Australian Labor Party

Component identifier:

Series 4

Content Summary:

The first record in this series is Riley's formal membership of the Australian Labor Party (called the Political Labor Party prior to 1925) when he joined the North Fitzroy Branch in 1914. From 1925 until 1955 he attended every annual Victorian State Conference as a member of the executive and chairman of the agenda committee. He was President of the State branch in 1941 and 1942. In 1955 Riley stood for the Legislative Council as an A.L.P. (Anti-Communist) Candidate, thus severing his long association with the A.L.P. His papers contain a large collection of records of the Federal Executive, the State Executive and branches in Victoria.

They are arranged in the following groupings:

Federal executive records - minutes of meetings (1915-1945); cash book (1915-1924); petty cash book (1919-1945); receipts slips (1930-1933 and 1934-1942); cheque butts (1926-1939); and papers of the Federal Labor Advisory Committee (1948-1949).

Victorian State Executive records: cash book (1930-1933); affiliated union index (n.d.); records of accounts of affiliated unions (1938); and records of accounts (1938-1947); correspondence (1928 and (1951).

Victorian branch records: South Carlton - minute book (1936-1938);

Coburg - minute books (1918-1922 and 1924-1937), accounts (1931-1939) and membership records (1927-1936); Collingwood - minute book (1913-1916); Fitzroy - minutes (1954-1955) and membership records (1948-1955); Dungaree - minutes of special meeting, April 1951, balance sheets and ticket books (1951 and 1952).

In addition there is material relating to the All Australian Congress (1919-1921), 10th Interstate Conference Melbourne (1924), and Ballot Box Arbitration case (1924). A large collection of processed and printed material is located at the end of the series; includes agenda papers for Federal and State Conferences, speakers' notes, pamphlets and leaflets.

Series 1 contains correspondence of the A.L.P. and should be used in association with this series.

Immediate source of acquisition:

F. J. Riley presented his large collection of personal papers, records of the Manufacturing Grocers' Employees' Federation of Australia, the Australian Labor Party and the Trades Hall Council, scrap books, pamphlets, photographs and newspapers to the National Library from 1949 until 1969. After his death in 1970, the residue of Riley's personal library joined the collection in accordance with his will, and the wishes of his widow, Mrs Anne E. Riley. At that time Sir Harold White, National Librarian spoke of Riley's "diligent habit of assembling for us material relating to the history of the Australian Labor Party and of the Trade Union movement. Our collections have been enriched not only by his regular donations but also by his guidance in directing us to other sources. He made a further contribution through careful documentation of much that he sent us, adding significance to its research value. Many students have been and will continue to be grateful for his interest and work in the preservation of this aspect, of our history".

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