Thesis
Mushroom clouds over Perth, a history of the WA anti-nuclear movement Of The 1980s
Honours, Murdoch University
2023
Abstract
During the 1980s a large and vibrant nuclear disarmament movement emerged within Australia, in response to an escalating Cold War and arms race. In Western Australia (WA), the People for Nuclear Disarmament WA (PND (WA)) was founded in 1981 to organise a public march for disarmament on Palm Sunday the following year. From this limited goal, PND (WA) became the leading disarmament organisation in WA, bringing together a wide range of community groups and politicians in support of disarmament activism and policies. Nonetheless, the disarmament movement failed to significantly influence the Australian Labor Party’s policies on disarmament or nuclear issues. In response, Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) emerged from the disarmament movement to contest the 1984 federal election. NDP candidate Jo Vallentine was elected as a senator for WA having capitalised on WA support for the disarmament movement. In 1985, as quickly as the NDP had risen to prominence, it began to collapse due to structural problems and policy disagreements within the party. Vallentine served the rest of her term, and the following as an independent, before becoming the first elected member of the Australian Greens. This thesis examines the rise and fall of disarmament politics in WA. It shows that the WA movement, isolated from the rest of the Australian movement, was successful because of a grass-roots approach to politics and activism, its discipline within the local movement and a unique campaign at the 1984 election. Furthermore, it shows that the experiences of the WA disarmament movement were instrumental in the foundation of the WA Greens, both in the policy and direction of the party, as well as the structure of the party.
Details
- Title
- Mushroom clouds over Perth, a history of the WA anti-nuclear movement Of The 1980s
- Authors/Creators
- Rhys H Knapton-Lonsdale
- Contributors
- Dean Aszkielowicz (Supervisor)Paul Taucher (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, College of Law, Arts and Social Sciences
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Honours
- Identifiers
- 991005617670107891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
- Resource Type
- Thesis
Metrics
47 File views/ downloads
162 Record Views