Paul Hasluck (Australian Biographical Monographs 26) (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781923568044)

Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, KG, GCMG, GCVO, PC, (1 April 1905-9 January 1993) was a senior public servant, diplomat, academic, federal member of the House of Representatives from 1949-69, held several key ministries and then served as Governor-General from 1969-74. Hasluck was not just an office holder, he mastered them. More than that he made important by his work and insights what was then regarded as minor ministries like Territories, appreciating the plight of our Aboriginal people and those in New Guinea. He acted, pushed and reformed. His many publications on Australian history and its institutions were, and are, highly regarded. A man of high ethical principles, nurtured by his strong Salvation Army background which he remained true to all this life, Hasluck stood out from our usual perceptions of politicians - then and now. And yet, for all this, and despite several significant biographies, Hasluck is almost forgotten especially among his own party. This makes this latest monograph by Anne Henderson, the 26th in the Australian Biographical Series, timely in reminding us not just what Hasluck achieved, but when decency mattered.

Anne Henderson is deputy director of the Sydney Institute and has been a major contributor to promoting the study of Australian politics through her many publications including another in this series on Senator Margaret Guilfoyle.