Power Without Glory
Encyclopedia
Power Without Glory is a 1950 novel
written by Australian writer Frank Hardy
. It was later adapted into a mini-series by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (1976).
, with the rubric "a novel in three parts by Frank J. Hardy, Ross Franklyn". This combination of real name and pseudonym was carried over to his 1961 book The Hard Way relating in the third person of "Ross Franklyn" his difficulties in having the book published.
businessman and Australian Labor Party
power-broker, John Wren
. It is set in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Carringbush, which is based on the actual suburbs of Abbotsford
and Collingwood
. In the novel, West is involved in criminal activities related to gambling and political machinations.
The book also included characters based on other important Victorian and Australian political figures, including:
The barely-disguised motivation for the "West" character is made clear by the fact that West, like Wren, also has a brother called "Arthur" who spent time in jail for aiding and abetting a crime of rape. (Wren's other brother, Joseph, also appears in the novel.) Wren's wife Ellen Mahon appears as "Nellie", and there is space in the novel given to three of his children - his violinist daughter Margaret, his son John Jr., and another daughter who became a Communist bore similarities with Wren's radical daughter Mary who was an active member of the communist front organisation the Movement Against War and Fascism
.
The novel is set during World War I
, and the debate about conscription
is a major issue in the novel. John West is a fierce patriot who supports conscription, and his sometimes fiery debates with the Irish-Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, who opposes conscription on the grounds that to send men to aid England
was against his, and Ireland
's, historical enmity with that country.
in 1951 because of the depiction in the novel of "West's" wife having an affair, but he was acquitted on the grounds that the work was, as he said, a mixture of fact and fiction. It was the last prosecution for criminal (as opposed to civil) libel in Victoria
.
The case attracted enormous publicity, coinciding as it did with the anti-Communist referendum
and served mainly to give the novel and the negative portrayal of Wren greater prominence. Hardy later detailed his experiences during the case in his book The Hard Way.
Hardy's inclusion of Ellen's ("Nellie's") affair with bricklayer Bill Egan, who worked on the Wren mansion, was based on Wren's own belief that his daughter Angela was the illegitimate product of that affair. Just prior to the book's first (underground) publication, Hardy was wracked with uncertainty as to whether it was ethical to include the episode: he was worried about the book's impact on the "living innocents". He was eventually convinced to include it by the former Communist Party
leader JB Miles and, it seems, Angela herself - who is portrayed in the book as "Xavier". (Hardy was originally going to call the character "Annette" but changed the baby's sex so as to provide another layer of protection for Angela.) The real-life Angela committed suicide in 1956, and although Hardy's latest biographer Jenny Hocking (professor) was unable to find concrete evidence for Angela's assistance, she does believe it was provided.
series starring Martin Vaughan as West. While "Nellie's" affair with the brickie is depicted, the affair does not produce a child. The series won numerous Logie
, Penguin
and Sammy Awards.
Football commentator Rex Hunt
traditionally refers to Collingwood as "the Carringbush"
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Australian writer Frank Hardy
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy, or Frank, was an Australian left-wing novelist and writer best known for his controversial novel Power Without Glory. He also was a political activist bringing the plight of Aboriginal Australians to international attention with the publication of his book, The Unlucky...
. It was later adapted into a mini-series by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (1976).
Publication
The work was originally self-published with illustrations by his friend and fellow Communist "Amb" DysonEdward Ambrose Dyson
Ambrose Dyson , often known as "Amby" or "Amb Dyson" was an Australian illustrator and political cartoonist, born in Melbourne, the son of Ambrose Dyson and Mabel Fraser, whom he married shortly before he died in Kew Asylum.He was a student at Yarra Park State School until 1922, when he started...
, with the rubric "a novel in three parts by Frank J. Hardy, Ross Franklyn". This combination of real name and pseudonym was carried over to his 1961 book The Hard Way relating in the third person of "Ross Franklyn" his difficulties in having the book published.
The Novel
The novel is a fictionalised version of the life of MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
businessman and Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
power-broker, John Wren
John Wren
John Wren was an Australian businessman. He has become a legendary figure thanks mainly to a fictionalised account of his life in Frank Hardy's novel Power Without Glory, which was also made into a television series...
. It is set in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Carringbush, which is based on the actual suburbs of Abbotsford
Abbotsford, Victoria
Abbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327....
and Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
. In the novel, West is involved in criminal activities related to gambling and political machinations.
The book also included characters based on other important Victorian and Australian political figures, including:
- Victorian Premier Sir Thomas BentThomas BentSir Thomas Bent KCMG , Australian politician, was the 22nd Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most colourful and corrupt politicians in Victorian history....
; - Prime Minister James ScullinJames ScullinJames Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia.-Early life:Scullin was...
; - Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel MannixDaniel MannixDaniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
(the character "Archbishop Malone"); - Police commissioner Thomas O'Callaghan;
- Detective David O'Donnell;
- Socialist ALP politician and one-time deputy leader Frank AnsteyFrank AnsteyFrank Anstey , Australian politician, served 38 years as a Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments....
