Freda Yetta Brown
Encyclopedia
Freda Brown born Freda Yetta Lewis in Sydney, was an Australian political activist who was a member of the Communist Party of Australia
and later the Socialist Party. She married Bill Brown, a leading Australian Communist, in 1943. She is the only Australian woman to have been awarded a Lenin Peace Prize
, which she received in 1977-78. Her daughter, Lee Rhiannon
, is an Australian Greens
member of the Australian Senate
and previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
.
Freda Brown joined the Communist Party of Australia
in 1936. She worked in her father’s signwriting business, before becoming a journalist working for the Radio Times, and then later for various Communist-affiliated trade union papers.
After the Second World War, Freda Brown joined the New Housewives Association, later known as Union of Australian Women
, a Communist front, and ultimately became its president. She was instrumental the United Nations' celebration of International Women’s Year in 1975. She worked with the Women's International Democratic Federation, and was elected President at its Congress in East Berlin
in 1975, a position she held until 1989.
Freda Brown was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia
from 1968-72.
In 1971, Freda's husband Bill was expelled from the CPA as a member of a faction which remained loyal to the USSR after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia which the party had condemned. Bill and Freda then joined the Socialist Party.
Freda Brown was the subject of SBS
Television's "Australian Biography" programme which screened on Friday, November 15, 1996.
On 8 March 2004, International Women’s Day Brown, then 85, was honoured for her work against apartheid by the South African government in a ceremony in Johannesburg to mark the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid. She had worked closely with the African National Congress
women’s section throughout the 1970s and 1980s when she worked with the Women's International Democratic Federation.
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
and later the Socialist Party. She married Bill Brown, a leading Australian Communist, in 1943. She is the only Australian woman to have been awarded a Lenin Peace Prize
Lenin Peace Prize
The International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union's equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize, named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel indicated had "strengthened peace among peoples"...
, which she received in 1977-78. Her daughter, Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon , an Australian politician, is a Senator for New South Wales, elected at the 2010 federal election, representing the Australian Greens...
, is an Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
and previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
.
Freda Brown joined the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
in 1936. She worked in her father’s signwriting business, before becoming a journalist working for the Radio Times, and then later for various Communist-affiliated trade union papers.
After the Second World War, Freda Brown joined the New Housewives Association, later known as Union of Australian Women
Union of Australian Women
The Union of Australian Women is a left-wing women's organisation that operated in Australia in the latter half of the 20th century concerned with local and international issues regarding women's rights, international peace, and equality.- History :...
, a Communist front, and ultimately became its president. She was instrumental the United Nations' celebration of International Women’s Year in 1975. She worked with the Women's International Democratic Federation, and was elected President at its Congress in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in 1975, a position she held until 1989.
Freda Brown was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
from 1968-72.
In 1971, Freda's husband Bill was expelled from the CPA as a member of a faction which remained loyal to the USSR after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia which the party had condemned. Bill and Freda then joined the Socialist Party.
Freda Brown was the subject of SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
Television's "Australian Biography" programme which screened on Friday, November 15, 1996.
On 8 March 2004, International Women’s Day Brown, then 85, was honoured for her work against apartheid by the South African government in a ceremony in Johannesburg to mark the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid. She had worked closely with the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
women’s section throughout the 1970s and 1980s when she worked with the Women's International Democratic Federation.
External links
- Obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald, 27 May 2009.