Communist Party of Australia - Institution

From

1920

To

1991

Functions

Political Party

Alternative Names

Communist Party
CPA

Details

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the establishment of a Communist International, a conference was held in 1920 to form an Australian Communist Party (which broke up into two distinct camps). By the end of that decade the Communist Party of Australia was established along the lines of the Communist International, to whose line it adhered until the 1960s. The CPA criticised the Australian Labor Party and its affiliated trade unions for their failure to adopt a socialist line. The onset of the cold-war in 1945 put communism in Australia under considerable strain. The Stalinist orthodoxy was rejected by many, with the Maoist Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) formed in 1967 and the pro-Soviet Socialist Party of Australia formed in 1971. The party became more open to the ideas of the New Left, which emerged from universities, but its abandonment of a Leninist model of organising undermined its reason for existence. Its members dissolved the party in 1991.

See Alastair Davidson, The Communist Party of Australia (1969), Stuart Macintyre, The Reds (1998).

Links to documents are available below or by decade:
1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980-1991.

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Items for Download

Books

Women in our new world, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1947. [ | | Details... ]
Australia's way forward [extracts from the Program of the CPA, Syndey, 1964], Sydney, 1964. [ | | Details... ]
Towards Socialism in Australia: Program of the Communist Party of Australia, Australian Radical Publications, Sydney, 1979. [ | | Details... ]
What's happening in the C.P.A.? Will the Communist party split?, D. B. Young, Sydney, c1970. [ | | Details... ]
Aarons, Eric, Economics for workers, Newsletter Printery, Sydney, 1958. [ | | Details... ]
Aarons, Laurie, The people against Menzies and monopoly : Communist Party policy speech (abridged), delivered at Trades Hall Sydney, November 3rd, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1961. [ | | Details... ]
Dixon, Richard, Defend your freedom, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1950, 20 pp. [ | | Details... ]
O'Lincoln, Tom, Into the mainstream: the decline of Australian Communism, Stained Wattle Press, Sydney, 1985. [ | | Details... ]
Orr, W and Nelson, C, Coal; the struggle of the mineworkers, Central Council Miners' Federation, 1930s?. [ | | Details... ]
Sharkey, Lance, The trade unions; communist theory and practice of trade unionism, Australian Communist Party, Sydney, September 1942. [ | | Details... ]

Book Sections

'Political Resolutions', in The Way Forward. Resolutions of the 15th Congress of the Communist Party of Australia, 1948. [ | | Details... ]
'On the work of CPA locality branches; Political Program for Queensland;; Committees; Party Organisers', in CPA: The Party of Australian Democratic Socialism (Queensland State Conference November 1980), Brisbane, November 1980. [ | | Details... ]
Gibson, R, 'Marxist study classes', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | Details... ]
Gibson, Ralph, 'The challenge of Trotskyism', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Gibson, Ralph, 'The 20th Congress and Hungary', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Gibson, Ralph, 'Victory over the Hill group', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Gibson, Ralph, 'Struggle against war and fascism', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Gibson, Ralph, 'My approach to Communism', in My years in the Communist Party, International Bookshop, Melbourne, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Gould, L.H. [Llewellyn Henry] and W.A. Wood, 'Trotskyism--"the left claw of the fascist pincer"', in How Russia smashed its fifth column, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, c1943. [ | | Details... ]
Lindsay, Jack, 'Breakthrough', in Fanfrolico and after, 1962 edn, The Bodley Head, London, pp. 246-68. [ Details... ]
Milner, Andrew, 'Radical Intellectuals: an unacknowledged legislature?', in Verity Bergman and Jenny Lee (eds), Constructing a culture: a people's history of Australia since 1788, McPhee Gribble/ Penguin Books, Melbourne, 1988, pp. 259-84. [ | Details... ]
Smith, Bernard, 'Epilogue', in Bernard Smith (ed.), Noel Counihan: artsist and revolutionary, 1993 edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne & New York, pp. 539-46. [ Details... ]
Smith, Bernard, 'Years of hope', in Noel Counihan: artsist and revolutionary, 1993 edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne & New York, pp. 198-225. [ Details... ]
Smith, Bernard, 'The realisms of war', in Noel Counihan: artist and revolutionary, 1993 edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne & New York, pp. 180-97. [ Details... ]

