DOCSLIB.ORG

Australian Conservatism Essays in Twentieth Century Political History

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Australian Conservatism Essays in Twentieth Century Political History Australian Conservatism Essays in Twentieth Century Political History Cameron Hazlehurst, Editor This book was published by ANU Press between 1965–1991. This republication is part of the digitisation project being carried out by Scholarly Information Services/Library and ANU Press. This project aims to make past scholarly works published by The Australian National University available to a global audience under its open-access policy. Australian Conservatism Essays in Twentieth Century Political History Cameron Hazlehurst, Editor Australian National University Press, Canberra, Australia, London, Great Britain and Norwalk, Conn., USA 1979 First published in Australia 1979 Printed in Australia for the Australian National University Press, Canberra © 1979 Cameron Hazlehurst and the several authors, each in respect of the paper contributed by him; for the full list of the names of such copy­ right owners and the papers in respect of which they are the copyright owners see the Table of Contents at pp. v-vi of this Volume. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Australian conservatism. Index ISBN 0 7081 1359 1 1. Conservatism — Australia — History — 20th century — Addresses, essays, lectures. I. Hazlehurst, Cameron, 1941-, ed. 320.52’0994 Library of Congress No. 78-74664 United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, and Africa'. Eurospan Ltd, 3 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8LU, England North America: Books Australia, Norwalk, Conn., USA Southeast Asia: Angus & Robertson (S.E. Asia) Pty Ltd, Singapore Japan-. United Publishers Services Ltd, Tokyo Text set in 10 point English Times and printed on 85 gm2 semi-matt by Southwood Press Pty Limited, Marrickville, Australia. Designed by Kirsty Morrison. Contents Notes on Contributors vii Introduction xi Young Menzies Cameron Hazlehurst 1 The Conservative Press and the Russian Revolution Amanda Gordon 29 The Conservative Electoral Ascendancy Between the Wars Joan Rydon 51 The United Australia Party and its Sponsors Lex Watson 71 The Piper and the Tune Philip Hart 111 The Making of a Cabinet: The Right in New South Wales 1932-1939 John McCarthy 149 Albert Dunstan and Victorian Government John Paul 169 Menzies and the Imperial Connection 1939-1941 P.G. Edwards 193 Menzies and the Birth of the Liberal Party Peter A imer 213 The Liberals’ Image of their Party Peter Loveday 239 vi Party Dominance and Partisan Division 1941-1972 Murray Goot 263 Pragmatic Federalism: Liberals, The Commonwealth, and Education 1949-1972 Don Smart 293 Liberals’ Ideas on Social Policy Peter Tiver 311 Index 331 Notes on Contributors Dr Peter Aimer, a Senior Lecturer in Political Studies at the University of Auckland, is the author of Politics Power and Persuasion, The Liberals in Victoria, James Bennett, Melbourne, 1974. He was previously a secondary school teacher. Dr P.G. Edwards, Master of St Mark’s College, University of Adelaide, was previously a Research Fellow in the History Department, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. He was formerly a member of the group of historians responsible for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ series of Documents on Australian Foreign Policy, and has written on the foreign relations of Britain and Fascist Italy as well as of Australia. He has edited Australia through American Eyes 1935-1945 (University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1979). Murray Goot is a Lecturer in Politics at Macquarie University. He is the author of Policies and Partisans (Department of Government and Public Administration, University of Sydney, 1969), co-author of Women and Voting Studies (Sage, London, 1975) and Social Patterns in Public Opinion (forthcoming) and joint compiler of Australian Opinion Polls 1941-1977 (Hale and Iremonger, Sydney, 1978). He is currently studying the history of opinion polls in Australia and the use of market research in political campaigns. Amanda Gordon studied history at the University of Melbourne where she completed an M.A. thesis in 1969 on the Australian Press and the Russian Revolution. viii Notes on Contributors Dr Philip Hart is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Waikato where he has been a member of staff since receiving his Ph.D. from the ANU. His principal research interest has been the career of J.A. Lyons, on which he has published several articles. Dr Cameron Hazlehurst has been a Fellow in the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Australian National University since 1972, following seven years in Oxford as postgraduate student and research fellow, and two years as a tutor at Monash University. His books include Politicians at War July 1914 to May 1915 (Jonathan Cape and Alfred Knopf, London and New York 1971) and Menzies Observed {Allen and