Benwell, Philip

About the author: Philip Benwell, MBE, is best known for his leadership in mobilizing and motivating people to defeat the Republican Referendum of 1999. A former merchant banker, he was honoured by The Queen with the Order of the British Empire in 1976. In 1999 he was invited to speak to the Cross Benches of the House of Lords and has since been a main attraction at meetings and public rallies both in Australia and in the United Kingdom

In Defence of Australia’s Constitutional Monarchy

2003 0-7734-6696-7
Never before, since the Federation of the Australian Colonies in 1901, had the Constitution of Australia come under such intense scrutiny as occurred in the lead-up to the Republican Referendum of 1999. Just as there were differences of opinion amongst republicans on what form an Australian republic should take, there were different perceptions amongst monarchists on what formed the modern day structures of Australia’s Constitutional Monarchy. In this collection of speeches and articles, Philip Benwell has attempted to explain the various interpretations not just of the Constitution itself but also of ‘The Crown of the United Kingdom’ under which the Australian Federation has been formed. It is the only known work of its kind and an invaluable contribution to scholarship not only for its in-depth examination of the meaning of ‘The Crown,’ particularly within Australia’s Constitution, but also as research tool for future occasions.