Australia Labor Party, 1940-69

Component identifier:

Series 6

Content Summary:

Jessie Street first joined the A.L.P. in 1939. In 1943 she unsuccessfully contested the A.L.P. preselection for the federal election in the Eden Monaro electorate, N.S.W., and the preselection in the Wentworth electorate in Sydney. The 1943 election is described and analysed by Peter Sekuless in his Masters thesis 'Jessie Street and the 1943 election'.

Street tried again as a Labor candidate in 1946, in the Wentworth electorate, N.S.W. It was at this time that the anti-communist crusade within the Labor Party was in full swing. Since she was the newly appointed President of the Australian-Soviet Friendship Society it is not surprising that she was again unsuccessful in winning a seat.

Street was to later abandon her membership of the A.L.P. because of her refusal to abandon her pro-Soviet activities. In 1949 she stood as an Independent Labor candidate, again in the federal electorate of Wentworth, and again without success.

Correspondence ranging from 1940 to 1960 is located at folders 1-3. There are Election broadcasts and speeches from 1943 to 1949. Papers relating to the A.L.P include election tracts, a receipt book and election results. Labor and Socialist publications include the Manifesto, objectives and rules of the Progressive Labor Party of Australia, Melbourne, 1950.

A volume of roneoed material relating to the 1949 Federal Election is held in the Folio section. Newspaper clippings are located in Folder 6.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Jessie Street's husband, Sir Kenneth Street, donated the papers to the National Library in 1970. Her son, Sir Laurence Street, made a substantial addition in 1972. Further small additions were made to the collection between 1973 and 2001.

Subjects:

Women's rights

Contents

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