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Henry Parkes Biography

Sir Henry Parkes (27 May 1815 27 April 1896), Australian politician, is sometimes called the "Father of Federation" and is at least considered the most prominent among the Australian Founding Fathers.

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Parkes was described during his lifetime by The Times of London as "the most commanding figure in Australian politics".

Parkes was born in Warwickshire, England to yeoman parents. He married Clarinda Varney and following the death of their two children at an early age they, on assisted passage, emigrated to New South Wales in 1839.

Upon arrival in Australia he worked as a farmer's labourer but soon worked as a clerk in the New South Wales Customs Department. He entered business life and at one stage owned a newspaper, but his lack of business acumen quickly became apparent and Parkes went bankrupt after running up debts totalling £48,500.

He was first elected to the New South Wales Parliament in 1854 and was a strong supporter of free