham Berry then introduced another bill to reduce the powers of the council.

Graham Berry tried to pass another bill to amend the Constitution, but in December 1879 it failed by one vote to gain the necessary two-thirds in the Assembly.

Graham Berry then resigned, and at the subsequent election he was very narrowly defeated.

Graham Berry returned as Premier, and formed a much more moderate ministry than the one which had fallen in 1879.

Graham Berry, feeling he could do no more, resigned, and Bryan O'Loghlen formed another weak conservative government.

Later Graham Berry accepted office as Chief Secretary and Postmaster-General in a coalition government led by Service, from 1883 to 1886.

In 1886 Graham Berry resigned from Parliament and was appointed Victorian Agent-General in London, then an important and prestigious post.

Graham Berry was lionised as a liberal hero in London.

Graham Berry was one of the representatives of Victoria at the Colonial Conference held in London in 1887, and took a prominent part in its proceedings.

Graham Berry was Treasurer in William Shiels's Liberal government, but the days of reforming liberalism in Victoria were over for the time being and he resigned in January 1893.

Graham Berry was granted a pension by Parliament, and devoted the remainder of his life to supporting the cause of Australian Federation.

Graham Berry was out of sympathy with the tendency of the opinion at the convention, and more often than not voted on the losing side of divisions, the only delegate with that distinction.

Graham Berry retired to the seaside with his enormous family, and died at St Kilda in 1904.

Graham Berry was given a state funeral and eulogised by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin.

Graham Berry appears as a minor character in the 2003 film Ned Kelly, played by Australian actor Charles Tingwell.

Graham Berry is portrayed as receiving Kelly's now famous Jerilderie Letter and reading it out loud to the officers in charge of the hunt, though in reality, Graham Berry was never sent the letter, nor was it ever intended to be sent to him.