Manning Clark

Manning Clark was a highly influential Australian historian. He is most famous for writing a massive six-volume series titled "A History of Australia." This monumental work was published between 1962 and 1987. Many scholars have called him Australia's most famous historian. However, his work was not without controversy. He faced significant criticism from conservative and classical liberal thinkers.

Clark's early life was marked by social complexity and struggle. He was born in Sydney on March 3, 1915. His father, Charles Clark, was an Anglican priest from a working-class background. His mother, Catherine Hope, came from an established and wealthy family. Because of his father's modest income, the family lived in "genteel poverty." This term describes a state of living with very little money while maintaining social appearances. Clark also dealt with a difficult relationship with his mother. He eventually came to criticize the Protestant middle class that she represented.

As a student, Clark was exceptionally gifted in the humanities. He attended Melbourne Grammar School, where he faced bullying from wealthy students. This experience shaped his lifelong dislike for the Melbourne upper class. He excelled in Greek, Latin, and history. In 1933, he was named equal dux, or top student, of his school. This achievement earned him a scholarship to Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. There, he earned first-class honors in ancient, British, constitutional, and legal history. He also captained the college cricket team.

In 1937, Clark moved to England to study at Balliol College, Oxford. While there, he married Dymphna Lodewyckx, a formidable scholar. He also became an accomplished cricketer for the Oxford XI. During his time in Europe, he witnessed the rise of fascism. A visit to Nazi Germany in 1938 made him deeply skeptical of European civilization. This experience influenced his political views. He rejected both communism and fascism. Instead, he favored a democratic socialist approach. He also developed a lifelong dislike for the English due to social snubs he experienced as a "colonial."

Clark returned to Australia in 1940 during World War II. Because of mild epilepsy, he was exempt from military service. He began his professional career teaching history at Geelong Grammar School.

At this school, he coached the prestigious First XI cricket team. He also taught future influential figures, including Rupert Murdoch. During this period, he began to write about complex political ideas. He published papers comparing the intellectuals of France and Germany. He argued that French intellectuals often embraced liberalism. In contrast, he suggested German intellectuals had embraced a more autocratic, conservative vision.

In 1945, Clark joined the History Department at Melbourne University. He was a permanent lecturer in Australian History. He taught the university's very first full-year course on the subject. His students included many people who would become famous historians themselves. To prepare his work, he conducted deep research in archives in Melbourne and Sydney. He sought documentary evidence to build a factual foundation for his narratives.

Clark's historical mission was to redefine Australian identity. He believed that previous historians had not told Australia's story correctly. He felt they focused too much on Great Britain as a model of excellence. He argued that Australia should be treated as an entity in its own right. He also studied literature and poetry to understand the national character. He critiqued the idea of "mateship" as a mere comfort for colonial life. He wanted to move past simple myths to find a deeper truth. Through his six volumes, he provided a massive framework for understanding the nation's past.