Australia Party

Not to be confused with Australian Party.

Political party in Australia

Australia Party

Party logo c. 1972

Founded| 1969 (1969)
Dissolved| 1986 (1986)
Preceded by| Australian Reform Movement
Merged into| Australian Democrats (1977)
Unite Australia Party (1986)
Ideology| Anti-conscription
Social liberalism
Political position| Centre
International affiliation| Liberal International

* Politics of Australia
* Political parties
* Elections

1972 campaign poster used by the party

The Australia Party was a minor centrist political party in Australia from 1969 to 1986. It was most influential in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The party was established in 1969 under the leadership of Senator Reg Turnbull, as a merger of Turnbull's supporters and Gordon Barton's Australian Reform Movement. Turnbull's involvement was short-lived and he resigned from the party in 1970. At federal level, the party achieved its best result at the 1970 Senate election, with nearly three percent of the national vote. Its preference allocations were also influential at the 1972 and 1974 federal elections, while two candidates were elected to the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly in 1975. Most members of the party joined the newly formed Australian Democrats in 1977, with former Australia Party national convenors John Siddons and Colin Mason later elected as Democrats senators.

## History

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

The Australia Party grew out of the Liberal Reform Group,[1] a group of members of the Liberal Party of Australia and Independents who opposed the party's policy of conscription and military involvement in the Vietnam War. The leading figure in this group was a businessman, Gordon Barton, who was assisted in the funding by Ken Thomas of TNT Transport and with the party organisation and branch establishment by Nick Gorshenin, Sydney shark meshing contractor and North Sydney Council alderman.

On 22 October 1966, when US President Lyndon B. Johnson visited Sydney, Gordon Barton and Ken Thomas sponsored a full-page advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald lamenting the involvement of Australian troops in the Vietnam War. At that time no political party was opposed to Australian involvement in the war. Nick Gorshenin telephoned Gordon Barton that evening and they decided to form the Liberal Reform Group, later rebranded as the Australian Reform Movement. They used their various contacts to establish the initial branches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Coast.

### Peak

[edit]

The "Australia Party" name was adopted in 1969 and registered as a political party, by which time it was also attracting disaffected Australian Labor Party (ALP) supporters. By 1972, its platform was "to liberalise abortion laws, end conscription, eliminate censorship, protect the environment and improve city planning".[2]

The party contested state and federal elections, achieving its best results in 1972. Though failing to win any seats, by directing its preferences to the ALP, it greatly assisted that party to win government for the first time since 1949. The Australia Party poll performance declined a little in 1974 and again in the 1975 federal election; however, by this stage it had replaced the Democratic Labor Party as the fourth party after Labor, Liberal and Country parties.[citation needed]

On 20 July 1969, independent senator Reg Turnbull announced that he and his supporters had agreed to merge with the Australian Reform Movement (ARM) to form a new political party, which was named the Australia Party on the basis that it would "put Australia before party".[3] A main goal of Turnbull and the new party was the end of Australian involvement in the Vietnam War.[4] At the time of the party's creation, the ARM claimed 800 formal members and 8,000 supporters.[3]

Turnbull's term as leader of the Australia Party proved to be "brief and unhappy", with a number of former ARM members leaving the Australia Party as they felt Barton and its leadership had acted undemocratically in conducting secret negotiations with Turnbull.[5] He resigned from the party on 3 March 1970 and reverted back to being an independent.[6]

### Later years

[edit]

In July 1974, Gordon Barton announced he would not seek re-election as national convenor of the Australia Party.[7] He was replaced by Melbourne industrialist John Siddons in December 1974, who defeated Ian Gilfillan for the position. Siddons was publicly critical of the Whitlam government's economic policies,[8] and proclaimed that the party stood for "the middle ground against the extremes of either right or left".[9] In November 1975 the Australia Party formally affiliated with the Liberal International.[10] Siddons was replaced as national convenor by Colin Mason in August 1976.[11]

Subsequently, the party allied itself with the New Liberal Movement in the formation of the Australian Democrats for the 1977 federal election. However, a rump party continued on, fielding separate candidates in NSW, SA and Victoria in the 1977 election, in SA and Victoria in the 1980 election and the 1982 Flinders by-election. One candidate stood for the House of Representatives in Victoria in 1983. Relations between the rump party and the Australian Democrats were poor: in the 1977 election in South Australia, Australia Party preferences flowed to the Liberal Party rather than the Democrats, resulting in the Liberal Baden Teague defeating the Democrat Ian Gilfillan for the fifth and final Senate seat. The rump party merged into former Australian Democrat John Siddons' new Unite Australia Party (UAP) in December 1986, along with the Advance Australia Party. At the time The Canberra Times reported that the Australia Party had few remaining members, most of whom were in Victoria.[12]

