Australians Speak Out

How to speak out

Australians Speak Out is packed with examples and insights to reveal how extraordinary Australians used ordinary words to move hearts and minds.

Now needed more than ever, here's a treasury of truthful, lawful, and just speech. Rodney Miller takes a fresh look at the persuasive language styles of notable Australians, from the 1890s to the 21st century. He reviews how everyday words attract attention, change attitudes, and move people to action

Making representative democracy thrive, with the power of words.

For anyone wanting to understand persuasive language, Miller shares how prime ministers, other community leaders, and advocates of change found common ground with audiences. He illustrates metaphor, humour, polemic, propaganda, anaphora, political jargon, and rhetorical flair that appeal to our reason and emotions.

Why and how notable Australians spoke out to

• federate colonies of Britain in the South Pacific as one nation
• make Australian women among the first to vote, in 1902
• appeal directly to the people of the United States for wartime support
• establish rights for First Nations
• challenge sexism
• reform laws to respect human rights
• control guns
• deal with the coronavirus pandemic

- and advance many other causes. Whether you'd like to speak out or assess persuasive language, this book describes the ways that word choice, sentence shape, and passage development enable successful arguments for change.

Detailing rhetorical strength in the speeches and writing of Sir Samuel Griffith, Louisa Lawson, Alfred Deakin, Dame Nellie Melba, John Curtin, Dame Enid Lyons, Sir Robert Menzies, Oodgeroo Noonuccal Kath Walker], Kevin Gilbert, Gough Whitlam, Germaine Greer, Bob Hawke, Sallyanne Atkinson, Michael Kirby, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Noel Pearson, Scott Morrison, and more.

For ready access, a selection of notable speeches and writing is included.