Communism, 1939-1952

Component identifier:

Subseries 48-8

Content Summary:

Papers on communism form the largest part of the series and record Hughes' apprehension at the influence of communism both within Australia and throughout the world. They include many newscuttings, roneoed items, speeches, and a few letters. The 1951 referendum on communism is well covered, and there is also material on communism in the unions, and the Australian Labor Party, unionism in Russia, and the Korean War.

The subseries in addition has correspondence between S. L. Bartlett and Hughes on his introduction to Bartlett's book The coming defeat of Communism; Communist Party of Australia pamphlets; leaflets published by the Australian Constitutional League and the People's Union (Non Party); newscuttings on Ernie Thornton, L. L. Sharkey and the communist influence in the New South Wales Teachers Federation; speeches and broadcasts and copies of the bulletin Sidelights on the Soviet.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The W. M. Hughes Papers were presented to the National Library of Australia by Dame Mary Hughes in 1953. The collection was received in two consignments. One consisted of papers taken from the Perpetual Trustee Company comprising material from Hughes' Lindfield home and from his office rooms at the Commonwealth Offices, Sydney; the other came directly from Lindfield. Lists of the contents of both consignments are held in the Library's Manuscript Branch. With the agreement of the executors and the Library, much of the collection, was for a time, held at the Australian National University by Fitzhardinge. He was permitted sole access to the collection while writing the biography Hughes commissioned in 1951. Fitzhardinge's own papers documenting the writing of the biography are also held by the Library (MS 5400). The papers transferred to the Library in 1953 are by no means the total collection of Hughes' personal papers, although it is impossible to say what proportion has survived. (see Fitzhardinge, p.936).

Names:

Hughes, W. M. (1862-1952)

Contents

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