29 July

Corowa local historian, Glenda Campbell, says in Stuart Rintoul’s article in The Australian that she doubts that the republic has captured the imagination of the Australian people in the way that Federation did: “I can’t get too enthused about the debate. I would probably like an Australian Head of State, and I think a republic is inevitable, like Federation was.  But I’m not quite sure that I will vote in favour of it this time around.” A debate on the republic is being held in Corowa on the weekend of 31 July/1August, the place of first Federation conference in 1893. No women are among the official speakers at this meeting. The Australian, which is hosting a series of “town hall meetings”, will be publishing reports on this and subsequent debates.