Daniel Deniehy Print Page

The monument, was erected by public subscription, over the grave of Daniel Deniehy, orator and politician who died in 1865. 

Daniel Henry Deniehy (1828– 1865) was an Australian journalist, orator and politician; and early advocate of democracy in colonial New South Wales.

In 1850 Deniehy fervently supported Rev. J. D. Lang`s Australian League and worked with the liberal Constitution committee. Known as `the boy orator`, on 15 August 1853 he publicly derided W. C. Wentworth`s proposed colonial nobility as `a bunyip aristocracy`, and soon ridiculed the scheme into oblivion. In 1854 he went to Goulburn to benefit his health and legal practice.

He made many excellent parliamentary speeches, particularly those on the land bill (1857), the electoral reform and the Chinese immigration bills (1858). In 1858 he returned to Sydney and was in great demand as an occasional speaker. His fame spread to Victoria and in September he spoke in Melbourne on the land bill and argued that `the first great aim of statesmanship in a new country should be to people the soil,—in a word, to create a great community`

Tomorrow a ceremony takes place which will be full of interest for those who remember the late Daniel Henry Deniehy, and which should have the interest of all who care for a genius which in the beginnings of literature and politics in Australia was great enough to shine in countries where literature and politics have the growth of centuries to look back upon. Mr. D. O`Connor M.P., who, with Mr. Sydney Burdekin, M.P., has been unceasing in his exertions to have some thing done to perpetuate by a visible token the memory of Deniehy, has in one respect attained the fruition of his labors.

Poor Deniehy was buried in a corner in Bathurst, and his grave remained for years uncared for. Mr. O'Connor, who as a young man was one of Deniehy's greatest admirers, set himself to work, and tomorrow the remains of the gifted writer and politician whose pen and voice were always active for the people will be brought from Bathurst to the Redfern railway station, and will be taken from there at 2.30 p.m. to find final repose in the beautiful Waverley Cemetery. At a subsequent date a suitable monument will be erected over the grave, the funds for which have been raised by a public appeal made by Mr. O'Connor. As that gentleman has pointed out, the varied gifts and great attainments of Deniehy are not known to the present generation, for the reason that many of his best speeches are unrecorded, save in the memories of those who were privileged to hear them.
Evening News (Sydney) 14 September 1888. 

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