Damon Mcknight
Communism in Australia has a long history, with the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) founded in 1920. The party was heavily involved in the labour movement and trade unions, and its popularity grew during the interwar period, reaching a peak of 22,000 members in 1945. However, the CPA never achieved significant political power, and its influence declined until its dissolution in 1989. Despite this, Australia has continued to face questions about communist influence, particularly during the Cold War, when fears of communist infiltration prompted a referendum in 1951 to ban the CPA. While the referendum failed, it highlighted the challenges faced by communist ideologies in Australia. Today, the legacy of the CPA continues to shape political discussions, with modern-day communists in Australia advocating for various social and economic policies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding date | 30 October 1920 |
| Founders | Jock Garden, Tom Walsh, William Paisley Earsman, Adela Pankhurst, Christian Jollie Smith, Katharine Susannah Prichard |
| Peak membership | 22,000 members |
| Dissolution date | 1989 |
| Economic focus | Development of the manufacturing sector |
| Opposition to government control of unions | |
| Opposition to government housing schemes | |
| Support for universal access to medical care | |
| Support for the right to employment | |
| Education focus | Support for an education system promoting collective and democratic values, cooperation, equality, and multiculturalism |
| International relations | Internationalist outlook with a focus on solidarity with other communist parties |
| Opposition to US military actions and Zionism | |
| Support for anti-colonial independence movements | |
| Support for Aboriginal rights |
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What You'll Learn
History of the Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), also known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was founded on 30 October 1920 at the Australian Socialist Party Hall in Sydney. The founding members were inspired by the Russian Revolution and included prominent trade unionists, suffragettes, and anti-conscriptionists. The CPA was the first Australian political party to commit to Aboriginal rights, including them in its manifesto from 1931 onwards.
During the interwar period, the CPA's membership, popularity, and influence grew significantly. It was heavily involved in the labour movement and trade unions, and by 1945, it had become the largest communist party in the Anglophone countries on a population basis, with over 22,000 members. The CPA also formed the Workers Defence Corps (WDC) and was active in opposing fascism, instigating events that led to the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia in 1934-35.
In 1944, Fred Paterson was elected to the Parliament of Queensland, becoming the first and only CPA member to hold a state parliamentary seat. Despite this success, the party began to experience a steady decline in membership and influence after its peak in 1945. By the late 1960s, the party's vote count had fallen into single digits, and it faced internal disagreements over the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia and its adoption of Eurocommunism, leading to the expulsion or resignation of some members.
The CPA was dissolved in 1989, and its assets were directed into the SEARCH Foundation, a not-for-profit company established to preserve the resources and archives of the party. A successor group, the Socialist Party of Australia (SPA), was founded in 1971 by former CPA members. In 1996, the SPA changed its name to the Communist Party of Australia, reflecting its belief that it was the rightful successor to the original CPA. This new iteration of the CPA has continued to participate in elections and maintain relations with communist and socialist parties overseas.
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Communist Party of Australia's stance on workers' rights
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA) has historically been heavily involved in the labour movement and trade unions. During the Great Depression, the CPA's defence of workers' rights reflected Moscow's view that global capitalism was in crisis. The CPA argued that an imperialist war should become a civil war, with soldiers turning their guns on their officers. During World War Two, the CPA was at the height of its influence, with members dominating the leadership of several workers' unions. CPA army cadre campaigned for increased pay, better facilities, and equal pay for servicewomen.
The CPA was the first Australian political party to make a commitment to Aboriginal rights, publishing a lengthy list of demands, including "full economic, political and social rights" for Aboriginal people. The party also supports an education system that promotes collective and democratic values, equality, and multiculturalism.
The CPA views the development of the manufacturing sector as critical to Australia's future economic growth. It aims to stop the erosion of living standards for the Australian working class. The party considers housing and universal access to medical care as basic human rights. It also believes that the right to employment is a basic human right, but capitalism's survival depends on keeping wages competitive, which promotes unemployment.
The CPA is critical of government policies that interfere with union autonomy and workers' democratic rights. For example, the party opposes legislation that gives the government excessive control over unions, allowing them to remove union officials and alter internal rules without due process. The CPA also denounces Coles' proposed enterprise bargaining agreement, which includes an hourly rate just above the legal minimum.
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Communist Party of Australia's stance on social issues
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), also known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was founded in 1920 and lasted until 1991. The party was heavily involved in the labour movement and trade unions, and its popularity grew significantly during the interwar period, reaching a peak of 22,000 members in 1945.
