The Communist Party of Australia [CPA] was founded at a conference in October 1920, its membership largely comprised of "doctrinaire Socialists and industrial militants". Peak membership was reached by the end of the Second World War, with numbers exceeding 20,000 and during the 1940s the CPA enjoyed some influence within the Labour movement and within intellectual and cultural circles. By the middle of the 1950s, attempts to undermine the CPA, led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies and by B.A. Santamaria led to growing hostility and suspicion of the Party and a subsequent decline in membership. In the 1960s, disaffected members of the CPA left to form the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) and the Socialist Party of Australia. Remaining members dissolved the Party in 1991.
South Coast District Branch, c1950-1990
A branch of the Communist Party of Australia. The Communist Party of Australia [CPA] was founded at a conference in October 1920, its membership largely comprised of "doctrinaire Socialists and industrial militants". Peak membership was reached by the end of the Second World War, with numbers exceeding 20,000 and during the 1940s the CPA would enjoy some influence within the Labour movement and within intellectual and cultural circles. By the middle of the 1950s, attempts to undermine the CPA, led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies and by B.A. Santamaria led to growing hostility and suspicion of the Party and a subsequent decline in membership. In the 1960s, disaffected members of the CPA would leave to form the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) and the Socialist Party of Australia. Remaining members dissolved the Party in 1991. |
