Official Report of the National Australasian Convention Debates. Sydney, 2nd March to 9 April, 1891
Sydney, Government Printer, 1891.
Large octavo, xxii, 964 pages.
Original half calf and stippled cloth a little rubbed, with trifling surface loss and minor wear to the corner tips; variant shield-shaped paper labels from the 'Library of The Liberal Men's Educational Association' on the front and rear covers; edges a little tanned and lightly marked; endpapers a little discoloured; inner hinges cracked but firm; overall, a very good copy.
Provenance: 'A.G. Downer 1891' is written in ink on the front free endpaper. (Alexander) George Downer (1839-1916), who appears to have gone by his middle name, was a well-known Adelaide lawyer and business man. A most informative obituary appeared in the 'Chronicle', Saturday 19 August 1916. A shorter, more partisan one appeared in the 'Pastoral Review' on 16 September: 'Mr Alexander George Downer died at his residence, Belair, near Adelaide, on 17th August. The late Mr Downer, who was in his seventy-eighth year, was largely interested in the pastoral industry of South Australia, and took a very keen interest in all matters in connection with the promotion of sheep and cattle breeding. When the campaign started against the squatter nearly thirty years ago, Mr Downer associated himself with a few stalwarts, and endeavoured, in the interests of the State, to prevent the industry receiving its death blow. Although a considerable amount of damage was done to the industry, it was due to the efforts of Mr Downer and others that the campaign against it was not successful, and they succeeded in getting more liberal pastoral land laws, and saving the situation generally. Mr Downer was for very many years associated with his brother (the late Sir John Downer) in the legal firm of G. and J. Downer, and in addition he was a director for many years of Elder, Smith and Co. and the Bank of Adelaide. He was a man of sterling character and rare sagacity, and his personality had a wide influence in South Australia'. His brother, Sir John William Downer (1843-1915), lawyer and politician, was twice premier of South Australia, one of the six delegates from SA at this convention, a member of the constitutional and drafting committee at the Australasian Federal Convention of 1897, and one of six South Australian senators in the first Federal Parliament.
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