07/09/2025
This is Lionel Murphy, and it's thanks to him that we have civil weddings!! We've only had them since 1973. That's just over 50 years!! He just wanted people to be able to get married in a way that was meaningful and appropriate and dignified for people who weren't a regular churchgoer.
He mentioned the word dignified a lot. He really wanted people to be able to choose what their wedding was like, who where when and how, liberties unheard of up until this point!
ofc much to the dismay of the people around him, he furthered the cause of women by hiring celebrants that were mostly women. Also first nation Australians, and young people.
Bit progressive right? A little too progressive apparently! The people (even on his side of the govt) started accusing him of all sorts, he kept getting acquitted but they'd just find a new thing, til he died of bowel cancer and couldn't hinder the grossly racist rich people anymore.
But he's started something
