Full bibliography

Examines the labour movement in Australia with an emphasis on its political arm, the Australian Labor Party, from the late 19th century to the 1980s. Discusses the impact of national populism, which resulted in the notorious White Australia policy, with socialist and communist currents having only limited political influence. Internationalism in the aftermath of the Second World War was similarly constricted, with the Cold War having a polarizing effect on the labour movement and the ALP. Concludes that the current Labor government of R.J. Hawkes, a former labour leader, is in keeping with the traditions of the party's political leadership since it first came to power at the national level prior to World War I.