William Pember Reeves' scholarly work of 1902 provides a full and candid account of radical and experimental laws in Australia and New Zealand. From the Anti-Chinese Acts of 1881 to the adoption of the women's franchise by the Commonwealth Parliament in Australia in 1902, the two volumes survey all noteworthy laws and statutes, addressing colonial questions of the time. Well-known for his history of New Zealand, The Long White Cloud (1898), the statesman Reeves (1857–1932) draws attention to admitted defects or failures in the laws without imposing his personal political views on the reader. Volume 1 sets out the historical background of Australasia, and covers such areas as the Progressive Movement, the women's franchise and issues concerning land laws. Overall, the two volumes represent an important record of the many reforms and changes occurring in the political and social systems of the continent at this time.
