DOCSLIB.ORG

The Myth of the Affluent Urban Workers' Changing Political Affiliations 1950-1972

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Myth of the Affluent Urban Workers' Changing Political Affiliations 1950-1972 University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1998 The ym th of the affluent urban workers' changing political affiliations 1950-1972 Patricia-Mary Ward University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Ward, Patricia-Mary, The ym th of the affluent urban workers' changing political affiliations 1950-1972, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong, 1998. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1742 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] The Myth of the Affluent Urban Workers' Changing Political Affiliations 1950-1972 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree Doctor of Philosophy from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by Patricia-Mary Ward B.A. Hons (ANU) Faculty of Arts 1998 CONTENTS Acknowledgements Hi Preface iv Certificate xiii Abbreviations xiv Introduction 2 PART 1 Australia's New Cities The Transformation of Post-War Australia 24 Wollongong Red Belt 41 Wollongong Boom Town 77 Canberra Conflict City 111 Part One - Summary 147 PART 2 Three Tiers of Government Government Relations 149 The Limitations of the Constitution 169 Fiscal Dilemma 204 Local Government 234 Part Two - Summary 262 PART 3 The Turbulent Years 1965 -1972 Towards a New Society 264 Political Parties in Transition 268 Illawarra Militant 284 Canberra in Crisis 299 Part Three - Summary 313 Conclusion 315 Bibliography 326 Contents Page ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am particularly indebted to my supervisor, Associate Professor Andrew Wells for the excellent advice and insight he provided during the research and writing of this thesis. I was also supervised for some periods of time by Professor Hagan, Josie Castle and Henry Lee. I am also grateful to Glenn Mitchell, Peter Sales, John McQuilton and Adrian Vickers who shared their knowledge with me. I wish to acknowledge the help given to me by the archivists and librarians of the University of Wollongong, the Australian National University Noel Butlin Archives Centre, the Manuscript Section of the National Library of Australia, the City of Wollongong Library's Local Studies Unit, the New South Wales Local Government Association and the officers of the Australian Electoral Commission and Australian Bureau of Statistics in Canberra. I am also indebted to Paul Mathers for access to the archived records of the South Coast Labor Council, to Rex Connor for access to R F X Connor's unsorted papers and to Andrew Fraser for access to J R Fraser's private papers. My thanks are due to many residents of the Illawarra, in particular Ted Harvey, Sally Bowen, George Murray, Eric Ramsay, Bob Heggis and Irene and Ted Arrowsmith who provided important insights into life in the 1950s and 1960s. I am grateful to many friends who have encouraged me in the pursuit of this endeavour and in particular Mary Quinton who has given unstintingly of friendship and hospitality. Finally, with affection, my special thanks to my family. Acknowledgements Page Hi PREFACE This thesis criticizes the theory of the embourgoisement of the Australian urban workers in the period from 1950 to 1972 and its apparent effect upon their political affiliations. The period was marked by sustained economic growth, a burgeoning population and the consolidation of Australia as a small industrialised country. The promise of full employment and improved wages and salaries attracted urban workers into the new industries and away from their old communities. The traditional bonds of work, home and political affiliations were displaced by home ownership and the acquisition of previously unattainable consumer goods. This thesis argues that in this environment new communities of affluent workers emerged united by their aims to maintain their prosperity and achieve a better quality of life. Of the number of Australian cities which expanded in this period Wollongong and Canberra have been chosen to illustrate two different kinds of communities. Wollongong was and is a working class city; Canberra middle class. Wollongong, an industrial city in the State of New South Wales, grew largely as a consequence of the investment in the BHP steel works. Canberra, in contrast, is the seat of the Federal Government and the centre for the Commonwealth Administration with its growth heavily dependent on Federal Government funding. In Wollongong the South Coast Labour Council was committed to the support of workers and their families and the improvement of the urban environment, providing experienced leadership in the art of popular protest. In Canberra the emerging middle- class community was represented in their pursuit of a new community life by the whole­ hearted endeavours of James Fraser, the Labor Member of the House of Representatives for the Australian Capital Territory who saw himself as both "State Member and Local Councillor". Preface Page v In Wollongong, many workers' homes were located along unmade streets where the