By 1890, Hirsch had become convinced by the "Single Tax" theory of Henry George. In that year he settled in Melbourne, capital of the Australian colony of Victoria, and became a founding member of the Victorian Single Tax League, of which he was to serve as president for a total of about ten years. In 1892 he gave up business to devote himself to the twin causes of free trade and land value taxation. This decision gave him time for writing. His early works included "The Fiscal Superstition" (published in 1895), and "Economic Principles: A Manual of Political Economy" (1896). These were followed in 1901 by "Social Conditions: Materials for Comparisons between New South Wales and Victoria, Great Britain, United States and Foreign Countries".