Unwin, Sydney 1979). Dr Peter Loveday, Senior Fellow in Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, previously taught in the Department of Government at the University of Sydney and was Reader in Politics at the University of Adelaide. His writings on pressure groups, parties, and political thought in Australia include Parliament, Factions and Parties, The First Thirty Years o f Responsible Government in New South Wales, 1865-1889 (Melbourne University Press, 1966) and several contributions in The Emergence of the Australian Party System (Hale and Iremonger, Sydney, 1977) of which he was co-editor. Dr John McCarthy, a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of New South Wales (Duntroon), is the author of Australia and Imperial Defence 1918-1939 (University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1976) and articles on the British-Australian connection and Australian politics between the wars. John Paul, Lecturer in the School of Political Science, University of New South Wales, was an officer in the Commonwealth Public Service from 1961 to 1971, and has been a Research Scholar at the Australian National University. He has written a number of articles and essays on Australian politics. Joan Rydon is Professor of Australian Politics at La Trobe University and is the joint author (with Henry Mayer) of The Gwydir By-Election 1953 (ANU Press, Canberra, 1954) and compiler of A Biographical Register o f the Commonwealth Parliament 1901-1972 (ANU Press, 1975) and numerous articles on Australian politics. Notes on Contributors ix Dr Don Smart, Lecturer in the Politics of Education at Murdoch University, was joint editor (with Ian Birch) of The Commonwealth Government and Education: Political Initiatives and Perspectives 1964-1976 (Drummond, Melbourne, 1977), and has written Federal Aid to Australian Schools 1901-1975 (Univer­ sity of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1978). Dr Peter Tiver, Lecturer in Politics at The Riverina College of Advanced Education, previously taught at Flinders University. He is the author of The Liberal Party (Jacaranda Press, Brisbane, 1978). Lex Watson is a Lecturer in Government at the University of Sydney where he teaches Australian politics. He has published articles on Australian political institutions and parties, and on public policy and homosexuals. His current research includes further work on policy toward homosexuals and on issues relating to public policy, human rights and equality. Introduction The ‘Australian Conservatism’ of this book is the political faith and behaviour of politicians and parties opposed to Labor, and the beliefs and activities of their supporters. We are concerned with those who sought power, those who were satisfied with office, and the large minority of Australian citizens who thought little of politics but, knowing what they liked and feared, voted anti-Labor. Conservative politicians in Australia have traditionally preferred to describe themselves as almost anything but conservative — Liberal, Nationalist, Constitutionalist, Democratic, Free Trade, Country, even Democratic Labor. There were good tactical reasons for this. But neither politically prudential reticence nor the obvious differences between Australia and Great Britain have blinded observers to the existence of phenomena that can usefully be described as ‘Australian conservatism’. No one should now find it necessary, as Sir Keith Hancock did in 1929, to insist that ‘there do exist strong conservative interests in Australia’. There are individuals and groups whose property, possessions, and potential for personal acquisition are the dominant facts of their lives. There are others for whom wealth and status are secondary but whose drive for power is coincidentally fortified by ample means. There are some, almost invariably rich, who believe that the nation’s prosperity, not merely their own, depends on the kind of government which only they and like- minded people can give. And all of those who know what they want and how to get it, are followed by the millions whose envy or xii Introduction ambition, greed or apprehension, deference or despair, make them averse to being governed by people like themselves. Thus Australian conservatism is the conduct and creed of those content with society as it is, or as less government would make it, and dedicated to excluding from power the irresponsible poor and the dangerous ideologues of the left. This does not, of course, mean that ‘working-class’ people neither vote for conservative parties nor have conservative views about government and moral issues. What it does mean is that those who identify with non- Labor parties will almost invariably distinguish themselves from an undeserving class which they believe is a threat to social stability and prosperity. For sixty years the spectre
Load more

Recommended publications
  • QLD Senate Results Report 2017
