Liberals (Victoria, pre-1909)

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The Liberal Party, often known simply as the Liberals, was the name used by a number of political groupings and parties in the Victorian Parliament from the late 19th century until around 1917.[1][2][3]

Before then, multiple Liberal political groupings were active in the Victorian colonial politics. Since that time, a formal political party structure has emerged.[4]

History[edit]

Until federation in 1901, the only major political party active in Victorian state politics was the Labour Party. The main political groupings were the Ministerialists and Oppositionists, which either supported or opposed the government of the day.[5]

The first Victorian Premier to be considered a Liberal was Graham Berry, who took office in 1875.[4] He later led the Liberals to victory at the 1877, February 1880 and July 1880 colonial elections. Berry's electoral victory in 1877 came as leader of the National Reform and Protection League, which historian Sean Scalmer contends was Australia's first mass political party with a parliamentary caucus, local branches, a policy platform, and an early form of candidate preselection. Scalmer describes Berry's party as "a means to prevent the fracturing of the Liberal vote".[6] Berry was succeeded by Bryan O'Loghlen in 1881.[7]

Berry again led the Liberals from 1883 in a coalition government with the Conservatives. He was succeeded as leader by Alfred Deakin in February 1886.[8]

The Liberals held government throughout almost the entire 1890s and early 1900s, led at different times by James Munro (1890-1892), William Shiels (1892-1893), George Turner (1894-1899 and 1900-1901), Allan McLean (1899-1900) and Alexander Peacock (1901-1902).

Despite many similar viewpoints, the Liberals were not a united grouping. For instance, the 1894 election saw the Liberals split between Oppositionists and Ministerialists (the majority of the latter at that election were Conservatives). Additionally, Turner's Liberals defeated McLean's Ministerial Liberals at the 1900 colonial election.[9]

Ahead of the first 1902 state election, the new National Citizens' Reform League was formed, made up of both Liberals and Conservatives, led by Thomas Bent. The Reform League won that election, and the Liberal Oppositionists won 15 seats.[1][10] Liberal Oppositionists also ran in 1904, winning 12 seats.[11]

Protectionist and Liberal Party (1897)[edit]

Protectionist and Liberal Party
AbbreviationPLP
LeaderGeorge Turner
Founded1897
Headquarters241 Swanston Street
Melbourne, Victoria
IdeologyLiberalism
Protectionism
National affiliationProtectionist Party

The Protectionist and Liberal Party of Victoria (PLP), also known as the Protection and Liberal Party, the Liberal Protectionists or simply the Liberal Party, was a political party founded in 1897.[12][13]

The party was formed ahead of the 1897 colonial election to settle disputes between several Liberal candidates standing for the same seats.[14] At the prior election in 1894, the Protectionist Association supported Liberal candidates.[15][16]

The party appeared to have links with future prime minister Alfred Deakin's Protectionist Party, which was most active in New South Wales colonial elections.

The advisory committee of the PLP met daily on Swanston Street in Melbourne.[17][18]

United Liberal Party (1907)[edit]

United Liberal Party
AbbreviationULP
LeaderThomas Bent
FounderThomas Bent
FoundedFebruary 1907
Preceded byNational Citizens' Reform League
Succeeded byCommonwealth Liberal Party
IdeologyLiberalism
Conservatism

The United Liberal Party (ULP), often known as the Liberal Party, was a political party formed by Thomas Bent in February 1907. The party, informally known as the 'fusees,' was formed two years before the federal 'fusion'.[3]

The Reform League had disbanded shortly after the 1904 state election, leading to the majority of Liberals and Conservatives sitting separately before the ULP's formation.[3][19]

Without Liberal Ministerialists and Liberal Oppositionists competing against each other, three-sided contests were largely eliminated, and the ULP won 49 seats at the 1907 election with more than 51% of the vote.[20]

However, after only a single year, Liberals John Murray and Alexander Peacock successfully moved a no-confidence motion against Bent.[21] This led to the ULP splitting and the Liberal Party forming.[21]