Cartoons

Counihan, Noel?, 'Meet my big brother', Guardian; offical organ Victorian State Committee Australian Communist Party (Melbourne), 20 February 1948. [ | | Details... ]
Dyson, Ambrose, 'Peace', Guardian, 2 December 1949. [ | | Details... ]
McClintock, Herbert, 'Truth of socialist achievement', Tribune (Sydney), no. 513 (new series), 27 April 1949. [ | | Details... ]
McClintock, Herbert, 'Welcome back Bob, I've certainly missed you', Tribune (Sydney), no. 487 (new series), 22 January 1949. [ | | Details... ]

Constitutions

Constitution of the Communist Party of Australia 1943, 1943. [ | | Details... ]

Fliers

Not wanted, United to defeat Menzies, 1954?. [ | | Details... ]
Peace and trade with Asia, Vote Communist 1, 1954?. [ Details... ]

Journals

Australian New Writing, no. 1, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1943, 4-80 pp. [ | Details... ]
Baracchi, Guido (ed.), Proletarian Review, 1920-1922. [ | | Details... ]

Journal Articles

'Condemn no communist unheard - and that includes Hill', International - organ of the Australian Section of the Fourth International (Sydney), no. 23, 15 March 1962. [ | | Details... ]
'Why there cannot be unity with modern revisionists', The Australian Communist; a journal of Marxist-Leninism, no. 20, May 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Blake, J.D. [under psudonym F.Kelso], 'Ideological political struggle', Review; organ of theory and practice of the A.C.P., no. 3, Febuary 1951. [ | | Details... ]
Gillett, Judy, 'Is there room for us all under the umbrella', Join hands; a journal of women, liberation and socialism, August 1972. [ | | Details... ]
Henry, J.C., 'All for the fighting fund (a report to the Central Committee meeting, 18-20, 1949)', Communist Review, April 1949. [ | | Details... ]
Hill, E.F., 'The Party as the inheritor of socialist trends in the Victorian Labor Movement', Communist Review, August 1945. [ | | Details... ]
Hill, E.F., 'Democratic centralism and revisionism', Australian Communist, c1963. [ | | Details... ]
Miles, J.B, 'Art for the people', Communist Review, August, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1948, pp. 260-1. [ | | Details... ]
O'Connor, Vic, 'A criticism of Adelaide's "Angry Penguins"', Communist Review, August, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1944, pp. 302-3. [ | | Details... ]

Newsletters

Workers' voice; bulletin of the industrial committee of the Communist Party, vol. 1, September 1979. [ | | Details... ]

