Stuart Macintyre - The Reds: The Communist Party of Australia from Origins to Illegality

STUART MACINTYRES engagement with communism began nearly thirty years ago. Like many of my generation, I was caught up in the radicalism of the 1960s. A whole range of campaigns and causes fed into a rejection of the customs observed by our parents. We turned our backs on their legacy We found the conservative forms of their public life unbearably oppressive.

From such an engagement evolved The Reds. From personal involvement has come an appreciation of the drama and pathos which attended the champions of class war and revolution.

Among Stuart Macintyres many books are: A History for a Nation (1994), A Colonial Liberalism (1991), The Succeeding Age: The Oxford History of Australia, Vol. 4 19011942 (1986), Winners and Losers (1985), Militant: The Life and Times of Paddy Troy (1984) and Little Moscows (1980).

Stuart Macintyre is Ernest Scott Professor of History at the University of Melbourne. He is currently at work on the sequel to The Reds, telling the story of Australian communism from the Second World War to the Partys dissolution.

STUART MACINTYRE

ALLEN & UNWIN

Copyright Stuart Macintyre 1998

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

First published in hardcover in 1998
This paperback edition first published in 1999
Allen & Unwin
9 Atchison Street, St Leonards 1590, Australia

National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Macintyre, Stuart, 1947.

The reds: the Communist Party of Australia from origins to illegality.

Includes index.

ISBN 978 1 86448 580 6 9 (hbk).

ISBN 978 186508 180 9

1. Communist Party of AustraliaHistory. 2. CommunismAustraliaHistory. I. Title.

335.430994

Set in 11/14 pt Janson Text by DOCUPRO, Sydney

Printed and bound by Ligare Pty Ltd, Sydney

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

A work such as this relies heavily on the assistance of others. A large number of former communists and students of its history have helped me. Some have been extraordinarily generous with gifts and loans of material, information and suggestions; others might scarcely recall the reflections they shared but their interest and support greatly encouraged me. I thank Brian Aarons, Eric Aarons, Laurie Aarons, Mark Aarons, Bruce Anderson, Vic Bird, Audrey and Jack Blake, Barbara Boles, Bob Boughton, Verity Burgmann, Hazel and Joe Butorac, Rowan Cahill, Frank Cain, Annette Cameron, David Carter, Lloyd Churchward, Walter Clayton, Madge Cope, Pat Counihan, Barbara Curthoys, Joy Damousi, Phillip Deery, Miriam Dixson, David Dutton, Ross Edmonds, Maurice Edwards, Pat and Alex Elphinston, Carole Ferrier, Ross Fitzgerald, Charlie Fox, James Franklin, Eric Fry, Bob Gollan, Daphne Gollan, Patricia Graham, Norma Grieve, Gerry Harant, Evelyn Healy, Colin Holder, Karen Hunt, Jack Hutson, Amirah Inglis, Audrey Johnson, Monty Johnston, Stelios Korbetis, Bill Latter, Margaret Lindley, Peter Love, Wendy Lowenstein, Janet McCalman, John McKenzie, David McKnight, Robert McWilliams, Laurence Maher, Ken Mansell, Max Marginson, Philip Mendes, Kevin Morgan, Meaghan Morris, Jack Mundey, Angela OBrien, Greg Pemberton, John Playford, Carolyn Rasmussen, Len Richardson, Margaret Sampson, Betty Searle, John Sendy, Tom Sheridan, Carmel Shute, Chips Sowerwine, Jim Staples, Martin Sullivan, Bernie Taft, Pat Troy, Ann Turner, Edgar Waters, Al Watson, Anna Yeatman and Sandra Goldbloom Zurbo. Phillip Deery, Miriam Dixson and John Sendy have been particularly patient and perceptive commentators on drafts; Ann Turner kept up a constant and invaluable flow of information on early communist history, while Verity Burgmann has done her utmost to draw me out of the shadow of the Kremlin.