(the character "Frank Ashton"); - Ex-politician and notorious lawyer David GaunsonDavid GaunsonDavid Gaunson was a criminal solicitor who handled the defence of the infamousAustralian bushranger, Ned Kelly in the pre-trial stages. He found a loophole in the prosecution case whereby Kelly was not guilty of murder as the police unit attacking him was out to kill him and thus Kelly fired in...
(the character "Davey Garside"); - Returned soldier and racing official Gilbert DyettGilbert DyettSir Gilbert Joseph Cullen Dyett CMG was an Australian World War I veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign, who was President of the Returned and Services League of Australia for 27 years, from 1919 to 1946....
(the character "Godfrey Dwyer"); - Boxer Les DarcyLes DarcyJames Leslie Darcy was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time....
; - Gangster Squizzy TaylorSquizzy TaylorJoseph Leslie Theodore "Squizzy" Taylor was an Australian Melbourne-based gangster. He rose to notoriety by leading a violent gang war against a rival criminal faction in 1919, absconding from bail and successfully hiding from the police for over a year in 1921-22, and the Glenferrie robbery in...
(the character "Snoopy Tanner"); and - Queensland Premier and then federal Treasurer Ted TheodoreTed TheodoreEdward Granville Theodore was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Queensland 1919–25, a federal politician representing a New South Wales seat 1927–31, and Federal Treasurer 1929–30.-Early life:...
.
The barely-disguised motivation for the "West" character is made clear by the fact that West, like Wren, also has a brother called "Arthur" who spent time in jail for aiding and abetting a crime of rape. (Wren's other brother, Joseph, also appears in the novel.) Wren's wife Ellen Mahon appears as "Nellie", and there is space in the novel given to three of his children - his violinist daughter Margaret, his son John Jr., and another daughter who became a Communist bore similarities with Wren's radical daughter Mary who was an active member of the communist front organisation the Movement Against War and Fascism
Movement Against War and Fascism
The Movement Against War and Fascism was a Communist front organisation founded in Australia in 1933. MAWF organised political ralies, meetings and issues to promote the cause of Communism, recruit members, supporters and activists and promote wider community support.The MAWF was instigated by...
.
The novel is set during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and the debate about conscription
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
is a major issue in the novel. John West is a fierce patriot who supports conscription, and his sometimes fiery debates with the Irish-Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, who opposes conscription on the grounds that to send men to aid England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was against his, and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's, historical enmity with that country.
The Court Case
Hardy was tried for criminal libelCriminal libel
Criminal libel is a legal term, of English origin, which may be used with one of two distinct meanings, in those common law jurisdictions where it is still used....
in 1951 because of the depiction in the novel of "West's" wife having an affair, but he was acquitted on the grounds that the work was, as he said, a mixture of fact and fiction. It was the last prosecution for criminal (as opposed to civil) libel in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
The case attracted enormous publicity, coinciding as it did with the anti-Communist referendum
Australian referendum, 1951
The 1951 Australian Referendum was held on 22 September 1951 and sought approval for the federal government to ban the Communist Party of Australia. It was not carried.-Background:...
and served mainly to give the novel and the negative portrayal of Wren greater prominence. Hardy later detailed his experiences during the case in his book The Hard Way.
Hardy's inclusion of Ellen's ("Nellie's") affair with bricklayer Bill Egan, who worked on the Wren mansion, was based on Wren's own belief that his daughter Angela was the illegitimate product of that affair. Just prior to the book's first (underground) publication, Hardy was wracked with uncertainty as to whether it was ethical to include the episode: he was worried about the book's impact on the "living innocents". He was eventually convinced to include it by the former Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
leader JB Miles and, it seems, Angela herself - who is portrayed in the book as "Xavier". (Hardy was originally going to call the character "Annette" but changed the baby's sex so as to provide another layer of protection for Angela.) The real-life Angela committed suicide in 1956, and although Hardy's latest biographer Jenny Hocking (professor) was unable to find concrete evidence for Angela's assistance, she does believe it was provided.
Cultural Influence
In 1976, the novel was made into a 26 episode ABC-TVABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
series starring Martin Vaughan as West. While "Nellie's" affair with the brickie is depicted, the affair does not produce a child. The series won numerous Logie
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
, Penguin
Penguin Award
The Penguin Award is an annual award given for excellence in broadcasting by the Television Society of Australia. It was founded in 1954.The award trophy depicts an ear listening to a television tube, but strongly resembles a penguin....
and Sammy Awards.
Football commentator Rex Hunt
Rex Hunt
Rex James Hunt is an Australian television and radio personality, and a former Australian rules football player. He is an Australian rules football commentator, currently on the 1116 SEN radio station with son in law Lee Raynor conducting a program called Off The Hook. He is better known around...
traditionally refers to Collingwood as "the Carringbush"