The Far Left in Australia since 1945

by Jon Piccini (Editor), Evan Smith (Editor), Matthew Worley (Editor)

The far left in Australia had significant effects on post-war politics, culture and society. The Communist Party of Australia (CPA) ended World War II with some 20,000 members, and despite the harsh and vitriolic Cold War climate of the 1950s, seeded or provided impetus for the re-emergence of other movements. Radicals subscribing to ideologies beyond the Soviet orbit—Maoists, Trotskyists, anarchists and others—also created parties and organisations and led movements. All of these different far left parties and movements changed and shifted during time, responding to one political crisis or another, but they remained steadfastly devoted to a better world.

This collection, bringing together 14 chapters from leading and emerging figures in the Australian and international historical profession, for the first time charts some of these significant moments and interventions, revealing the Australian far left's often forgotten contribution to the nation's history.

Genres: History, Australia, Nonfiction

285 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2018

Reviews

[Ethan]

Some interesting stories in here. A great starter resource for anyone under the misapprehension (and there are many!) that the history of the Australian labour movement begins and ends with the ALP.

[Ben]

There's really not enough books published on this enormous topic so this collection of essays is welcome, especially for those covering the post-1980 period which really ought to have been given more attention by now. Not a period of great victories for the left, but still vital to understanding the present.

Liz Humphrys' outstanding essay on the AMWU and the Accord fills a big gap that had previously only really (to my knowledge) been covered by somewhat inaccessible academic papers. While she has now published her whole thesis on the Accord in book form, this short essay is worth the purchase price of the book on its own.

Not all the essays are as brilliant: far left history is most often of interest to participants, current or former, and the partisan views of the authors show through in some essays - on more recent history, at least. But the history is probably better written than not, and the intelligent reader should be able to judge for themself to some degree (although made harder when the characterisation of political rivals is mostly asserted without references, as at some points in Liz Ross' essay).