Peter Consandine remained steadfast in his conviction that Australia was a unique and vibrant nation that deserved its own head of state for well over four decades, writes Dr Benjamin T Jones.
REPUBLICANISM HAS A long history in Australia, and over the years, many people have dedicated their time and energy to the cause.
From colonial agitation to the 1999 referendum, countless people have given speeches, held events, written books, and campaigned for an Australian head of state. Very few republicans, however, have maintained their energy and passion decade after decade.
Last month, the republican cause in Australia lost one of its most dedicated champions, Peter Warren Consandine, a founder of the Republican Party of Australia (RPA).
Peter led a fascinating and unconventional life. He was born on 3 September 1943 in Burwood, NSW. He left high school before graduating and worked in insurance. He left what was becoming a promising career at 21 to pursue a career in show business. From 1965 to 1978, he performed in Australia and Europe as a singer under the stage name Verne Condon.
As with many of his generation, Peter was impacted by the sacking of the Whitlam government and took a greater interest in politics. He attended night school and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University and a Diploma in Urban Studies.
His first direct experience in politics was serving as an alderman for Strathfield in Sydney’s western suburbs.
With a group of like-minded people, Peter founded the RPA in 1982 and stood for the federal seat of Lowe at a byelection. While there had been previous republican parties in Australia, Peter deserves to be remembered as a republican pioneer for his efforts.
In the 1980s, republicanism was still seen as a radical, if not treasonous, political stance. Almost a decade before the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) would make the position mainstream, Peter and the RPA were making the case and formally advocating for a republic.
In 1992, Good Weekend profiled the RPA and contrasted it with the ARM. The front cover showed Malcolm Turnbull and his colleagues in business suits, contrasted with Peter and the RPA, who were wearing green T-shirts with yellow kangaroos and cork hats. While there was tension at times between the two groups and their respective leaders, both shared a vision of a truly independent Australia.
Peter was a larrikin with a good sense of humour. Lacking the ARM's money and resources, he was in his element holding street meetings. These were modest affairs where Peter would simply set up a table with some republican literature and merchandise and strike up conversations.
Determined and optimistic by nature, Peter was never discouraged when he encountered abuse and was always grateful for any support. If a 50-cent coin was placed in the donations jar, he would merrily reply:
“Thanks very much, that’ll pay for a postage stamp”.
Especially in the lead-up to the 1999 referendum, Peter held hundreds of these street meetings with a tenacity and commitment few could match.
Following the defeat of the republic referendum, many gave up on the cause. Not Peter. His enthusiasm and passion for an Australian republic remained steadfast. The RPA remained a registered political party until 2021 and held regional conventions and other events.
Between 1991 and 2023, the RPA has also hosted an annual Republican of the Year Dinner. The choice of the winner shows something of Peter’s thinking.
The inaugural chair of the ARM, Tom Keneally, was honoured in 1991, while the head of Real Republic, David Muir, received the gong in 2007. Several historians are also on the honour roll, including Independent Australia contributors Glenn Davies (2015) and Benjamin T. Jones (2023).
Events like this take time and effort. To do it consistently for over 30 years speaks to Peter’s dedication.
Republicans should honour Peter’s memory. From the founding of the RPA in 1982 until his passing on 18 May 2026, he remained steadfast in his conviction that Australia was a unique and vibrant nation that deserved its own head of state. He was a committed and passionate advocate for an Australian republic for well over four decades.
Vale Peter
Dr Benjamin T Jones is a historian, author and social commentator who currently works as Senior Lecturer, History at Central Queensland University. You can follow Dr Jones on Twitter @DrBenjaminJones or on his blog Thematic Musings.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
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