F W Boreham’s theology of human living dealt extensively with matters of character and conduct. These issues could be viewed as personal matters, yet Boreham’s views about the characteristics of the British and the influence of the Empire revealed that he was interested in public and social transformation.The virtues he lauded were not always ‘Christian’ traits as they often appeared to encapsulate the Homeric figure or the ideal English gentleman with the Victorian qualities of bravery, charm, chivalry, diligence, fidelity and valor.
While his storytelling method was a useful vehicle for expressing human character, Boreham’s editorial readers in Hobart and Melbourne might have found his editorials more valuable if he had focused more often on the distinctive character of Australian people and “their own constellation of virtues.”[1]
Geoff Pound
Image: “The virtues he lauded were … bravery…”
[1] John Carroll, ‘The blessed country: Australian dreaming 1901-2001’, The Alfred Deakin lectures: Ideas for the future of a civil society (Sydney: ABC Books, 2001), 103.