Australian Labor Party, 1939-1947

Containers:

Box 24-25 (MS 2505)

Component identifier:

Series 10

Content Summary:

Barry was a member of the ALP from 1939 until 1947 and President of its Malvern Branch in 1943 when at the general election he contested unsuccessfully the seat of Balaclava. He supported the 'Yes' vote at the referendum on the Constitution in 1944, and was involved in the general election campaign in 1946.

The series has been divided into six subseries. Correspondence with party officials P.J. Kennelly, J.F. Gibney, D.L. McNamara and others, from 1939 until 1947, whilst Barry was a member of the Toorak and Malvern branches, and general notes, have been placed at the beginning of the series (items 1-224).

This is followed by the second subseries, which contains correspondence in 1942 with H.V. Evatt and Sir George Knowles concerning a handbook on the proposed alteration of the Constitution (items 225-303).

There are letters from party officials and many from well-wishers, notes for speeches, campaign literature and press cuttings, dealing with Barry's candidature for Balaclava in 1943 (items 304-670); notes for speeches, party literature, his pamphlet Wider powers for greater freedom (1944) and press cuttings concerning the 1944 referendum on the Constitution, (items 671-898), and speakers' notes, policy statements and press cuttings from the campaign of the general election of 1946 (items 899-1088).

A collection of general papers is placed at the end of the series. This includes articles on the use of the strike weapon, the Department of War Organisation of Industry, banking legislation, and notes and printed material on the U.N. monetary and financial conference held at Bretton Woods in 1944, together with ALP publications, including Constitution and platform of the ALP, 1939, and the agenda paper of the annual conference in 1943 (items 1089-1333).

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