Newspaper Articles

'At last! A step forward. Militants form a left wing movement', Toiler (Brisbane), 1 December 1924. [ | | Details... ]
'Why the toiler', Toiler (Brisbane), 25 October 1924. [ | | Details... ]
'How Labour Government persecute unemployed', Toiler (Brisbane), 25 October 1924. [ | | Details... ]
'Aboriginals: ruthlessly exploited', Workers' Weekly, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 16 May 1930. [ | | Details... ]
'New South Wales State Conference of Unemployed Workers' Movement', Workers' Weekly (Sydney), 31 July 1931. [ | | Details... ]
'March 8 is International Women's Day', Worker's Weekly, Community Party of Australia, Sydney, 6 March 1931. [ | | Details... ]
'Aborigines. Darwin U.W.M. Will Fight for Justice', Workers' Weekly, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 6 November 1931. [ | | Details... ]
'Communist Party's Rights for Aborigines Draft Program of Struggle against Slavery', Workers' Weekly, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 24 September 1931. [ | | Details... ]
'Legality won for the Communist Party', North Queensland Guardian, 8 January 1943. [ | Details... ]
'Brisbane May Day celebrations great demonstration for unity', North Queensland Guardian, 7 May 1943. [ | | Details... ]
'Unity Vital for Labour Victory in Federal Elections', North Queensland Guardian, vol. 1, no. 19, 14 May 1943. [ | | Details... ]
'Big increase in communist vote', Guardian (Offical organ Victorian State Committee Communist Party of Australia) (Melbourne), 16 June 1943. [ | | Details... ]
'Women's Employment Board rates demanded at mass meeting', North Queensland Guardian, 16 July 1943. [ | | Details... ]
'Land armies must join air forces to smash Axis Powers in Europe', North Queensland Guardian, 11 June 1943. [ | | Details... ]
'First Communist MLA: Paterson wins Bowen', Tribune (Sydney), no. 47 (New series), 20 April 1944. [ | | Details... ]
'Communist-Labor affiliation; will guarantee promise of Teheran Pact', Guardian; offical organ Victorian State Committee Australian Communist Party (Melbourne), no. 133, 17 March 1944. [ | | Details... ]
'Why we seek unity with Labor Party', Guardian; offical organ Victorian State Committee Australian Communist Party (Melbourne), no. 1944, 28 January 1944. [ | | Details... ]
'Labor unity spells victory; why Communist Party seeks ALP affiliation', Guardian; offical organ Victorian State Committee Australian Communist Party (Melbourne), no. 127, 4 February 1944. [ | | Details... ]
'Allies mass 2 million to link with Red Army', Tribune (Sydney), 8 March 1945. [ | | Details... ]
'Housewives' Rally in Stirring Peace Call', Tribune, 8 June 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'Aboriginal strikers in WA seized at revolver point, put in chains', Tribune, 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'KMT's downfall - New Chinese Gvt. this year', Tribune (Sydney), no. 487 (new series), 22 January 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'U.S. Launched Invasion of Korea; Press Blacks Out Truth, To Drag Us In', Guardian, 20 May 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'World's leading intellectuals appeal to Australians: "Unite for Peace"', Guardian, 20 May 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'Program for peace, plenty, independence of Australia: communist Senate manifesto', Guardian (Offical organ Victorian State Committee Communist Party of Australia) (Melbourne), 11 November 1949. [ | | Details... ]
'Peace movement gathers way; plans for congress on April 16', 15 March 1950. [ | | Details... ]
'Peace Movement Broadened by Students, Ex-Servicemen', Tribune, 1 Febuary 1950. [ | | Details... ]
'Australian Peace Congress Greeted by Famous World Figures', Tribune, 29 March 1950. [ | | Details... ]
'Stop War against Korea End 'Blood Loan' Plot', Tribune, 12 August 1950. [ | Details... ]
'Brisbane people take action on Maralinga bomb tests', Brisbane Guardian, Frank Marriot at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 27 September 1957. [ | | Details... ]
Carey, Kit, 'Aborigines and democracy', Communist Review, February 1945. [ | | Details... ]
Gould, L.H., 'Intellectuals and the party', Communist Review, October 1944. [ | | Details... ]
H.J.M., 'Slave Labor - imagined and real', Workers' Weekly, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 11 September 1931. [ | | Details... ]
James, Hannah, 'The problem of the Aborigines', Communist Review, April 1945, pp. 234-235. [ | | Details... ]
Wright, T, 'Fight for the Aborigines (Report to Central Committee meeting, 14-16 February, 1947)', Communist Review, April 1947. [ | | Details... ]