sullage flowed from primitive sewerage systems. The city lacked adequate schools, hospitals and recreation areas and any improvement was frustrated for many years by the limitations of Local Government and the ongoing conflict between the State and Federal Governments. Although Canberra escaped the worst of these urban disasters its development was slow, dogged by political infighting and administrative incompetence and the failure of the 1948 Development Programme. Following the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Development of Canberra, the National Capital Development Commission was established in 1957. By the 1960s Canberra was seen as the model for comprehensive urban planning. But as the Federal Capital emerged from a small county town into Australia's largest inland city the supply of land ran out and consequently there was a major price rise. Moreover the dissatisfaction of the people reached new heights when there was a significant increase in land rent on re-valued land. Consequently in the late 1960s these urban problems became politically important and the creation of new alliances between different social groups lent respectability to public protest. This thesis challenges the widely held view that affluence led urban workers to desert their affiliation to the Labor Party. In Wollongong and Canberra by 1960 affluent workers who saw themselves as homeowners increased their support for their local representatives of the Federal Labor Party. For the State and Federal Governments' commitment to building a new industrial complex in Wollongong and the development of the National Capital extinguished any interest they had in the quality of life of the people. And they were joined by other groups who came to reject a jaded Federal Coalition lacking initiative in dealing with the urban problems. E G Whitlam and the Federal Labor Party of 1970 offered a new concept of Australian Government and policies which appealed to a confident and empowered electorate. Preface Page vi The Introduction to this thesis will review the changing urban process in western industrialised nations after the Second World War. It will touch upon the movement of people from country to cities and from Europe to the New World. Governments were concerned to maintain economic growth and avoid at all costs a return to the economic instability of the pre-war years. Consequently full employment brought a new and sustained affluence to urban workers. The growth of bureaucracies, world organisations and the effect of changing industrial procedures and higher education provided new opportunities for the working class. In the United Kingdom and some European countries large scale plans were made to house the changing population in an expanding suburbia. Many theories which were developed during this period argued that a new elitism emerged with the growth of suburbia because the traditional working class mores were transformed by home ownership, access to consumer goods, cars and an adoption of middle class "consumerist" values. However, the well-known American sociologists Gans and Berger considered that affluence and a house in the suburbs did not alter the commitment of the blue collar workers to their old political affiliations. This view was supported in England by Willmott who maintained that the changes to political affiliations were minimal. In this context of rapidly and radically changing western societies Australia is unique in being a highly urbanised society with the larger part of its population living in the major cities. As early as 1840 thirty percent of Australians lived in towns of more than 2500 inhabitants. The continuing expansion of the cities was due to immigration rather than the drift of population from the country. But, as in other westernized countries, by the 1960s the structure of the workforce had changed with a significant rise in the employment of women and an increase in the number of professional and technical workers. Wollongong and Canberra grew rapidly into new cities with residential areas dominated by family dwellings with their own gardens. This changing structure of the Preface Page vii workforce and the growth of suburbia influenced scholarly opinion. It was argued by many that affluence reduced the influence of the Australian Labor Party and the emphasis on homeownership promoted that of the Liberal Party. This thesis reflects the changing face of urban Australia and the political consequences of the Federal Coalition's neglect of the needs of an articulate, affluent and confident urban working class. Part One describes the history of the growth of the new cities Wollongong and Canberra. Part Two discusses the problems associated with an inflexible Constitution and the financial relationship between the Federal, State and Local Governments. Part Three concentrates on the period from 1965 to 1972 when political parties were in transition and the consequences of population and economic growth became electorally important. The introduction to Part One - Australia's New Cities - provides a background to Australia's post World War II transition into a small industrialized country.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Influence of Metal Exposure History on Metal Tolerance in the Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea Glomerata)