    Statement of Results Report Event: 2016 Federal Election - Full Senate Ballot: 2016 Federal Election - Full Senate Order Elected Candidates Elected Group Name 1 George BRANDIS Liberal National Party of Queensland 2 Murray WATT Australian Labor Party 3 Pauline HANSON Pauline Hanson's One Nation 4 Matthew CANAVAN Liberal National Party of Queensland 5 Anthony CHISHOLM Australian Labor Party 6 James McGRATH Liberal National Party of Queensland 7 Claire MOORE Australian Labor Party 8 Ian MACDONALD Liberal National Party of Queensland 9 Andrew BARTLETT The Greens 10 Barry O'SULLIVAN Liberal National Party of Queensland 11 Chris KETTER Australian Labor Party 12 Fraser ANNING Pauline Hanson's One Nation Senate 06 Nov 2017 11:50:21 Page 1 of 5 Statement of Results Report Event: 2016 Federal Election - Full Senate Ballot: 2016 Federal Election - Full Senate Order Excluded Candidates Excluded Group Name 1 Single Exclusion Craig GUNNIS Palmer United Party 2 Single Exclusion Ian EUGARDE 3 Single Exclusion Ludy Charles SWEERIS-SIGRIST Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) 4 Single Exclusion Terry JORGENSEN 5 Single Exclusion Reece FLOWERS VOTEFLUX.ORG | Upgrade Democracy! 6 Single Exclusion Gary James PEAD 7 Single Exclusion Stephen HARDING Citizens Electoral Council 8 Single Exclusion Erin COOKE Socialist Equality Party 9 Single Exclusion Neroli MOONEY Rise Up Australia Party 10 Single Exclusion David BUNDY 11 Single Exclusion John GIBSON 12 Single Exclusion Chelle DOBSON Australian Liberty Alliance 13 Single Exclusion Annette LOURIGAN Glenn
    [Show full text]
  • LORD BOLINGBROKE's THEORY of PARTY and OPPOSITION1 By
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by St Andrews Research Repository Max Skjönsberg, HJ, Oct 2015 LORD BOLINGBROKE’S THEORY OF PARTY AND OPPOSITION1 By MAX SKJÖNSBERG, London School of Economics and Political Science Abstract: Bolingbroke has been overlooked by intellectual historians in the last few decades, at least in comparison with ‘canonical’ thinkers. This article examines one of the most important but disputable aspects of his political thought: his views on political parties and his theory of opposition. It aims to demonstrate that Bolingbroke’s views on party have been misunderstood and that it is possible to think of him as an advocate of political parties rather than the ‘anti-party’ writer he is commonly known as. It has been suggested that Bolingbroke prescribed a state without political parties. By contrast, this article seeks to show that Bolingbroke was in fact the promoter of a very specific party, a systematic parliamentary opposition party in resistance to what he perceived as the Court Whig faction in power. It will 1 I have benefited from comments by Adrian Blau, Tim Hochstrasser, Paul Keenan, Robin Mills, and Paul Stock, as well as conversations with J. C. D. Clark, Richard Bourke, and Quentin Skinner at various stages of this project. As usual, however, the buck stops with the writer. I presented an earlier and shorter version of this article at the inaugural Early-Modern Intellectual History Postgraduate Conference at Newcastle University in June 2015. Eighteenth-century spelling has been kept in quotations throughout as have inconsistencies in spelling.
    [Show full text]
  • Independents in Federal Parliament: a New Challenge Or a Passing Phase?
    Independents in Federal Parliament: A new challenge or a passing phase? Jennifer Curtin1 Politics Program, School of Political and Social Inquiry Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. [email protected] “Politics just is the game played out by rival parties, and anyone who tries to play politics in some way entirely independent of parties consigns herself to irrelevance.” (Brennan, 1996: xv). The total dominance of Australia’s rival parties has altered since Brennan made this statement. By the time of the 2001 federal election, 29 registered political parties contested seats and while only the three traditional parties secured representation in the House of Representatives (Liberals, Nationals and Labor) three independents were also elected. So could we argue that the “game” has changed? While it is true that government in Australia, both federally and in the states and territories, almost always alternates between the Labor Party and the Liberal Party (the latter more often than not in coalition with the National Party), independent members have been a feature of the parliaments for many years, particularly at the state level (Costar and Curtin, 2004; Moon,1995). Over the last decade or so independents have often been key political players: for a time, they have held the balance of power in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. More generally, since 1980 an unprecedented 56 independents have served in Australian parliaments. In 2003, 25 of them were still there. This is more than six times the number of independents elected in the 1970s. New South Wales has been the most productive jurisdiction during that time, with fourteen independent members, and Tasmania the least, with only one.