## Notable members

[edit]

Significant figures in the Australia Party were Senator Reg Turnbull (elected as an independent, but Australia Party leader in 1969–1970), and journalist Alan Fitzgerald, then an elected member of the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council. Two Australia Party members were elected to the newly formed Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly in 1975: Ivor Vivian and Maureen Worsley. Vivian joined the Australian Democrats, and was re-elected in 1979, but Worsley sat as an Independent from 1977 to the end of her term in 1979. Australia Party members who later entered federal parliament as Australian Democrats senators included Colin Mason (NSW), John Siddons (Vic), Sid Spindler (Vic)[13] and Jean Jenkins (WA).

## Legacy

[edit]

An important aspect of the Australia Party and later Australian Democrats is that they nullified and then overtook the minority influence of the Democratic Labor Party, which had wielded much influence in post-war federal and state politics.[citation needed] The Australia Party altered the power dynamics, and the Australia Democrats continued that role until they were succeeded by the Greens in the 2004 federal election.[citation needed]

## Election results

[edit]

### House of Representatives

[edit]

Election  | Votes  | %  | Swing  | Seats won  | Rank

|
|
|
|
|

1969 | 53,646  | 0.88  |  0.88  |

0 / 125

|  4th
1972 | 159,916  | 2.42  |  1.54  |

0 / 125

|  4th
1974 | 172,176  | 2.33  |  0.09  |

0 / 127

|  3rd
1975 | 33,630  | 0.43  |  1.89  |

0 / 127

|  6th
No candidates stood at the 1977 election.
1980 | 701  | 0.01  |  0.42  |

0 / 125

|  13th
1983 | 844  | 0.01  |  0.00  |

0 / 125

|  16th

### Senate

[edit]

Election  | Votes  | %  | Swing  | Seats won  | Rank

|
|
|
|
|

1970 | 163,343  | 2.90  |  2.90  |

0 / 60

|  4th
1974 | 92,107  | 1.39  |  1.51  |

0 / 60

|  4th
1975 | 34,632  | 0.48  |  0.91  |

0 / 64

|  7th
1977 | 8,283  | 0.11  |  0.37  |

0 / 64

|  9th
1980 | 27,404  | 0.36  |  0.25  |

0 / 64

|  7th

## See also

[edit]

* List of liberal parties
* Liberalism in Australia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ ABC PM report 2005: The life and death of Gordon Barton
2. ^ Spigelman, Alice (2001). Almost full circle: Harry Seidler: a biography. Rose Bay, N.S.W: Brandl & Schlesinger. ISBN 978-1-876040-15-4.
3. ^ a b "Australia Party is formed". The Canberra Times. 21 July 1969.
4. ^ "Turnbull, Reform party near merger". The Canberra Times. 1 July 1969.
5. ^ Costar, Brian (2010). "Turnbull, Reginald John David (1908–2006) Senator for Tasmania, 1962–74". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
6. ^ "Turnbull leaves new party". The Canberra Times. 4 March 1970.
7. ^ "Two seek post". The Canberra Times. 19 October 1974.
8. ^ "Labor Government 'needs to improve'". The Canberra Times. 6 December 1974.
9. ^ "Australia Party policies". The Canberra Times. 26 August 1975.
10. ^ "Recognised". The Canberra Times. 24 November 1975.
11. ^ "Party chief". The Canberra Times. 4 October 1976.
12. ^ "Siddons finds a new party". The Canberra Times. 16 December 1986.
13. ^ Spindler S Gordon Barton—electoral impacts (Speech at Sydney University, 3 Sep 2005)

* v
* t
* e

Defunct political parties in Australia

Major parties|

* Country and Progressive National
* Democratic (1940s)
* Emergency Committee
* Free Trade
* Fusion Liberal
* Liberal (WA, 1910s)
* Liberal and Country League
* Liberal and Democratic Union
* Liberal Federation
* Liberal Reform (NSW)
* Liberal Union
* National Labor
* Nationalist
* Progressive (NSW, 1900s)
* Protectionist
* United Australia