    Influence of metal exposure history on metal tolerance in the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) Thanvapon Senee Yingprasertchai A thesis submitted to the Discipline of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervised by: Dr Geoffrey MacFarlane and Dr Richard Yu Declaration The thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. I give consent to the final version of my thesis being made available worldwide when deposited in the University’s Digital Repository, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I hereby certify that the work embodied in this thesis has been done in collaboration with other researchers, or carried out in other institutions (delete if not applicable). I have included as part of the thesis a statement clearly outlining the extent of collaboration, with whom and under what auspices. Thanvapon Senee Yingprasertchai ii Acknowledgements Firstly, I wish to acknowledge the untiring efforts of my supervisors; Dr. Geoff MacFarlane and Dr. Richard Yu, in providing logistical support, critical appraisal, encouragement and friendship over the many years that it has taken for this thesis to come to fruition. Secondary, I am indebted to Dr Wayne O‘Connor at Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach (PSFI) who works as an unofficial supervisor and has provided great support in field oyster sampling and laboratory facilities for exposure experiments.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix D Inland Water Quality Assessment West Dapto Urban Release Area and Adjacent Growth Areas
    Appendix D Inland water quality assessment West Dapto Urban Release Area and Adjacent Growth Areas WATER QUALITY, AQUATIC ECOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT 12 December 2011 West Dapto Urban Release Area and Adjacent Growth Areas WATER QUALITY, AQUATIC ECOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT 12 December 2011 Sinclair Knight Merz ABN 37 001 024 095 100 Christie Street St Leonards NSW 2065 Australia Postal Address PO Box 164 St Leonards NSW 2065 Australia Tel: +61 2 9928 2100 Fax: +61 2 9928 2500 Web: www.skmconsulting.com COPYRIGHT: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of Sinclair Knight Merz constitutes an infringement of copyright. LIMITATION: This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd’s Client, and is subject to and issued in connection with the provisions of the agreement between Sinclair Knight Merz and its Client. Sinclair Knight Merz accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. The SKM logo trade mark is a registered trade mark of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd. Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Objectives 1 1.2. Report Structure 1 1.3. Director-General’s Requirements 2 1.4. Background 4 1.4.1. Existing Wastewater Systems 7 1.4.2. Port Kembla Wastewater System 7 1.4.3. Wollongong Wastewater System 7 1.4.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Key Events and the Racial Discrimination
    Key Events and the Racial Discrimination Act Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human 1973 Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission State of the Nation 1995 - A Report on People Aboriginal Land Rights Commission and of Non-English Speaking Backgrounds National Aboriginal Consultative Committee Canberra, Australian Government Publishing established. Service, 1995, pp 289-292. Government announced that future migration 1966 policy would be non-discriminatory with regard to race, colour and nationality. Sir Paul Hasluck signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Telephone Interpreter Service (TIS) established. (CERD) on behalf of Australia on 13 October. Al Grassby delivered the 'Family of the Nation' 1967 speech introducing the term 'multicultural' and linking it with social justice. National referendum enabled the Federal Government to assume responsibility for 1974 Aboriginal people in the States. Attorney-General Lionel Murphy twice 1971 introduced a Racial Discrimination Bill into Parliament although, like the attempt in 1973, International Year for Action to Combat it did not succeed. Racism. Committee on Community Relations Report Neville Bonner became the first Aboriginal delivered in August by Walter Lippmann after parliamentarian as a Liberal Senator from wide consultation with ethnic communities - Queensland. the first time such consultation had been canvassed. Anti-apartheid demonstrations were held around Australia during the Springbok tour. Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria established, the first of its kind 1972 1975 Aboriginal tent embassy established on lawns outside Parliament House as the focus for the Attorney-General Kep Enderby introduced land rights movement. racial discrimination legislation which was passed on 11 June, subsequently allowing Election in December of the Whitlam Labor Australia to ratify CERD.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Studies on Illawarha Lake
    ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON ILLAWARHA LAKE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO Zostera capricorni Ascherson. By Malcolm McD. Harris, B.A. ( Univ. of New England, Armidale ) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science of the University of New South Wales. School of Botany, University of New South Wales. January, 1977 UNIVERSITY OF N.S.W. 19851 16 SEP. 77 LIBRARY THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the work described in this thesis has not been submitted for a higher degree at any other university or institution. (iii) SUMMARY This thesis describes aspects of the ecology of Illawarra Lake, with special reference to the biology of the seagrass, Zostera capricomi Aschers. Observations were made from the air, from power boats, by wading and by SCUBA diving, over the period 1972 - 1976. Use has also been made of aerial photographs. The environmental factors studied include both sediment characteristics and water quality. Correlation coefficients have been calculated and used in the assessment of the functional relationships between the parameters examined. Reference has been made to corroborative evidence from a number of sources. The relationship between the distribution and biomass of the benthic flora of Illawarra Lake, and the selected environmental parameters, is examined. Seven other coastal saline lagoons were observed so that observations made and the conclusions drawn for Illawarra Lake, could be seen in the wider context. Long term observations and analyses have been made of the morphology, growth and flowering cycles of Z. capricomi. Evidence is presented showing some diagnostic features,used in published accounts to distinguish between Z.
    [Show full text]
  • The Racial Discrimination Act: a 40 Year Perspective Inaugural Kep Enderby Lecture
    The Racial Discrimination Act: A 40 Year Perspective Inaugural Kep Enderby Lecture Chief Justice Robert French AC 22 October 2015, Sydney Introduction Keppel Earl Enderby QC, who died on 8 January 2015 at the age of 88, was a dedicated servant of the Australian people. He was a libertarian and a law reformer. In 1975, as Attorney-General for the Commonwealth, he introduced into the Parliament the Bill that became the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) ('RDA'). This evening we celebrate the 40th anniversary of that Act and Kep Enderby's life of service in the presence of his widow, Dorothy Enderby and his son, Keir. He was born in Dubbo in 1926. He was educated at the Dubbo High School. He served with the RAAF as a trainee pilot in 1944 and 1945 and gained a law degree from Sydney University in 1950. He went to the United Kingdom for a few years where he married and had two children. He returned to New South Wales and took up practice at the Bar there in 1955. In 1962, he was appointed as a lecturer in law at the Australian National University. In Canberra he met his second wife, Dorothy, a university librarian. He recommenced practicing law in Canberra in 1966 and became an active member of the Australian Labor Party. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1973. Kep Enderby was elected to the House of Representatives representing the Australian Capital Territory from 1970 to 1974 and the new seat of Canberra from 1974 to 1975. He held a number of ministerial portfolios during the time of the Whitlam Government.
    [Show full text]
  • John Christian WATSON Prime Minister 27 April to 17 August 1904
    3 John Christian WATSON Prime Minister 27 April to 17 August 1904 Chris Watson became the 3rd Prime Minister when the government of Alfred Deakin, a Protectionist, fell due to Labor’s refusal to support the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill. Member of Australian Labor Party 1900-16; Nationalist Party 1917-c1922. Member for Bland (NSW) in House of Representatives 1901-06 and for South Sydney 1906-10. Treasurer 1904. Prior to 1901 he was the Member for Young in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1894-1901. Watson was replaced as prime minister by George Reid, of the Free Trade Party, when Labor’s amended Conciliation and Arbitration Bill failed to win support in parliament. Watson resigned after unsuccessfully seeking a double dissolution election. Main achievements (1904) Headed the world’s first national Labor government. The main achievement of Watson’s prime ministership was the advancement of the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, which was eventually passed in December 1904 under the Reid government. Personal life Born 9 April 1867, Valparaiso, Chile, son of Johan Christian Tanck and his wife Martha. Became Watson when Martha remarried in 1869. Reared in New Zealand. Died 18 November, 1941, Sydney. Limited formal education in New Zealand. Worked as nipper on railway construction at age of ten and on father’s farm. Became a compositor with New Zealand newspapers, active in the union, and migrated to Sydney after losing his job in 1886. Worked as compositor on Sydney newspapers and active in the Typographical Association of New South Wales. Delegate to the NSW Trades and Labor Council 1890.
