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Doug McEachern

Doug McEachern

Doug McEachern was born and educated in Adelaide, and did his PhD at the University of Leeds.  During his academic career he was a Professor of Politics and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Adelaide, an executive director of the Australian Research Council, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Western Australia. His initial visit to India fascinated him with its complexity and excitement, and he has been back many times. In 2009 he returned to Victor Harbor to concentrate on writing fiction.

Doug McEachern reviews 'The Strange Birth of Colonial Democracy' by J.B. Hirst

June 1989, no. 111 01 June 1989
In some ways, John Hirst presents his tale of colonial New South Wales as if it were a book for today. In the preface he comments: ‘But why should we care what it was like? – because in many fundamentals this is the political world we still inhabit.’ This theme is sketched and hinted at several times in the text but it is never argued in a systematic and rigorous manner. What are we to make ... (read more)