Alan Fitzgerald (satirist) facts for kids

Alan John Fitzgerald (5 November 1935 – 31 March 2011) was an Australian writer, journalist, and satirist. A satirist is someone who uses humor to criticize things. He was famous for being strongly against Australia becoming a republic. He worked with Tony Abbott in the 1990s. They were part of a group called Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM). This group wanted Australia to keep the King or Queen as its head of state.

Fitzgerald helped start the National Press Club in Australia. He was its president for several years. As a journalist, he wrote for many newspapers and worked in radio. Some of these included The Herald, The Age, and The Bulletin. He was also a well-known author. He wrote many books about the history and culture of Canberra. Two of his famous books are Fitzgerald's Canberra and Life in Canberra.

About Alan Fitzgerald

Early Life and Education

Alan Fitzgerald was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1935. He went to the Australian National University. There, he earned a degree in English and Political Science. Political science is the study of how governments work.

He lived in Isaacs, a suburb of Canberra. He lived there with his wife, Maria. They had two sons and six grandchildren.

His Career as a Journalist and Author

Alan Fitzgerald moved to Canberra in 1964. Before that, he had worked for The Fiji Times in Fiji. In Canberra, he was invited to write funny columns for The Canberra Times. He also joined the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC). This group planned and developed Canberra. He became its Director of Public Information.

After the NCDC closed in 1989, he moved to the National Capital Planning Authority. He held the same job there. He also became part of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. This meant he reported on what happened in the Australian Parliament.

He wrote opinion pieces for many other newspapers. These included The Sun-Herald and The Sydney Morning Herald. He also worked for radio stations. He had his own current affairs show on Canberra radio station 2CA for nine years. He also appeared on ABC radio and Channel Seven's breakfast program.

Getting Involved in Politics

In 1967, Alan Fitzgerald was elected to the ACT Advisory Council. This council advised the government on matters in the Australian Capital Territory. He was part of the True Whig Party. He was re-elected in 1970 as a candidate for the Australia Party.

For many years, Fitzgerald was a member and chairman of the ACT Historic Sites and Building Committee. This committee worked to protect old homes and buildings. This was important because Canberra was growing quickly into rural areas.

In May 1970, Fitzgerald ran for a seat in the House of Representatives. He was an Australia Party candidate. He got a good number of votes, but he was not elected. He ran again for the same seat in the 1972 federal election.

He did not run for election again until 1992. He was part of a team called the Better Management Team. However, no one from that team was elected.

His Role at the National Press Club

Alan Fitzgerald was elected President of the National Press Club twice. He served from 1969 to 1971. He stayed on the club's committee for many years.

Supporting the Monarchy

Fitzgerald was a strong supporter of the monarchy. A monarchist believes that a country should have a king or queen as its head of state. He helped start the ACT & Region branch of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM). He was very active in the debate about whether Australia should become a republic. In 1998, he was a main candidate for the ACM. He ran to be a delegate at the Constitutional Convention. This meeting discussed Australia's future as a monarchy or republic. He did not win a spot at the convention.

His Final Years

Alan Fitzgerald passed away on March 31, 2011. He was 75 years old and died from cancer.