    [Show full text]
  • Legislative Assembly Hansard 1974
    Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 29 OCTOBER 1974 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Land Tax Act Amendment Bill [29 OcTOBER 1974] Election of Speaker 1677 TUESDAY, 29 OCTOBER 1974 THE CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENT (Mr. C. George) took the chair at 11 a.m. VACANCY IN OFFICE OF SPEAKER The Cl,erk: I have to inform the House that I have received the following letter from the Honourable the Speaker, the Honourable W. H. Lonergan, M.L.A.- "Brisbane, 28th October 1974. "The Clerk of the Parliament, "Parliament House, "Brisbane. "Dear Sir, "I hereby tender my resignation as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and as Member for the Electoral District of Flinders. Yours faithfully, W. H. Lonergan." In accordance with the provisiOns of Standing Order No. 9, I have to report that by reason of such resignation a vacancy now exists in the office of Speaker. ELECTION OF SPEAKER Hon. J. BJELKE-PETERSEN (Barambah -Premier) (11.1 a.m.): Mr. George, on behalf of all Government members, I move- "That Mr. James Edward Hiram Houghton do take the Chair of the House as Speaker." Mr. BromJey: I saw you shaking his hand on Friday. Opposition Members interjected. Mr. BJELKE-PETERSEN: I am sure that all honourable members on this side of the House support the motion. On behalf of all honourable members on this side of the House and, I am sure, the other side, I express very deep regret that Mr. Lonergan's condition of health is such that he felt impelled to tender his resignation.
    [Show full text]
  • Recreational Crab Fishing in Illawarra District
    Recreational Crab Fishing in the Illawarra District Fisheries Compliance Unit claws used for crushing and cutting prey. The two hind legs are flattened for swimming. Mud Crabs July 2021 are generally very dark brown to mottled green in colour. Juveniles feed on planktonic animals, Overview benthic molluscs and crustaceans while adults Crab fishing is a popular recreational fishery and feed on bivalve and gastropod molluscs (mussels important commercial fishery in NSW. and pipis), small crabs and polychaete worms. This fishing guide is designed to provide key information to help: Mud Crab • ensure these fisheries remain sustainable by maximising voluntary compliance with crab fishing rules • reduce conflict between/within user groups • answer commonly asked questions about crab fishing rules • report illegal crab fishing and crab fishing gear theft, and • reduce bycatch and other impacts Popular crab species in NSW There a several popular eating crab species with the main two sought after being the Mud Crab and Blue Swimmer Crab. There are many other crab Blue Swimmer Crab Portunus pelagicus species are found in NSW including the Red Shore Crab, Swift Footed Crab and Soldier Crab which Distribution - Blue swimmer crabs are found in are popular bait species. coastal waters from Cape Naturaliste in Western Australia, around the top end to NSW. The Mud Crab Scylla serrata Victorian border is the southern limit for distribution Distribution - Mud Crab inhabit tropical to warm of the species on the east coast. temperate waters from Exmouth in Western Size - Maximum length of about 21cm across the Australia up and along the coastline of the carapace (shell), and a weight of up to 1kg.
