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Revolution by Referendum: Political advertisement by Mr Costello (c.1932)

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Revolution by referendum education content clip 1

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

In a series of takes and retakes, an unidentified man stands in front of a curtain and addresses the camera. He outlines his association’s vision for the wealth of the nation through the ‘abolition of the capitalistic system’ and a ‘revolution by referendum’.

Curator’s notes

by Poppy De Souza

‘Mr Costello’s’ proposal for a complete restructure of the fundamental capitalist system on which our economy is built is not necessarily a revolutionary one, but his proposal to petition the Federal Government about it may be. He is just one of many activists or political aspirants who have proposed socialist visions for the country’s future over its recent history, but the existence of this audiovisual record gives his vision a permanence that others do not have. Within this context, this person’s identity, and the association to which he belonged becomes all the more tantalising. Who was he? What was his 'Association’? Did he screen a finished advertisement to the public? These questions remain unanswered.

Teacher’s notes

provided by The Le@rning FederationEducation Services Australia

This black-and-white clip shows a series of takes of an unidentified man making a political address in which he calls for a referendum to abolish the Australian capitalist system, the overthrow of which he claims will end unemployment. The man outlines his plan, including the socialisation of industry, maximum wage for all, health care, paid holidays and the abolition of income tax. The clip ends with a map of Australia over which are superimposed the words ‘Revolution by Referendum for Australia and our People’.

Educational value points

  • The repetition of statements and abrupt cuts in this clip suggest that it may consist of outtakes of, or at least the unedited footage recorded for, an advertisement. The speaker/actor appears to be reading something in front of him. His voice may be out of sync with the image because this address was filmed on location rather than in a studio, and in this period it was difficult to simultaneously record sound with the image on location, as the film camera and audiotape recorder had to be linked by a large cable.
  • The call for a referendum is a rhetorical device used to highlight problems identified as inherent in the capitalist system. Political advertising was in its infancy in the 1930s and it was unusual for organisations other than major political parties to make film advertisements. The final version was unlikely to have screened in mainstream cinemas but may have been shown at community or workers’ meetings.
  • The focus on unemployment and wages in this clip is indicative of the impact of the Great Depression (1929–39), which at its height in 1932 saw 29 per cent of Australians officially out of work and huge numbers of people homeless and destitute, with the working class hardest hit. Australia’s dependence on the export of primary products such as grain and wool, and its reliance on overseas loans, made it among the countries worst affected by the Depression.
  • The views expressed in this clip may reflect those of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA), which formed in 1920 and whose membership rose from 300 to 3,000 between 1930 and 1934. The views reflect the CPA’s manifesto, which advocated the overthrow of capitalism and the socialisation of industry on the basis that capitalism exploited workers to make profit. The CPA felt that this could be achieved in Australia through a working-class uprising similar to the 1917 Russian Revolution. However this clip proposes a non-violent means of bringing about political and social change.
  • As the Great Depression worsened, the ideas of the CPA gained currency, particularly among the working class but also in the trade union movement. The CPA helped set up the Unemployed Workers Movement, which by 1934 had 68,000 members. It organised dole strikes, campaigns for government relief work to provide jobs and anti-eviction battles.
  • In linking unemployment with capitalism this clip echoes a resolution passed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1930. It stated that unemployment ‘is inherent in the capitalist system, which is based on production for profit and not on human needs. Only the socialisation of industry (i.e. means of production, distribution and exchange) can remove the cause of unemployment’ (www.cpa.org.au). It also saw the socialisation of industry as a means of sharing wealth across the community.
  • While the idea of socialising industry gained some support during the Great Depression, it was never widely accepted by the Australian people. The attempt by Ben Chifley’s Labor government to nationalise the banks in 1947 was not only ruled unconstitutional by the High Court but also contributed to the government’s defeat at the 1949 federal election. The Cold War during this period meant that nationalism was equated with communism.