Victorian Socialist Party
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Socialist Party (VSP) was a socialist political party in Victoria
, Australia
in the early 20th century. The VSP was founded in 1906 in Melbourne
, bringing together a number of older socialist groupings. A leading influence in the VSP's formation was the British
trade union
ist Tom Mann
, who lived in Australia from 1903 to 1910. Its leading figure was Robert Samuel Ross
, a talented organiser and journalist. In 1907 it had about 1,500 members.
The VSP was a Marxist
party, although Australia was very isolated from the European mainstream of socialist politics at the time and the VSP's Marxism was not very rigorous. The VSP did not contest parliamentary elections, seeing itself mainly as a force for socialist education in the wider Labor movement.
Most VSP members were also members of the Australian Labor Party
. The VSP hoped to "bore from within" and win the ALP for socialism. Members who were later prominent included John Curtin
(Prime Minister of Australia
1941-45), Frank Anstey
(a federal Labor MP 1910-34), Maurice Blackburn (a federal MP 1934-43), Don Cameron (a Senator 1938-1962) and John Cain
(three times Premier of Victoria). Cameron was organizer from 1919 and edited The Socialist from 1920 to 1923.
In 1907, the VSP, plus similar groups in the other Australian states, came together in a loose federal organisation calling itself the Socialist Federation of Australia, but this never became a functioning national party. Like other socialist parties, the VSP supported the "One Big Union" campaign advocating a united national labour movement, but this objective was never achieved.
The Russian Revolution of 1917
caused a crisis for the VSP. Like most socialists the party initially welcomed the revolution, but by 1920 democratic socialists such as Ross had become critical of the Bolshevik
regime. In 1921 a VSP member who had moved to Sydney
, Bill Earsman, was one of the founders of the Communist Party of Australia
. Many VSP members joined the new party, but the majority, led by Ross, remained aloof. "The labour movement's championing of democratic rights and improved standards of life has so altered the Australian environment as to make Bolshevism inapplicable," he wrote. Ross's two sons, Lloyd Ross and Edgar Ross, however, both became prominent Communist Party members.
The VSP faded away in the following years, finding that there was little political space between the ALP and the CPA. Cameron remained its secretary until 1932, by which time the party was moribund. Interestingly, many of its members later went on to become influential figures in the fascist Australia First Movement
.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the early 20th century. The VSP was founded in 1906 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, bringing together a number of older socialist groupings. A leading influence in the VSP's formation was the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist Tom Mann
Tom Mann
Tom Mann was a noted British trade unionist. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a popular public speaker in the labour movement.-Early years:...
, who lived in Australia from 1903 to 1910. Its leading figure was Robert Samuel Ross
Robert Samuel Ross
Robert Samuel Ross was an Australian socialist journalist, trade unionist, and agitator best known as the editor of a series of political magazines associated with the Australian labour movement in the 1890s and early 1900s....
, a talented organiser and journalist. In 1907 it had about 1,500 members.
The VSP was a Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
party, although Australia was very isolated from the European mainstream of socialist politics at the time and the VSP's Marxism was not very rigorous. The VSP did not contest parliamentary elections, seeing itself mainly as a force for socialist education in the wider Labor movement.
Most VSP members were also members of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. The VSP hoped to "bore from within" and win the ALP for socialism. Members who were later prominent included John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
(Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
1941-45), Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey , Australian politician, served 38 years as a Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments....
(a federal Labor MP 1910-34), Maurice Blackburn (a federal MP 1934-43), Don Cameron (a Senator 1938-1962) and John Cain
John Cain (senior)
John Cain was an Australian politician, who became the 34th premier of Victoria, and was the first Australian Labor Party leader to win a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was the only premier of Victoria whose son also served as premier.-Early life:Cain was born, one of 18...
(three times Premier of Victoria). Cameron was organizer from 1919 and edited The Socialist from 1920 to 1923.
In 1907, the VSP, plus similar groups in the other Australian states, came together in a loose federal organisation calling itself the Socialist Federation of Australia, but this never became a functioning national party. Like other socialist parties, the VSP supported the "One Big Union" campaign advocating a united national labour movement, but this objective was never achieved.
The Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
caused a crisis for the VSP. Like most socialists the party initially welcomed the revolution, but by 1920 democratic socialists such as Ross had become critical of the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
regime. In 1921 a VSP member who had moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Bill Earsman, was one of the founders 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...
. Many VSP members joined the new party, but the majority, led by Ross, remained aloof. "The labour movement's championing of democratic rights and improved standards of life has so altered the Australian environment as to make Bolshevism inapplicable," he wrote. Ross's two sons, Lloyd Ross and Edgar Ross, however, both became prominent Communist Party members.
The VSP faded away in the following years, finding that there was little political space between the ALP and the CPA. Cameron remained its secretary until 1932, by which time the party was moribund. Interestingly, many of its members later went on to become influential figures in the fascist Australia First Movement
Australia First Movement
Australia First Movement was a proto-fascist movement which grew out of the Rational Association and the Victorian Socialist Party. Adela Pankhurst Walsh, of the famous suffragette family was involved in it, along with W. J. Miles, Rhodes scholar Percy Stephensen, Xavier Herbert, as well as famous...
.