    [Show full text]
  • Nicaragua | Freedom House
    Nicaragua | Freedom House http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2012/nicaragua About Us DONATE Blog Contact Us REGIONS ISSUES Reports Programs Initiatives News Experts Events Donate FREEDOM IN THE WORLD Nicaragua Nicaragua Freedom in the World 2012 OVERVIEW: 2012 In November 2011, President Daniel Ortega was re-elected by an SCORES overwhelming margin and his party, the Sandanista National Liberation Front, won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. There were STATUS concerns about the legality of Ortega’s candidacy, as well as transparency issues and other irregularities during the election. Partly Although international observers found no evidence of widespread fraud, serious concerns remained about the politicization of institutions and the Free rule of law. FREEDOM RATING The independent Republic of Nicaragua was established in 1838, 17 years 4.5 after the end of Spanish rule. Its subsequent history has been marked by CIVIL LIBERTIES internal strife and dictatorship. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), a leftist rebel group, overthrew the authoritarian regime of the Somoza 4 family in 1979. The FSLN then moved to establish a left-wing government, leading to a civil war. The United States intervened, in part by supporting POLITICAL RIGHTS irregular rebel forces known as the contras. In 1990, National Opposition Union presidential candidate Violeta Chamorro 5 defeated the FSLN’s Daniel Ortega in free and open elections, leading to a peaceful transfer of power. Before leaving office, however, the Sandinistas revised laws and sold off state property to party leaders, ensuring that they would retain political and economic clout. Former Managua mayor Arnoldo Alemán of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) defeated Ortega in the 1996 presidential election, but he was accused of corruption throughout his ensuing presidency.
    [Show full text]
  • Printed Questions and Answers
    2070 Or!kr of Busine1s. [ASSZY::BLY.] Qttestions and Answers. Government has, at least, some justifica­ tion for taking Tuesday nights after half-past 6. Before g·iving my vote in Tuesday, 2G September, 1922. favour of this motion I wish to ask the Premier if he will make available suffi­ cient time for the purpose of discussing Printed Q.uestions·~md Answers-Special Arljonrnment­ 'fhe l:tte Sir Charles Wade (Adjournment). the motion standing in the name of the hon. member :M:r. I.ang. Unless an opportunity is provided by the Govern­ Mr. SPEAKER took the chair. ment for the discussion of that motion it will be impossible for the matter to PRINTED QUESTIONS AND be dealt with, and I consider that a very ANSWERS. grave injustice will be done to the com­ munity by the automatic coming into CHILDREN'S RELIEF DEPARTMENT. operation of local government ordinances Dr. ARTHUR asked the MINISTER OF 70 and 71. PUBLIC INSTHUCTION,-ln how many cases Sir GEOHGE FuLLER: That matter can is the Children's Relief Department pay• be arranged between the hon. member ing allowances for ehildren where the Mr. Lang and the Minister! father is living with the family, but is Mr. GOLDSTEIN: As the Government incapacitated through pulmonary tuber­ has a very lengt!Jy programme to get culosis 1 through during the remainder of the Answer,-The State Children Relief session I think it is just}fied in taking Board pays allowanees in eighty cases Tuesday nights after half-past 6 for the towards the maintenance of 21) I children, transaction of Government business.
