Mr Big of Bankstown: The Scandalous Fitzpatrick and Browne Affair

Corruption, violence and bribery, mixed with a healthy dose of larrikin charm, Mr Big of Bankstown has it all. In 1955, Raymond Fitzpatrick, a rough-hewn, ill-educated Sydney businessman known in the media as Mr Big of Bankstown, and Frank Browne, a journalist with a bent for verbal attacks on politicians, joined forces to teach a troublesome MP, Charles Morgan, a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
In 1955, Raymond Fitzpatrick – a rough-hewn, ill-educated, Sydney businessman known in the media as ‘Mr. Big of Bankstown’ – and Frank Browne – a journalist with a bent for verbal attacks on politicians – joined forces to teach a troublesome Member of Parliament, Charles Morgan, a lesson that Morgan wouldn’t forget. Fitzpatrick and Browne published an article that insinuated Morgan was implicated in an immigration racket. However, it was Fitzpatrick and Browne who ended up learning a lesson when Morgan responded by raising this issue in Parliament under the Privileges Act. Colorful personalities, personal animosities, and the self-interest of several individuals intersect and collide in this true story about two individuals who were imprisoned on a vote of the Commonwealth House of Representatives. Set in the iconic Australian era of the 1950s, while the Cold War simmered, this history features knockabout types in a public scandal. The Australian Law Journal described the case as “one of the most significant constitutional law cases of the 20th century in Australia.” With corruption, violence, and bribery – mixed with a healthy dose of comical charm – Mr. Big of Bankstown has it all.
x, 251 p. : ill., ports. ; 23 cm. #0921 (Light crease to bottom corner of cover.)
Morgan C. A. | Fitzpatrick, Raymond. | Browne, Frank. | Civil rights — Australia. | Privileges and immunities — Australia. | Australia — Politics and government — 1945-1965. | Australian