A BOOK written by members of the Chifley family about Bathurst’s favourite son has just been published.
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The book has been a work of nearly 15 years and is based on John Chifley’s memories of former prime minister Ben Chifley, as well as recollections of Joe Chifley and other family members and friends.
Jane and Elizabeth Chifley did much of the research for the book, which was written by Sue Martin.
“Our father John wanted his memories of Uncle Ben and Auntie Liz recorded before he died and the book just developed from that, as more people who knew them both came forward with their stories,” Sue said.
The book is not a political biography but essentially personal reflections on the character and personality of Ben and Elizabeth Chifley and the effect that the different events which occurred during their lifetime had on them personally.
Set against the turbulent years of both world wars, the great Depression and the Cold War, the book traces Ben’s life from his early years on his grandfather’s farm, his life at home with his parents and two brothers, his marriage to Elizabeth McKenzie and his entry into politics.
“We have recently come across a lot of new material in our research that we were able to include in the book and having had contact with Irish relatives and historians helped us considerably,” Jane said.
“We discovered that a Patrick Chifley, who was an ancestor of Ben’s, was hung by the British in 1815.”
Other issues, like Ben refusing a knighthood, his strained relationship with the CIA and the British Secret Service which has only recently come to light, as well as his great love for planting masses of flowers, are all covered. The stray one-eyed dog he called Nelson, who was the only security he would have at the Lodge in Canberra when he stayed there, also rates a mention.
His battles with the banks, the doctors, big business, the media and the DLP’s influence in the Labor Party, which all played a major part in his political defeat in 1949, are written about in detail, as well as his excommunication from the Catholic church for marrying Elizabeth.
The book, Remembering Ben Chifley, is available from Books Plus and the Bathurst Historical Society in Russell Street or online from the publisher inspiringbookshop.com. It can also be ordered from Paperchain and Dymocks bookshops in Canberra.
The launch of the book will take place at the Chifley house on January 15 at 3pm.