    [Show full text]
  • Smb School of Mines and Industries Ballarat
    school of SMB mines and industries ballarat a campus of the university ballarat a guide to heritage buildings at the smb campus in lydiard street south, ballarat cricos provider number 00103d table of contents precinct plan Precinct Plan 1 public Introduction 2 car park dana street Timeline 4 Founding of the Ballarat School of Mines 5 Former Wesleyan Church 15 Technical Art School Building 16 Administration Building 18 north Former Court House 19 albert street albert Former Ballarat Gaol 20 A B H armstrong street south street armstrong c lydiard street sth street lydiard F D e eyre street G grant str eet This Guide was prepared for A Former Wesleyan Church the University of Ballarat by BAdministration Building Keith Boast with the assistance of Clare Gervasoni, Art C Technical Art School Building Curator at the University. The D Former Ballarat Gaol photographs and illustrations in the Guide are from the E Former Court House University’s Historical F ‘Old’ Chemistry Building Collection. G Former Junior Technical School H Former Botanical Gardens the school of mines and ind ustries b allarat a campus of the university of b allarat a guid e to heritage b uild ings in lyd iard street south, b allarat 1 introduction smb has a proud history of over 130 years of continuous operation. you are invited to experience and enjoy the charm of smb’s architectural heritage in one of ballarat’s most historic precincts, lydiard street south. he Lydiard Street South precinct of Ballarat is richly reflective of Ballarat’s In the ensuing years, SMB has experienced a major heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 John Johnstone, 'A Glorified Landscape Gardeners'
    John Johnstone, ‘a glorified landscape gardeners’ role in forestry in Australia This paper was presented at the AHA Annual Conference, 2-6 July 2018 in Canberra. Gerard Fahey. orcid.org/0000-0003-3183-7762 The Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) established in 1910 at Creswick offered the first formal Forestry Course in Australia. The School was managed by the Forest Commission of Victoria from its opening until a period of co-management with the University of Melbourne in the 1980s and finally, after 2000, as a Department within the University. Yet the origins of the VSF are effectively lost. The one material statement is a metal plaque installed in 1952, honouring the former Premier and local member for Creswick, Sir Alexander Peacock. The plaque credited Peacock, To whose inspiration & initiative the establishment of this school was largely due. 1 However, reconstructing the story through historical newspapers, parliamentary papers, forest department records and private correspondence has revealed that other individuals were involved in the establishment of the school. The primary inspiration for the establishment of the School, and the one who took the initiative and did the work at Creswick, was not Peacock but John Johnstone, the Superintendent of State Plantations from 1902 to 1926. Johnstone has been overlooked in the history of the School for a number of reasons: he was not listed in the official Department records or the Government Gazette prior to 1913; he 1 had clashed with others who fostered grudges, was seen as an outsider and was not considered to be a forester by those who came after him.
    [Show full text]
  • ESS9 Appendix A3 Political Parties Ed
    APPENDIX A3 POLITICAL PARTIES, ESS9 - 2018 ed. 3.0 Austria 2 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 7 Croatia 8 Cyprus 10 Czechia 12 Denmark 14 Estonia 15 Finland 17 France 19 Germany 20 Hungary 21 Iceland 23 Ireland 25 Italy 26 Latvia 28 Lithuania 31 Montenegro 34 Netherlands 36 Norway 38 Poland 40 Portugal 44 Serbia 47 Slovakia 52 Slovenia 53 Spain 54 Sweden 57 Switzerland 58 United Kingdom 61 Version Notes, ESS9 Appendix A3 POLITICAL PARTIES ESS9 edition 3.0 (published 10.12.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Denmark, Iceland. ESS9 edition 2.0 (published 15.06.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. Austria 1. Political parties Language used in data file: German Year of last election: 2017 Official party names, English 1. Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ) - Social Democratic Party of Austria - 26.9 % names/translation, and size in last 2. Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) - Austrian People's Party - 31.5 % election: 3. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) - Freedom Party of Austria - 26.0 % 4. Liste Peter Pilz (PILZ) - PILZ - 4.4 % 5. Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) - The Greens – The Green Alternative - 3.8 % 6. Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ) - Communist Party of Austria - 0.8 % 7. NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum (NEOS) - NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum - 5.3 % 8. G!LT - Verein zur Förderung der Offenen Demokratie (GILT) - My Vote Counts! - 1.0 % Description of political parties listed 1. The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a social above democratic/center-left political party that was founded in 1888 as the Social Democratic Worker's Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, or SDAP), when Victor Adler managed to unite the various opposing factions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Democratic Party and the Transformation of American Conservatism, 1847-1860
    PRESERVING THE WHITE MAN’S REPUBLIC: THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN CONSERVATISM, 1847-1860 Joshua A. Lynn A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2015 Approved by: Harry L. Watson William L. Barney Laura F. Edwards Joseph T. Glatthaar Michael Lienesch © 2015 Joshua A. Lynn ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Joshua A. Lynn: Preserving the White Man’s Republic: The Democratic Party and the Transformation of American Conservatism, 1847-1860 (Under the direction of Harry L. Watson) In the late 1840s and 1850s, the American Democratic party redefined itself as “conservative.” Yet Democrats’ preexisting dedication to majoritarian democracy, liberal individualism, and white supremacy had not changed. Democrats believed that “fanatical” reformers, who opposed slavery and advanced the rights of African Americans and women, imperiled the white man’s republic they had crafted in the early 1800s. There were no more abstract notions of freedom to boundlessly unfold; there was only the existing liberty of white men to conserve. Democrats therefore recast democracy, previously a progressive means to expand rights, as a way for local majorities to police racial and gender boundaries. In the process, they reinvigorated American conservatism by placing it on a foundation of majoritarian democracy. Empowering white men to democratically govern all other Americans, Democrats contended, would preserve their prerogatives. With the policy of “popular sovereignty,” for instance, Democrats left slavery’s expansion to territorial settlers’ democratic decision-making.
