2015 Republican of the Year Award

On 3 March 2016 I had the honour of being awarded the 2015 Republican of the Year Award by Peter Consandine, National Director, Republican Party of Australia at a dinner in Ashgrove, Brisbane. The MC for the evening was Cr Paul Tulley, Ipswich City Council and 1998 Constitutional Convention delegate from Queensland.

Glenn (left) & Brian Davies

Biography of 2015 Republican of the Year

Dr Glenn Davies is a teacher, author, republican activist, and historian who was raised and educated in the north Queensland goldfield community of Charters Towers. He is currently Head of Social Science, Craigslea State High School in northern Brisbane. Since 1991 he has taught ancient and modern history in a number of state high schools around Queensland and has written five secondary school history textbooks. In any spare time, which seems increasingly rare, he is an occasional science fiction writer and reviewer, and has been an Aurealis Award SF Short Story Judge. He believes strongly in the epithet ‘publish or perish’ – no matter how constant and demanding the teaching load, it is vital, as historians, to be writing.

Glenn’s 1988 James Cook University BA Honours thesis and 2005 University of New England PhD were on the history of Australia’s republican past. During the past twenty-seven years he has published numerous academic articles, newspaper and online columns, and chapters in books on the topic. He has taught political science at Illinois State University, history at Central Queensland University, and history education at Australian Catholic University.  

Glenn joined the Republican Party of Australia in 1988, and later moved to the Australian Republican Movement in 1993 where he was the Forum Coordinator for Hinkler in the 1990s, and in 1999 ran the YES campaign at the Glasshouse Mountains booth. In 2005 he was elected to the ARM Queensland Branch Council. In 2007 he negotiated the Queensland Teachers’ Union vote to become the first organisation to join the new membership category – ARM Supporter. In 2007 he was elected Queensland Branch Secretary and re-elected in 2009. In 2010 he was elected Queensland Branch Convener, ARM.

Glenn wrote a continuing history column in the long-running Queensland ARM quarterly newsletter Armlet from 1995-1999. In the late-2000s he was editor of Armlet, and the bi-monthly national Republican Roundup. He now edits the national Campaign Update. In 2009 he established the annual National Republican Short Story Competition and edited the Speculating on the Australian Republic anthology ebook. He is also the history editor and a regular columnist for Independent Australia and blogs monthly on republican issues.

Glenn lives in northern Brisbane with his beautiful wife and two gorgeous kids, a haughty cat, and a King Charles Cavalier who has recently agreed to renounce the monarchy and accept his republican family’s ways. 

If you're making one, he prefers his coffee instant with lots of milk. No sugar. Thanks.

The Republicans' Honour Roll

of

REPUBLICANS OF THE YEAR

(since inauguration of The Award in 1991)

1.                                       1991 Tom Keneally, Author and Inaugural Chairman of the Australian Republican     Movement (ARM)

     2.                                       1992 Alex Mitchell,  (then) Journalist, Sun-Herald newspaper

3.                                       1993 Peter Collins, (then) New South Wales Senior Liberal Parliamentarian

4.                                       1994 Charles Windsor, Monarch-in-Waiting

5.                                       1995 Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian newspaper

6.                                       1996 Bill Clinton, (then) President of the United States of America

7.                                       1997 Bob Brown, (then) Tasmanian Greens Senator

8.                                       1998 Bill Leak, Cartoonist, The Australian newspaper

9.                                       1999 Peter Consandine, Founder (1982), National Executive Director and Bankroller-Perpetuale, Republican Party of Australia

10.                                   2000 George Winterton*, (then) Professor of Constitutional Law, UNSW

11.                                   2001 Geoffrey Robertson, International Human Rights Campaigner

12.                                   2002 Helen Irving, Senior Law Lecturer, University of Sydney

13.                                   2003 Mark McKenna, Historical Author and (then) ANU Academic

14.                                   2004 Peter Lalor, Great Great Grandson of the Eureka Rebellion Leader

15.                                   2005 Phillip Adams, Columnist, The Australian newspaper; National Broadcaster with the ABC and National Living Treasure

16.                                   2006 Dean Jaensch, SA Academic, Historian and Expert Political Pundit

17.                                   2007 David Black, WA Parliamentary Fellow; Historical Consultant to The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library and Expert Political Pundit

18.                                   2008 Jenny Goldie, Sustainable Population Activist and Eminent Exponent of ‘Quiet Republicanism’

19.                                   2009 David Muir, Chairman of Real Republic Ltd and Legator of The Clem Jones’ Republican Bequest

20.                                   2010 Peter Ellyard, Futures Strategist, Author and Motivational Speaker

21.                                   2011 Terry Fewtrell, (then) Founder of the Republican Gatherers organisation and President of the Canberra-based Wattle Day Association

22.                                   2012 Tony Heath, Founder of the very first Tasmanian business with the word ‘Republic’ in the name heading

23.                                   2013 Fred Carter, Prominent Victorian Australian Democrats Party Republican

24.                                   2014 Harry Evans*, Former Clerk of the Australian Senate

25.                                   2015 Glenn Davies, Queensland Convenor, ARM; Founder, Annual National Republican Short Story Competition & Editor, Speculating on the Oz Republic Anthology E-Book

*since Deceased