Other parties represented
in federal or state parliaments|

* A Better Future For Our Children
* Abolish Self Government Coalition
* Australia Party
* Australian Conservatives
* Australian Family Movement
* Australian Liberal
* Australian Motoring Enthusiasts
* Australian Party
* Australian Progressive Alliance
* Blackburn-Mutton Labor
* Centre (Tas.)
* City Country Alliance
* Communist
* Country-National Organisation
* Country Progressive
* Conservative National
* Democratic (1920s)
* Executive Country (WA)
* Family First
* Glenn Lazarus Team
* Hare-Clark Independent
* Illawarra Workers
* Independent Labor Group
* Independents Group
* Industrial Socialist Labor
* Labor (Non-Communist)
* Lang Labor
* Lang Labor (SA)
* Liberal (1922)
* Liberal Country
* Liberal Movement
* Liberals for Forests
* Majority Labor
* National Alliance
* National Liberal
* New Conservative Group
* New Country
* New Liberal Movement
* No Self Government
* North Australia
* North Queensland Labor
* Northern Country
* Northern Territory Nationals
* Nuclear Disarmament
* Progress
* Progressive (NSW, 1920s)
* Progressive Labor (Vic.)
* Protestant Labor
* Queensland Labor
* Redistribution Liberals
* Reform the Legal System
* Residents Rally
* Revenue Tariff
* SA First
* Single Tax
* Socialist Labor
* Unite Australia
* Unity
* Victorian Farmers' Union
* Victorian Liberal
* Western Australian

Parties without representation
in any parliaments|

* 21st Century Australia
* Advance Australia
* Affordable Housing
* Aged and Disability Pensioners
* All for Australia League
* Arts
* Aus. First Nations
* Aus. Antipaedophile
* Aus. Better Families
* Aus. Commonwealth
* Aus. Defence Veterans
* Aus. Fishing and Lifestyle
* Aus. Independents
* Aus. National Alliance
* Aus. National Socialist
* Aus. Patriotic
* Aus. People's
* Australian Sports
* Aus. Workers
* Australians Against Further Immigration
* Bill of Rights
* Bullet Train
* Carers Alliance
* Centre (NSW)
* Climate Change Coalition
* Combined New Australia
* Commonwealth
* Commonwealth Centre
* Communist Alliance
* Confederate Action
* Conservative
* Conservative Nationalist
* CountryMinded
* Curtin Labor
* Deadly Serious
* Defence and Ex-Services
* Defence of Government Schools
* Defence Movement
* Democratic
* Democratic Association of Victoria
* Democratic Socialist
* Douglas Social Credit
* Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance
* Drug Law Reform
* Earthsave
* Engineered Australia
* Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy
* Family Law Reform
* Fair Elections Coalition
* Federal
* Fishing
* Freedom and Prosperity
* Grey Power
* Hear Our Voice
* Henry George Justice
* Hope
* Imperial British Conservative
* Independent Democratic
* Independent EFF
* Indigenous Peoples
* Liberal Democratic (1940s)
* Liberal Reform
* Libertarian
* Lower Excise Fuel and Beer
* Marijuana
* Marriage Equality
* Mature Australia
* Mental Health
* Middle Class
* Mutual
* National Front
* National Humanitarian
* National Socialist
* Nationalist (1958)
* Natural Law
* No Aircraft Noise
* No GST
* One Australia Movement
* One Australia Party
* One Parliament for Australia
* Online Direct Democracy
* Party! Party! Party!
* Pauline's United Australia
* Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum
* Pensioner Power
* People Power
* People's (Vic.)
* Pirate
* Progressive Conservative
* Progressive Labour
* Progressive Nationalist Party
* Protestant People's Party
* Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
* Referendum First
* Reform
* Renewable Energy
* Restore the Workers' Rights
* Rise Up Australia
* Republican
* Save the ADI Site
* Seniors United
* Services
* Services and Citizens
* Smokers' Rights
* Social Democratic
* State Labor
* Stop CSG
* Sun Ripened Warm Tomato
* Tasmania First
* Tasmania Senate Team
* Taxi Operators Political Service
* Together
* United Australia (SA)
* United Christian
* United Tasmania Group
* Uniting Australia
* Victorian Socialist Party
* Voluntary Euthanasia
* What Women Want
* WikiLeaks
* Women's Party (1995)
* Women's Party (2020)
* Yellow Vest
* Young Australia National

* Current Parties
* Politics of Australia
* Politics portal
* List of political parties

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template