This is a case study of possibly the most complex defensive system in Australia between 1803 and 1945. Defending Victoria was such a wide ranging and demanding task that the colony, and later the state, of Victoria was known as the Gibraltar of the South. This book fills a major gap in Australian military and naval history. Using Victoria as a case study, the book shows how defence developed from the idea of a basic sand fort emanating from a fear of French invasion during the early 19th century, into a complex, modern three-dimensional defensive system incorporating air, land and sea defences as well as radar and secret defence technology by the 1940s. The book is not a simple narration of facts and events, but a substantial addition to Australian military history, on account of its extensive analysis of the political, social, economic and technological factors which impacted defence over many decades of the 19th century.

"[T]his work is comprehensive in its treatment of all aspects of Victorian constitutional law whether they be historical, jurisprudential or practical. Occasionally the author offers his own views upon the direction which the law has taken or should take, but in a manner which adds freshness to the text or adds interest for the reader.This is a legal text-book and is bound to be a standard text for many years to come. There is no other comprehensive work which covers Victorian constitutional law. But it is digestible in a way that many other text-books are not. It will provide a wealth of understanding and insight to teachers, students, practitioners, public servants, members of Parliament and others for whom an understanding of the Victorian Constitution is of interest and, often, necessity. It is not only the courts which are concerned with constitutional law. This work has a practical application in many other areas and for many who are not lawyers. It will provide practical guidance where that is possible and, where it is not, will provide a scholarly foundation upon which to build the correct answer."Sir Daryl Dawson, from The Foreword - full text below (see Extracts)This is the standard reference work on the Constitution of Victoria. Since the election of the Bracks government and its gaining a majority in both Houses of Parliament, the Victorian Constitution has undergone far-reaching change, making it markedly different from other Australian State Constitutions in a number of respects.This work analyses and comments on the new and old provisions of the Victorian Constitution and is essential for understanding the effect of the changes, some of which are of doubtful validity.