A Little History of the Australian Labor Party

Celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Australian Labor Party (ALP)--one of the oldest labor parties in the world and the first to form a government--this short and lively book recounts ALP's history from its origins during the late 19th century through present day. The book details the party's numerous successes in winning government at all levels and its policymaking that has transformed lives, as well as demonstrating how the ALP has attracted an extraordinary range of members, parliamentary representatives, leaders, unionists, activists and, indeed, opponents. The ALP has been a central force in Australia throughout the 20th century, and this concise chronicle tells the story of their triumphs and crises, their colorful characters and famed members, and their evolving aspirations.

Frank Bongiorno is a senior lecturer at the Menzies Center for Australian Studies and Department of History at King’s College London. He is the author of The People’s Party: Victorian Labor and the Radical Tradition, 1875–1914. Nick Dyrenfurth is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Heroes and Villains: The Rise and Fall of the Early Australian Labor Party, the coeditor of Confusion: The Making of the Australian Two-Party System, and a frequent contributor to the Australian. Senator John Faulkner is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales.