Graham Berry

Graham Berry (28 August 1822 - 25 January 1904), Australian colonial politician, was the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the landowning class.

Related Topics:
28 August - 1822 - 25 January - 1904 - Australian - Premier of Victoria - Victorian Legislative Council

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Berry was born in Twickenham, near London, where his father was a trader. He had a primary education, then became an apprentice draper. In 1852 he migrated to Victoria, and went into business as a grocer in Prahran, then as a general storekeeper in South Yarra. His business skills and Victoria's booming economy soon made him a wealthy man. In 1849 he married Harriet Bencower, with whom he had eleven children. After her death he married, in 1869, Rebecca Evans, with whom he had another seven.

Related Topics:
Twickenham - London - 1852 - Victoria - Prahran - South Yarra - 1849 - 1869

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In Victoria Berry, by voracious reading, acquired the education he had missed in England, and taught himself economics, literature and philosophy. But all his life he retained a broad London accent, which many Victorian conservatives found either offensive and amusing. In Parliament he once asked the Speaker: "What is now before the 'Ouse?" To which the Leader of the Opposition interjected: "An H!" He developed a powerful rhetorical style modelled on that of his hero William Gladstone, equally effective in the rough-house of the colonial Parliament or on the hustings. The conservative newspaper The Argus conceded: "His oratory might not be polished: it certainly was not—but it was passionate, and it told." Noted for his humour, Berry was nevertheless a tough and determined politician.

Related Topics:
William Gladstone - The Argus

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