Pamphlets

Communist election manifesto, R. Shayler, Gray and Frew, Melbourne, 1931. [ | | Details... ]
A great day for the Australian Labor Movement, 1942. [ | | Details... ]
Stick together, Central Brisbane District Committee Communist Party, Brisbane, 1943. [ | | Details... ]
The present and the future demand more child care facilities, Women's Committee Australian Communist Party (Qld), Brisbane, February 1944. [ | | Details... ]
What future?, Jobs, home, peace, H.B. Chandler, Coronation Print, Brisbane, 1946. [ | | Details... ]
Police thuggery in Brisbane, Central Rail Disputes Committee, Brisbane, 1948. [ | | Details... ]
Australian Peace Congress Programme, 1950. [ | | Details... ]
This Menzies Bill can put you in jail!, 1950. [ | | Details... ]
The truth about Korea, A. Robinson at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 4 July 1950. [ | | Details... ]
You can be shot on suspicion if the High Court upholds Anti-Communist Act, Demand the repeal of the anti-democratic Communist Party Dissolution Act, Newsletter Printery, Forest Lodge, 1950. [ | | Details... ]
Politicians--NOT a court---can decide that---YOU are a communist, if the referendum on September 22 is passed, 1950. [ | | Details... ]
Why not a referendum on prices?, Worker Print, Brisbane, 1951. [ | | Details... ]
Say no to Menzies' power grab, Coronation Print, Sydney, 1951. [ | | Details... ]
March for peace, Coronation Press, Brisbane, 1952. [ | | Details... ]
Menzies Concocted Spy Plot, A Bobinson at Coronation Printery, Brisbane, 1954. [ | | Details... ]
Strengthen the fight against Menzies' men - all brands, Communist Party State Program, W.H. Tregear, Melbourne, 1955. [ | | Details... ]
Appeal fo women electors, Industrial Print, Melbourne, 1958. [ | | Details... ]
Demand summit talks now, E.A. Bacon at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 14 July 1958. [ | | Details... ]
For peace, jobs, homes, democracy, Fight monpoly, defeat the Menzies Government, D.B. Young, Sydney, 1961. [ | | Details... ]
10,000,000 loan now, For Brisbane's sewerage, W. Bowden at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 1961. [ | | Details... ]
What are they doing to Queensland? A record of a guilty government., Brisbane, 1962. [ | | Details... ]
Peace forces precent Cuba invasion, Defend world peace, E.A. Bacon at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 6 November 1962. [ | | Details... ]
Defend world peace, Act now against US threat to humanity, E.A. Bacon at Coronation Print, Brisbane, 25 October 1962. [ | | Details... ]
March with your mates on May Day, Newsletter Printery, Sydney, 1963. [ | | Details... ]
Differences in the communist movement: views of the Communist Party of Australia, Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1963. [ | | Details... ]
Vote for communist candidates, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Full Human Rights for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders; a prorgam adopted by the 21st Congress of the Communist Party of Australia, June 1967, D.B. Young, Sydney, 1967. [ | | Details... ]
Communist Film Group, 1972. [ | | Details... ]
Equal Wages Equal Power, 1972-5(?). [ | | Details... ]
1920 / 1980 Sixty Years of Struggle for Socialism, Communists and the Labour Movement, National Conference, Melbourne, August 22-24, 1980. [ | | Details... ]
Communist Party of Australia, Melbourne, 1982. [ | | Details... ]
Statement from a general meeting of Victorian members of the Communist Party of Australia, Melbourne, 1984?. [ | | Details... ]
Issued for the workers at the Brisbane Abattoir, Brisbane, c1946. [ | | Details... ]
For a socialist democracy, c1976. [ | | Details... ]
Housewives - A Meaty Problem, R.D. Gentle, Brisbane, n.d. [ | | Details... ]
Blake, J.D., The great coal strike of 1949, Newsletter Printery, Sydney, August 1949. [ | | Details... ]
Communist Party of Australia Goulburn Branch, Eureka, Editorial, 1971. [ | | Details... ]
Henry, J. C., 25 years of the Australian Communist Party, Central Committee Australian Communist Party, Sydney, October 1945. [ | | Details... ]
Hill, E.F., Defeat Menzies' Fascist Bill, A communist publication, R.Brett, Melbourne, 1950. [ | | Details... ]
Hill, E.F., The Petrov Conspiracy, 1954. [ | | Details... ]
Lovegrove, D, Communists and the War, Labor Call Print, 1942. [ | | Details... ]
Miles, J.B. (Jack), Work among women, How to organise series no. 6, Marx House, Sydney, 20 November 1943. [ | | Details... ]
Sharkey, Lawrence, Australian Communist and Soviet Russia, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1947. [ | | Details... ]
Thomas, Pete, Petrov stunt backfires, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1954. [ | | Details... ]
Watson, G.R., Issued for the workers at the Brisbane abattoir, Watson, G.R., Brisbane, c1950. [ | | Details... ]
Wood, W. A., The Life Story of L. L. Sharkey: Fighter for Freedom, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, 1950. [ | | Details... ]

Policy Statements

Join Hands, A Journal of Women, Liberation and Socialism, The Left Challenge for the 'Seventies, a policy statement adopted for the 23rd congress of the Communist Party of Australia, April 1972, 1972. [ | | Details... ]

Posters

All over the world people march for May Day, Newsletter Printery, Sydney, 1962. [ | | Details... ]
There's a place for YOU in Australia's 75th anniversary May Day march, Newsletter Printery, Sydney, 1966. [ | | Details... ]
Counihan, Noel, Sack Bolte Instead, G. Bird, Melbourne, 1961. [ | | Details... ]

Short Storys

Prichard, Katherine Susannah, 'Communists are always young', in N’Goola and other stories, 1959 edn, Australasian Book Society, Melbourne, pp. 125-9. [ Details... ]

Reason in Revolt

Source Documents of Australian Radicalism

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