Liberal Party, 1939-1978

Component identifier:

Series 14

Content Summary:

The series comprises 11 boxes of correspondence and printed matter, including Liberal Party research bulletins, radio scripts, election pamphlets and minutes of State and Federal meetings, which were collected by Menzies from the 1940s until 1974.

The material relates to the efforts of Menzies (and others) in the early 1940s to bring the many different State groups together, culminating in the first Plenary Conference which was held in Albury in December 1944 to formulate a constitution.

In those early years the Party was under great strain both from internal quarrels and indifference, and the effort by the Country Party to became the dominant partner in the coalition. There are papers describing the concerns of those times.

Menzies was the driving force in the movement, as leader of the Opposition, and later when he became Prime Minister in 1949. He remained unchallenged as leader until his retirement from politics in 1966. From 1950 onwards the party dominated Australia political affairs.

Some of the items to be found are papers concerning investigations into missing documents on 1943; papers on the "Brisbane Line" strategy (Box 412); Menzies'notes on sale and transfer of broadcasting stations in 1941; Menzies' policy speeches (1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1963, 1964); correspondence with Sir William McMahon on political and economic matters and Files marked "Material used during Flinders by election, 18 September 1951", containing mainly roneoed speeches and press statements.

Subjects:

Politics and government

Contents

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