... The Australian Labor Party.... In August 1916, Prime Minister William 'Billy' Morris Hughes announced himself in favour of conscription, and committed to holding a referendum on the issue.
The political consequences of this decision were dramatic. The Australian Labor Party split over... to help support the family.
Curtin nonetheless continued his education at the public library, and through participating in study circles in both the Australian Labor Party and the Victorian Socialist Party. He soon became involved in political and union ...
In October 1916 and December 1917 two contentious referendums were held in Australia, asking whether the Commonwealth government should be given the power to conscript young men into military service and send them to war overseas.
These campaigns were momentous and their legacy long-lasting. This is the only time in history that citizens of a country have been asked their opinion about such a question, and the decisive 'No' vote that was returned remains the greatest success of the peace movement in Australia to date. Yet the campaigns split families, workplaces and organisations, and left an imprint on Australian politics that lasted for decades.
Many of the actors and events that were central to these campaigns were based in the northern Melbourne suburbs of Brunswick and Coburg. In many ways, these localities were a microcosm of the entire campaign. Against the Odds: The Victory Over Conscription in World War One tells the story of the anti-conscription movement in Australia during World War 1 through this lens.
