Henry Parkes Role Model

Sir Henry Parkes played the key role in uniting the six colonies of Australia. Though he died five years before the federation was formed, he is considered the 'Father of Federation'. The Times aptly named him 'the most commanding figure in Australian politics' at the time.
Henry was born in England. As a son of a small-scale tenant farmer, he could not study in school for long. Even though he had to odd jobs to make ends meet, Henry never gave up on life. He self-educated himself, and also associated with the political movements of the times to improve the conditions of the working classes.
After losing two children at an early age, Henry immigrated to New South Wales with his wife. In Australia too, he had to struggle to earn his livelihood. Yet, he kept writing poems which got published in Australian newspapers.
It almost seems miraculous that this financially-challenged man did so well in politics.
He rose to prominence in 1849 when he became a spokesperson for ending the transportation of convicts from England to Australia. Next year, Henry launched a newspaper 'Empire' and campaigned for a fully representative government.
Eventually, Henry became the premier of New South Wales five times. He was knighted in 1877 for his contributions to Australian politics. He was also the one to end subsidies for church schools in 1880 and provide for free, secular and compulsory education.
Henry Parkes was a true visionary. He is my role model because he proved to the world that one's financial conditions or social status are not impediments to one's success if one is really determined to prove
himself.