The Lucky Country
The Lucky Country is a 1964 book by Donald Horne. The title has become a nickname for Australia[1] and is generally used favourably, although the origin of the phrase was negative. Among other things, it has been used in reference to Australia's natural resources, weather, history, distance from problems elsewhere in the world, and other sorts of prosperity.
Horne's intent in writing the book was to document Australia's climb to power and wealth, basing it almost entirely on luck rather than the strength of its political or economic system, which Horne believed was "second rate".
Overview
The title of Horne's book comes from the opening words of the book's last chapter:
Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people's ideas, and, although its ordinary people are adaptable, most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity about the events that surround them that they are often taken by surprise.
Horne's statement was an indictment of 1960s Australia. His intent was to comment that, while other industrialized nations created wealth using "clever" means such as technology and other innovations, Australia did not. Rather, Australia's economic prosperity was largely derived from its rich natural resources. Horne observed that Australia "showed less enterprise than almost any other prosperous industrial society."
In his 1976 follow-up book, Death of the Lucky Country, Horne clarified what he had meant when he first coined the term:
When I invented the phrase in 1964 to describe Australia, I said: 'Australia is a lucky country run by second rate people who share its luck.' I didn't mean that it had a lot of material resources … I had in mind the idea of Australia as a [British] derived society whose prosperity in the great age of manufacturing came from the luck of its historical origins … In the lucky style we have never 'earned' our democracy. We simply went along with some British habits.
In the decades following his book's publication, Horne became critical of the "lucky country" phrase being used as a term of endearment for Australia. He commented, "I have had to sit through the most appalling rubbish as successive generations misapplied this phrase."
Richard Hengist Horne (born Richard Henry Horne) (1 January 1803– 13 March 1884), English poet and critic.
Early life
Horne was born at Edmonton, London. His father, a man of means, died early. Horne was sent to a school atEdmonton and then to Sandhurst, as he was designed for the army. He appears to have had as little sense ofdiscipline as Adam Lindsay Gordon showed at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and like him was asked toleave. It appears that he caricatured the headmaster, and took part in a rebellion. He began writing while still in histeens, but he was intended for the army, and entered at Sandhurst, but receiving no commission, he left his countryand in 1825 went as a midshipman to the Mexican expedition, was taken prisoner and joined the Mexican navy. Heserved in the war against Spain, traveled in the United States and Canada, returned to England in 1827, and tookup literature as a profession.
Literary career
Horne became a journalist, and in 1836-1837 edited the "Monthly Repository". In 1837 he published two tragedies, "Cosmo de' Medici" and "The Death of Marlowe". Another drama in blank verse, "Gregory VII", appeared in 1840,and in 1841 a "History of Napoleon" in prose.
About the end of 1840 Horne was given employment as a sub-commissioner in connexion with the royalcommission on the employment of children in mines and manufactures. This commission finished its labours at thebeginning of 1843, and in the same year Horne published his epic poem, "Orion", which appeared in 1843. It waspublished originally at the price of one farthing, was widely read; three editions were published at that price, andthree more at increased prices before the end of the year. In the next year he set forth a volume of critical essayscalled "A New Spirit of life Age", in which he was assisted by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with whom, from 1839 toher marriage in 1845, he conducted a voluminous correspondence.
In June 1852 he left for Australia, traveling as a passenger on the same ship as William Howitt and arriving inMelbourne in September. Almost at once he was given a position as commander of a gold escort. In 1854 he was aGoldfields Commissioner at the Waranga goldrush and named the township of Rushworth. During his time there healso reached a peaceful settlement with over 4,000 gold miners who had rioted over the payment of their mininglicense fee and, in his memoirs, stated that he believed this action, in light of the events at the Eureka Stockade afew months later, was never adequately recognised.
In 1856, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Victorian Electoral district of Rodney. In his platform of policieswas an ambitious proposal for an irrigation system which was realised with the construction of the Waranga Basinin the 1900s. It is usually stated that he became a commissioner of the Yan Yean water-supply either in 1858 or1859, but as he responded for the commissioners at the dinner held on the opening day 31 December 1857, it isclear that he was given the position in that year or earlier. It is unfortunate that his lively "Australian Autobiography",prefixed to his "Australian Facts and Prospects" published in 1859, abruptly breaks off about 1854-5. While inAustralia Horne brought out an Australian edition of "Orion" (1854), and in 1864 published his lyrical drama"Prometheus the Fire-bringer". Another edition, printed in Australia, came out in 1866. In this year was alsopublished "The South Sea Sisters, a Lyric Masque", for which Charles Edward Horsley, then living in Melbourne,wrote the music. It was sung at the opening of the intercolonial exhibition held in 1866. Along with such literaryfigures as Henry Kendall, Adam Lindsay Gordon, George Gordon McCrae and Marcus Clarke he was a member ofthe Yorick Club where members met and discussed literature.
It is not clear what positions he held after 1859, but apparently he remained in government employ for another 10years as in 1869, "dissatisfied with the failure of the Victorian government to fulfil what he conceived to be itsobligations to him", he returned to England.
He received a Civil List pension of £50 a year in 1874, which was increased to £100 in 1880, and died at Margateon 13 March 1884, leaving behind him much unpublished work. Of his published volumes only the more importanthave been mentioned here. A more complete list will be found in the British museum catalogue. Horne married aMiss Foggo in 1847, but husband and wife soon parted. During the 15 years after his return to England Hornepublished several books, but the only one which aroused much interest he did not write, the "Letters of ElizabethBarrett Browning to Richard Hengist Horne".
Horne possessed extraordinary versatility, but, except in the case of "Orion", he never attained to a very highdegree of distinction. That poem, indeed, has much of the quality of fine poetry; it is earnest, vivid and alive withspirit. But Horne early drove his talent too hard, and continued to write when he had little left to say. In criticism hehad insight and quickness. He was one of the first to appreciate Keats and Tennyson, and he gave valuableencouragement to Mrs. Browning when she was still Miss Elizabeth Barrett.
His epic poem, "Orion". was reprinted by the Scholartis Press in 1928.
