James Henry Scullin, (born Sept. 18, 1876, Trawalla, Victoria [Australia]—died Jan. 28, 1953, Melbourne, Victoria), statesman and leader of the Australian Labor Party who as prime minister guided the country through the early years of the Great Depression but was plagued by dissension within his own party.

Joseph Aloysius Lyons, (born September 15, 1879, Stanley, Tasmania [Australia]—died April 7, 1939, Sydney), Australian statesman who helped form the United Australia Party in 1931. As prime minister (1932–39), he saw the country’s economic recovery from the Great Depression and increased defense activity.

The Nationals, also called (1982–2006) National Party of Australia or (1975–82) National Country Party of Australia or (1920–75) Australian Country Party, Australian political party that for most of its history has held office as a result of its customary alliance with the Liberal Party of Australia.

United Australia Party, (UAP; 1931–44), political party formed by a fusion of Nationalist Party and conservative erstwhile Australian Labor Party members, which alone or in coalition with the Country Party controlled the Australian commonwealth government for 10 years. Brought to power in the general election of 1931, the UAP sought to meet the Great Depression with deflationary policies.

This unit of work focuses on the actions and policies of the Menzies Government in the early 1950s in relation to the perceived threat of communism. It deals with the movement to outlaw the Communist Party and the resulting split in the ALP.

In the wake of the Second World War, the alliance established between the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States and France to defeat Germany broke down. In Europe, the Soviets took control of much of Eastern Europe whose citizens soon found themselves cut off from contact with the West as if an ‘Iron Curtain’ had fallen.

The Liberal Party was formed during a series of conventions during and immediately after the Second World War. It was in effect a radically reorganised and rebranded version of the United Australia Party that had in recent years struggled to gain and hold government.

Prime Minister Ben Chifley delivered this speech to an ALP Conference in 1949.
The “light on the hill” phrase has resonated down the years as epitomising the Labor philosophy.

The Great Depression severely affected Australia. The Wall Street stock market in New York had crashed in the previous year. The collapse of international commodity prices, including wheat and wool in the late 1920s, meant that the heavy debts run up by federal, state and territory governments were almost impossible to pay off at the previously agreed rate.

The United Nations (UN) is an association of independent countries that have agreed to work together to prevent and end wars. The UN also attempts to improve social conditions by promoting international cooperation, economic development, public health, environmental conservation, and human rights.