1931 elections, 1925-1932

Component identifier:

Series 50

Content Summary:

On 25 November 1931 a group of Labor parliamentarians led by J. A. Beasley voted with the Opposition to defeat the Scullin Government in Parliament. Parliament was dissolved and at the general election on 19 December 1931 the Government suffered a great defeat. The United Australia Party and the Country Party won 56 of the 75 seats in the House of Representatives and 15 of the 18 Senate vacancies.

The publications in the series include extracts from Hansard, parliamentary papers, J. A. Lyons' policy speech, the platform and rules of the National Federation, UAP speakers' notes and leaflets (including some on the New South Wales election of 25 October 1930). There are a large number of handwritten notes for speeches, a transcript of a broadcast (16 December 1931), and notes on the federal platform. The correspondence (Items 436-974) includes letters from W. M. Hughes and other parliamentarians, D. B. Copland and the Chamber of Manufactures, but the great majority of the letters are congratulatory (30 November 1931-14 January 1932). There are also some newscuttings, mostly from the Argus and Age.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bulk of the collection was presented to the National Library by Sir John Latham in December 1963, a few months before his death. In November 1974 the Library purchased some further papers from a secondhand book dealer. They comprised family letters and photographs, some diaries and papers relating to the High Court. These papers have been amalgamated into the original collection.

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