    [Show full text]
  • Safety Net to Poverty Trap? the Twentieth-Century Origins of Australia's Uneven Social Security System
    WORKING PAPER Safety net to poverty trap? The twentieth-century origins of Australia’s uneven social security system Danielle Thornton, Dina Bowman and Shelley Mallett RESEARCH & POLICYCENTRE Work and economic security September 2020 The Brotherhood of St Laurence is a non-government, community-based organisation concerned with social justice. Based in Melbourne, but with programs and services throughout Australia, the Brotherhood is working for a better deal for disadvantaged people. It undertakes research, service development and delivery, and advocacy, with the objective of addressing unmet needs and translating learning into new policies, programs and practices for implementation by government and others. For more information visit <www.bsl.org.au>. Danielle Thornton is a Senior Research Fellow, Dina Bowman a Principal Research Fellow and Shelley Mallett the Director of Brotherhood’s Research and Policy Centre. Published by Brotherhood of St Laurence 67 Brunswick Street Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia ABN 24 603 467 024 T (03) 9483 1183 www.bsl.org.au Suggested citation: Thornton, D, Bowman, D & Mallett, S 2020, Safety net to poverty trap? The twentieth-century origins of Australia’s uneven social security system, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic. © Brotherhood of St Laurence 2020 Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this paper may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries
    [Show full text]
  • House of Representatives By-Elections 1902-2002
    INFORMATION, ANALYSIS AND ADVICE FOR THE PARLIAMENT INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SERVICES Current Issues Brief No. 15 2002–03 House of Representatives By-elections 1901–2002 DEPARTMENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY ISSN 1440-2009 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2003 Except to the extent of the uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the prior written consent of the Department of the Parliamentary Library, other than by Senators and Members of the Australian Parliament in the course of their official duties. This paper has been prepared for general distribution to Senators and Members of the Australian Parliament. While great care is taken to ensure that the paper is accurate and balanced, the paper is written using information publicly available at the time of production. The views expressed are those of the author and should not be attributed to the Information and Research Services (IRS). Advice on legislation or legal policy issues contained in this paper is provided for use in parliamentary debate and for related parliamentary purposes. This paper is not professional legal opinion. Readers are reminded that the paper is not an official parliamentary or Australian government document. IRS staff are available to discuss the paper's contents with Senators and Members and their staff but not with members of the public. Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library, 2003 I NFORMATION AND R ESEARCH S ERVICES Current Issues Brief No. 15 2002–03 House of Representatives By-elections 1901–2002 Gerard Newman, Statistics Group Scott Bennett, Politics and Public Administration Group 3 March 2003 Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Murray Goot, Martin Lumb, Geoff Winter, Jan Pearson, Janet Wilson and Diane Hynes in producing this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Joseph Carruthers in the History of Australian Liberalism
    University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2016 Sir Joseph Carruthers in the history of Australian liberalism Zachary Kevin Kearney Gorman University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong. Recommended Citation Gorman, Zachary Kevin Kearney, Sir Joseph Carruthers in the history of Australian liberalism, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong, 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • The Importance of Boundaries
    The importance of boundaries Colin Hughes Emeritus Professor of Politic Science, University of Queensland Research Paper 1 (November 2007) Democratic Audit of Australia Australian National University Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia http://democratic.audit.anu.edu.au The views expressed are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Democratic Audit of Australia. If elections are to be thought fair, their outcomes should correspond as closely as possible to the inputs of voter preferences. A particular percentage of the votes counted for a party should produce close to the same percentage of the seats won by that party. Down that path lie the topics of partisan bias and proportional representation with multi-member electoral districts as the most common solution. But there is a second criterion of fairness which is that outcomes should correspond to the numbers of electors or people to be represented. That criterion is often called equality, and down that path lie the topics of malapportionment and enforced equality as a solution. The two criteria may not work in the same direction.1 In Australia the problem of equality has been debated mainly with respect to the dichotomy of town and country, ‘town’ usually meaning the State capital(s) which have been invariably by far the largest urban center in each State and ‘country’ the rest, though sometimes the larger provincial cities and towns get lumped in with their local metropolis. Should town voters have the same quantity of representation, measured by the number of electors in the electoral districts, as country voters? There has also been a sub-plot, which is what this paper is about, that concerns the existence of a small number of electoral districts spread over exceptionally large areas in which the population, and consequently the numbers of electors, is relatively thin on the ground and widely scattered.
    [Show full text]