The Republican Party of Australia was a minor

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n political party dedicated to ending the country's monarchy and establishing a republic. It was formed in 1982 and registered by the

Australian Electoral Commission The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for the management and oversight of Australian federal elections, plebiscites, referendums and some trade union A ...

on several occasions prior to being voluntarily deregistered in 2021. It was not linked with the

Australian Republic Movement The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is a non-partisan organisation campaigning for Australia to become a republic. The ARM and its supporters have promoted various models, including a parliamentary republic, and the organisation has branche ...

History

Australian Republican Party (1949–1951)

The Australian Republican Party was formed in the late 1940s and contested the

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

and

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

federal elections. The party's only known candidate at both of those elections included

William McCristal Timothy William McCristal (1881 – 24 June 1963) was an Australian soldier and left-wing activist, and one of the most prolific unsuccessful candidates for political office in Australian history. He was born in Bellingen into a large Cath ...

, one of the most prolific unsuccessful candidates for political office in Australian history.

Australian Republican Party (1956–1970s)

Another Australian Republican Party was formed in 1956 in response to the playing of "

God Save the Queen "God Save the King" ("God Save the Queen" when the monarch is female) is '' de facto'' the national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is one of two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem of the Isle of Man, Australia, Canada and ...

" at the

1956 Melbourne Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the except ...

. It was based in Melbourne, but by 1970 had branches in New South Wales and Queensland. It suffered from "low membership, internal division and a potentially divisive range of policies beyond just republicanism. In 1964, the party proposed a massive expansion of the welfare state funded by the deregulation of gambling. It was also in favour of the Vietnam War, U.S. bases on Australian soil, conscription, and quotas for Asian immigration. The

1973 New South Wales state election Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division), Liberal-National Part ...

was the first time that the Republican Party contested an election outside Victoria. In 1974, the party elected Doreen Storry as its leader. It was reported that she was the first woman to lead an Australian political party. As well as supporting republicanism, the party was said to oppose "any form of socialism, foreign equity or monopolistic practices in Australia".

Republican Party of Australia (1982–2021)

The current Republican Party of Australia was founded in Sydney in 1982 by Peter Consandine. By the 1990s, the party's platform called for the reform of the Australian court system and for the reintroduction of one-cent and two-cent coins. The Republican Party of Australia was first registered for federal elections by the

(AEC) in 1992. It contested the 2004 federal election, but was not registered at the time of the 2007 election, although some of its members stood as

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

candidates. The party was re-registered on 9 July 2013, but was deregistered on 15 February 2016 after failing to demonstrate the required number of members. The party's registered officer appealed that decision on 2 March 2016, but it was affirmed by the Electoral Commission on 24 August 2016. The party applied for federal registration again in 2017, and the party was approved on 31 July of that year. The party was voluntarily deregistered on the 20 July 2021.

References

External links