Bent went to a surprise election on 29 December 1908, where the ULP suffered heavy losses.[22]

Some newspaper reports listed the ULP as a broader 'Anti-Socialist Party,' a name also used by the Free Trade Party after 1906.[23]

Liberal Party (1908)[edit]

Liberal Party
AbbreviationLP
LeaderJohn Murray
FoundersJohn Murray
Alexander Peacock
Founded1908
Split fromUnited Liberal Party
IdeologyLiberalism

The Liberal Party was formed by John Murray and Alexander Peacock after splitting from the United Liberals in 1908.[21]

At the 1908 state election, the party outpolled the ULP with 33.94% of the statewide vote, winning 19 seats.[22] The ULP were able to win more seats, but on 8 January 1909, Murray successfully moved a motion of no-confidence in Bent's government and succeeded him as Premier.[22]

Like the ULP, some reports listed the Liberal Party as a broader 'Anti-Socialist Party'.[23]

Post-1909[edit]

Further information: Liberal Party (Australia, 1909) § Victoria

In 1917, the federal Liberal Party merged with the National Labor Party (who had split from the Australian Labor Party several months before) to form the Nationalist Party.

At a state level, the breaking point for the Nationalist government was Premier Alexander Peacock's decision to increase rail fares to rural areas. The party split into a pro-Peacock Ministerialists, similar to his former Liberal Party, and 'Economy Nationalists,' led by John Bowser.

At the 1917 state election, the Ministerialists won only 7 seats and Bowser was elected premier.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Australian Politics and Elections Database: 1 October 1902". University of Western Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. ^ "The Formation of the Australian Country Parties" (PDF). Australian National University.
  3. ^ a b c "1900-1919: turbulent years". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  4. ^ a b "Berry, Sir Graham (1822–1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Although elected leader of the Opposition, he stood down in 1894 for younger and stronger men, and the Liberal Party which in 1894-99 presided over Victoria's recovery and her part in Federation was led by George Turner.
  5. ^ "STATE POLITICS. SPEECH BY SIR JOHN FORREST". Western Mail (Western Australia). Vol. XXVI, no. 1, 341. Western Australia. 9 September 1911. p. 14. Retrieved 7 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Sean Scalmer, Democratic Adventurer: Graham Berry and the Making of Australian Politics (Melbourne: Monash University Press, 2020), 108.
  7. ^ "O'Loghlen, Sir Bryan". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ^ "THE THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 5 MARCH 1886". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  9. ^ "THE EIGHTEENTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 1 NOVEMBER 1900". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  10. ^ "THE NINETEENTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 1 NOVEMBER 1902". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  11. ^ "Australian Politics and Elections Database: 1 June 1904". University of Western Australia. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  12. ^ Vines, Margaret. "Instability in governments and parties in Victoria in the 1920s". University of Melbourne.
  13. ^ "BEST, SIR ROBERT WALLACE (1856–1946)". Parliament of Australia.
  14. ^ "Election of 14 October 1897". The University of Western Australia.
  15. ^ "Election of 20 September 1894". The University of Western Australia.
  16. ^ "Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  17. ^ "THE PROTECTIONIST AND LIBERAL PARTY". Trove. The Age.
  18. ^ "PROTECTIONIST and LIBERAL PARTY of VICTORIA". Trove. The Age.
  19. ^ "A Union of Farmers". The Advocate. 9 July 1904.
  20. ^ "THE TWENTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT ELECTED 15 MARCH 1907". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  21. ^ a b c "Parliament in Exile: Aspects of the Victorian Parliament at the Exhibition Building, 1901 to 1927" (PDF). Australasian Study of Parliament Group.
  22. ^ a b c "THE TWENTY-SECOND PARLIAMENT ELECTED 29 DECEMBER 1908". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
  23. ^ a b "STATE ELECTIONS". Trove. The Argus.
  24. ^ "THE TWENTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT ELECTED 15 NOVEMBER 1917". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive.
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