A new terror to death: Public memory and the disappearance of John Dunmore Lang

Abstract

John Dunmore Lang was one the most prominent figures in Australian colonial politics. As the founder of the Scots Church in Sydney, a long-serving member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, the editor of his own newspapers and the author of hundreds of books and pamphlets, Lang had an enormous platform to express his views. Despite his prominence in life, Lang’s legacy has been distorted by public memory and his passionate support for an Australian republic has been largely muted. This article examines Lang’s works and his treatment by public memory. Show more