The CPA was the first Australian political party to commit to Aboriginal rights, publishing a list of demands for "full economic, political, and social rights" for Aboriginal people. The party also supported an education system that promotes collective and democratic values, equality, multiculturalism, and opposes discrimination and harassment.
The CPA took a stand against unemployment, believing that capitalism promotes unemployment by keeping wages in competition. They advocated for the right to employment and universal access to medical care as fundamental aspects of a healthy socialist society. Additionally, the CPA recognised housing as a basic human right and criticised the Australian government's handling of housing shortages.
In terms of international relations, the CPA held an internationalist outlook and supported various communist parties worldwide. They condemned the US bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran and Zionist pre-emptive strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The CPA also showed solidarity with the German Communist Party, the Kurdistan Communist Party-Iraq, and the Communist Party of Norway.
Furthermore, the CPA was critical of the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, leading to a split in the party and the formation of the Socialist Party of Australia by a group of pro-Soviet hardliners.
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Communist Party of Australia's international relations
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), also known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was founded in 1920. The party experienced growth during the interwar period, with its membership rising to 20,000 and achieving control of several important trade unions. The CPA was the first Australian political party to commit to Aboriginal rights, including them in its manifesto from 1931 onwards.
The CPA has historically maintained strong links with the Australian trade union movement and has friendly relations with communist and socialist parties internationally. The party participated in the International Brigades to defend the Second Republic against Francisco Franco's troops and supported a ban on scrap iron shipments to Japan in 1938. During World War II, the CPA initially opposed Australia's war efforts against Germany under orders from the Comintern, which was influenced by the Soviet Union's non-aggression treaty with Nazi Germany.
In the post-war period, the CPA continued to face challenges. It was banned in 1940 under the Menzies government but regained legal status two and a half years later, receiving its highest vote total in the subsequent federal election. Despite this success, the party's influence began to wane, and it faced a steady decline in membership and popularity after 1945, particularly with the onset of the Cold War.
The CPA has shown solidarity with other communist and workers' parties worldwide. In 2025, the party conveyed greetings to various communist parties, including those in Germany, Kurdistan-Iraq, Norway, and Chile. The CPA also participated in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP).
The CPA advocates for a range of social and economic policies, including the development of the manufacturing sector, universal access to medical care, an education system that promotes collective and democratic values, and opposition to discrimination and harassment. The party also condemns US military actions against Iran and supports the rights of the Palestinian people.
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How to join the Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), also known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, is a traditional Marxist-Leninist communist party. The party was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991, but a new party with the same name was formed in 1996. The CPA's ultimate objective is the revolutionary transformation of Australian society and the establishment of socialism in the country.
The CPA is internationalist in its outlook and believes in the duty of international solidarity. It supports universal access to medical care and recognizes the right to employment and housing as basic human rights. The party also promotes an education system that encourages collective and democratic values, cooperation over individualism, equality, and multiculturalism.
The CPA has a long history of involvement in the labour movement and trade unions, with strong historical links to the Australian trade union movement. It has also been active in opposing discrimination, harassment, and victimization, and has expressed solidarity with other communist and socialist parties around the world.
To join the Communist Party of Australia, individuals can likely reach out to the party through its website or social media outlets. However, specific information on the membership process is not readily available.
It is important to note that the Communist Party of Australia experienced a period of decline in membership and influence after its peak in 1945, and it has faced challenges in recent years, including deregistration and rejection of registration attempts by the Australian Electoral Commission.
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Frequently asked questions
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), also known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was founded in 1920 and lasted until around 1991. The party was heavily involved in the labour movement and trade unions and held internationalist views.
The CPA supported Aboriginal rights, universal access to medical care, an education system promoting democratic and collective values, and the development of the manufacturing sector. They opposed discrimination, harassment, and attacks on workers' rights and living standards.
In 1951, during the Cold War, Prime Minister Robert Menzies asked Australians to vote on giving his government the power to ban the CPA. A narrow majority voted "No", preserving the CPA's existence.
This scenario has been discussed on Reddit's r/HistoryWhatIf. Some speculate that Australia's geography might lead to a stalemate and breakaway states in the event of a civil war. Others predict that New Zealand and Indonesia would also become communist, and that Australia would not get involved in the Vietnam or Korean wars.
