Australians Speak Out: Persuasive Language Styles

Evaluates persuasive language of Australian politicians and advocates of social change from the 1890s to modern times. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of 18 rhetorical stylistic choices, including metaphor, polemic, controversy, humour and slogans, as well as semantic phenomena or figures. Includes detailed language studies of: Sir Samuel Griffith (chief justice 1903-19); Louisa Lawson (poet, writer, publisher, activist for women’s suffrage, 1848-1920); Alfred Deakin (prime minister, 1903-05, 1905-08, and 1909-10); Sir Robert Menzies (prime minister 1939-41 and 1949-66); John Curtin (wartime prime minister 1941-5); Gough Whitlam (prime minister 1972-5); Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal Tribe [Kath Walker] (poet, artist, author, and activist for First Nations, 1920-93); Bob Hawke (union leader, then prime minister 1983-91); Kevin Gilbert (author, artist, poet, and activist for First Nations, 1933-93); Germaine Greer (author, academic, and activist for women’s rights, born 1939-); and Michael Kirby (law reforming jurist and High Court justice 1996-2009). Also assesses more recent prime ministers Paul Keating on reconciliation in 1992, John Howard on arms recall after Port Arthur in 1996, Kevin Rudd on the Apology in 2008, and Julia Gillard on sexism in 2012, together with a powerful eulogy for prime minister Gough Whitlam by Noel Pearson in 2014, and an address to the nation by prime minister Scott Morrison, amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The persuasive language of many other Australian public figures is also examined, including Sallyanne Atkinson, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Sir Macfarlane Burnet, Fred Daly, Sir John Forrest, Malcolm Fraser, W.M Hughes, Ned Kelly, Sir James Killen, Peter Lalor, Dame Enid Lyons, Sir Ian McLennan, Dame Nellie Melba, Andrew Peacock, Sir George Reid, Susan Ryan, and more. Keywords: public discourse, persuasion, English language style, rhetorical stylistics, speech writing, leadership speaking, polemic, humour, propaganda, representative democracy, rhetorical analysis, semantics, Australian politics, Australian history.