    [Show full text]
  • Balance of Power Senate Projections, Spring 2018
    Balance of power Senate projections, Spring 2018 The Australia Institute conducts a quarterly poll of Senate voting intention. Our analysis shows that major parties should expect the crossbench to remain large and diverse for the foreseeable future. Senate projections series, no. 2 Bill Browne November 2018 ABOUT THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE The Australia Institute is an independent public policy think tank based in Canberra. It is funded by donations from philanthropic trusts and individuals and commissioned research. We barrack for ideas, not political parties or candidates. Since its launch in 1994, the Institute has carried out highly influential research on a broad range of economic, social and environmental issues. OUR PHILOSOPHY As we begin the 21st century, new dilemmas confront our society and our planet. Unprecedented levels of consumption co-exist with extreme poverty. Through new technology we are more connected than we have ever been, yet civic engagement is declining. Environmental neglect continues despite heightened ecological awareness. A better balance is urgently needed. The Australia Institute’s directors, staff and supporters represent a broad range of views and priorities. What unites us is a belief that through a combination of research and creativity we can promote new solutions and ways of thinking. OUR PURPOSE – ‘RESEARCH THAT MATTERS’ The Institute publishes research that contributes to a more just, sustainable and peaceful society. Our goal is to gather, interpret and communicate evidence in order to both diagnose the problems we face and propose new solutions to tackle them. The Institute is wholly independent and not affiliated with any other organisation. Donations to its Research Fund are tax deductible for the donor.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Volume 1 the Senators, the Senate and Australia, 1901–1929 by Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate 1988–2009
    Introduction to volume 1 The Senators, the Senate and Australia, 1901–1929 By Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate 1988–2009 Biography may or may not be the key to history, but the biographies of those who served in institutions of government can throw great light on the workings of those institutions. These biographies of Australia’s senators are offered not only because they deal with interesting people, but because they inform an assessment of the Senate as an institution. They also provide insights into the history and identity of Australia. This first volume contains the biographies of senators who completed their service in the Senate in the period 1901 to 1929. This cut-off point involves some inconveniences, one being that it excludes senators who served in that period but who completed their service later. One such senator, George Pearce of Western Australia, was prominent and influential in the period covered but continued to be prominent and influential afterwards, and he is conspicuous by his absence from this volume. A cut-off has to be set, however, and the one chosen has considerable countervailing advantages. The period selected includes the formative years of the Senate, with the addition of a period of its operation as a going concern. The historian would readily see it as a rational first era to select. The historian would also see the era selected as falling naturally into three sub-eras, approximately corresponding to the first three decades of the twentieth century. The first of those decades would probably be called by our historian, in search of a neatly summarising title, The Founders’ Senate, 1901–1910.
    [Show full text]
  • The Traditionalists Are Restless, So Why Don't They Have a Party of Their Own in Australia?
    University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities January 2016 The traditionalists are restless, so why don't they have a party of their own in Australia? Gregory C. Melleuish University of Wollongong, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers Recommended Citation Melleuish, Gregory C., "The traditionalists are restless, so why don't they have a party of their own in Australia?" (2016). Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers. 2490. https://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers/2490 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] The traditionalists are restless, so why don't they have a party of their own in Australia? Abstract In 1985, B.A. Santamaria speculated about the possibility of a new political party in Australia that would be composed of the Nationals, the traditionalist section of the Liberal Party and the "moderate and anti- extremist section of the blue-collar working class". Keywords their, own, australia, have, they, t, don, party, why, traditionalists, so, restless Publication Details Melleuish, G. (2016). The traditionalists are restless, so why don't they have a party of their own in Australia?. The Conversation, 3 August 1-3. This journal article is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers/2490 The traditionalists are restless, so why don't they have a party of their ... https://theconversation.com/the-traditionalists-are-restless-so-why-dont..
    [Show full text]