Australia has a fine tradition of unconventional politicians at all levels of government. Multiple examples probably spring to mind immediately.

But in researching this piece, I went down a wacky rabbit hole. It turns out there are lesser-known characters in the annals of history that deserve some time in the spotlight.

From particularly well-dressed pioneers to founders of micronations, here are some of Australia’s most eccentric politicians.

What do we really mean by “eccentric”? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the term describes someone who is “strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way”.

For our purposes here, a deep commitment to long-term oddity is vital – a one-off bizarro act isn’t enough.

You’ll notice there are very few women politicians described as eccentric. This is partly because historically the vast majority of state and federal MPs have been men, and partly because we (the public) are more accepting of eccentric men in political office, while women are held to a different standard.

It’s also a very fine line between being eccentric and being problematic or offensive. Many MPs have fallen foul of that line and so won’t be included here.

With all that in mind, I looked beyond the usual cast of onion-eaters, hat-wearers, Jurassic Park fans, and dog-threateners to find some of our lesser-known rum'uns.

Many will know Deakin as one of the architects of Australian federation, the country’s second prime minister, and a strong advocate of racist policies.

What’s less well-known is that over a period of 13 years – including while he was prime minister – Deakin........

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