Henry Parkes' The Empire newspaper, 1857

The Empire newspaper was the springboard for Sir Henry Parkes' entry into politics. News media and politics have always been closely connected, and newspapers often had – and have – an explicit political agenda or alignment.  

Parkes is often considered the 'Father of Federation', but long before Federation, he was heavily involved with radical politics in the colony of New South Wales, supporting universal suffrage, land reform and the end of convict transportation to the colonies. Although he had, in his own words, 'very limited and imperfect' formal education, Parkes was a talented writer who understood the power of the press to communicate ideas. He contributed poems and political articles to newspapers from 1840. 

In 1850, Parkes established The Empire with credit from supporters, as a platform for his views and to 'vivify, elevate and direct the political life of the country'. The Empire became known for its caustic leading articles, many of them written by Parkes as editor, and its progressive stance on a range of issues affecting the colony of New South Wales. 

This edition, from Thursday the 24th of September 1857, is a broadsheet, the largest size of newspaper, and features dense text and no pictures. The first few pages primarily feature shipping information and advertisements.  

The editorial on page four argues for Australian federalism, stating that it would be better for the colonies to be united under one government. Parkes writes, 'It becomes absolutely necessary ... that the tendency towards disintegration and disunion shall be counteracted by some form of federation.' 

In 1854, Parkes was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council (which was reconstituted in 1856 as the Legislative Assembly). Promoting a broad range of anti-conservative views, Parkes combined politics with full-time journalism until 1858, when financial difficulties forced him to sell the newspaper.  

Parkes became Premier of New South Wales for the first time in 1872 and held this office five times. He remained a parliamentarian until 1895, taking breaks sometimes because of overseas travel and continuing money troubles.  

An advocate of federation for decades, Parkes promoted it publicly and within the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. In 1889, he agreed it would be a 'glorious finish' to his life to see the colonies federated. He joined the campaign which resulted in the 1890 Australasian Federation Conference and the 1891 Australasian Federal Convention. He died in 1896 before the successful referendums that led to Federation in 1901.