Page 1515 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 April 2011
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Beyond his daily journalism, he was a respected author who published a number of books on the history of Canberra, including Historic Canberra, 1825-1945, Canberra’s Engineering Heritage, Canberra and the New Parliament House and Canberra in Two Centuries—A Pictorial History. Included among his other titles are a number of historical works, including Italian Farming Soldiers: PoWs in Australia, 1941-47 and Victory: 1945—War and Peace. He traced his own ancestry in another book, Barons, Rebels & Romantics—The Fitzgeralds’ First Thousand Years. Alan Fitzgerald also authored a number of satirical guidebooks to life as it was and, to some extent, still is lived in Canberra, including Fitzgerald’s Canberra—A guide to life in the national capital, Life in Canberra, the book from which I have quoted today, and Canberra—Where to go and what to see.
Alan Fitzgerald was, in addition to all of these things, a politician, though he could perhaps best be described as an accidental, even resentful one, almost an anti-politician. He was elected to the then ACT Advisory Council, almost, it has to be said, as an act of perversity, before going on to run seriously for federal parliament as the Australia Party’s candidate for the seat of Canberra.
He was a staunch and lifelong monarchist, actively promoting the status quo during the lead-up to the referendum on a republic. He was a foundation member and a one-time chair of the ACT and region branch of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. He was also, somewhat ironically, given his public utterances regarding the NCDC, that organisation’s director of public information at one point in his career.
Alan Fitzgerald will be fondly remembered by the many friends and colleagues he gathered around him over the course of his professional life, as well as by the many Canberrans, such as I, who grew up with his observations about this city, politics and public affairs. On behalf of the Assembly, I extend my deep condolences to his wife, Maria, sons, Dominic and Julian, his six grandchildren and his extended family.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition): I rise to support the motion moved by the Chief Minister today in recognition of the life of Alan Fitzgerald. The presence of Mr Fitzgerald in Canberra was mostly felt in media circles. He had a long and distinguished career that saw his work cross state and international borders. His sharp wit, renowned satirical work and political commentary will last the test of time.
He had a passion for media and politics and will be remembered for, among many other things, decades of commitment to his chosen profession. He has made a lasting impact on journalism and has passed this passion on to his family.
He first arrived in Canberra in 1964 to write columns for the Canberra Times. However, it did not take long before his work was printed in many other places, including the Bulletin, the Sunday Australian and the Age.
Mr Fitzgerald’s involvement in media evolved to include him being the correspondent for CBC Ottawa. For nine years, he was heard on Canberra radio station 2CA, running his own current affairs program. As a general contributor, he appeared regularly on Channel 7’s breakfast program and several ABC radio programs. Mr Fitzgerald was a
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