Nationalist Party (Australia)

Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party
Leader	Full list:; Billy Hughes (1917–1923); Stanley Bruce (1923–1929); John Latham (1929–1931);
Founder	Billy Hughes
Founded	15–22 February 1917
Merger of	National Labor; Liberal;
Merged into	United Australia (1931)
Youth wing	• Young National League; • Young Nationalists Organisation;
Women's wing	Women's National League
Veterans' wing	RSSILA
Ideology	Conservatism; Monarchism; Protectionism; Australian nationalism;
Political position	Centre-right to right-wing
National affiliation	Nationalist–Country Coalition (1922–1931)
Colours	Blue
House of Representatives	53 / 75 (1917–1919)
Senate	34 / 36 (1920–1923)
	Politics of Australia; Political parties; Elections;

The Nationalist Party, also known as the National Party, was an Australian political party. It was formed in February 1917 from a merger between the Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the latter formed by Prime Minister Billy Hughes and his supporters after the 1916 Labor Party split over World War I conscription. The Nationalist Party was established as a 'united' non-Labor opposition that had remained a political trend once the Labor party established itself in federal politics. The party was in government (from 1923 in coalition with the Country Party) until electoral defeat in 1929. From that time it was the main opposition to the Labor Party until it merged with pro-Joseph Lyons Labor defectors to form the United Australia Party (UAP) in 1931. The party is a direct ancestor of the Liberal Party of Australia, the main centre-right party in Australia.

^ Duncan Hughes 1931, p. 2; Current History 1929, p. 381.
^ Hansard 1917.
^ Williams 1969, pp. 49–51.
^ Williams 1971, pp. 7–19.
^ Williams 1971, pp. 7–19; Cunningham 2022, p. 88.
^ Eggleston 1931, p. 249; Cunningham 2022, p. 32.
^ Duncan Hughes 1931, p. 64–76; Moadoph 1919.
^ Cunningham 2022, pp. 32, 88.
^ Kirk 2006, pp. 95–111.

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[FOOTNOTEDuncan_Hughes19312Current_History1929381-1] Duncan Hughes 1931, p. 2; Current History 1929, p. 381.

[FOOTNOTEHansard1917-3] Hansard 1917.

[FOOTNOTEWilliams196949–51-4] Williams 1969, pp. 49–51.

[FOOTNOTEWilliams19717–19-5] Williams 1971, pp. 7–19.

[FOOTNOTEWilliams19717–19Cunningham202288-6] Williams 1971, pp. 7–19; Cunningham 2022, p. 88.

[FOOTNOTEEggleston1931249Cunningham202232-7] Eggleston 1931, p. 249; Cunningham 2022, p. 32.

[FOOTNOTEDuncan_Hughes193164–76Moadoph1919-8] Duncan Hughes 1931, p. 64–76; Moadoph 1919.

[FOOTNOTECunningham202232,_88-9] Cunningham 2022, pp. 32, 88.

[FOOTNOTEKirk200695–111-10] Kirk 2006, pp. 95–111.

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Nationalist Party
Leader	Full list: Billy Hughes (1917–1923) Stanley Bruce (1923–1929) John Latham (1929–1931)
Founder	Billy Hughes^[a]
Founded	15–22 February 1917^[2]
Merger of	National Labor Liberal
Merged into	United Australia (1931)
Youth wing	• Young National League • Young Nationalists Organisation
Women's wing	Women's National League^[3]
Veterans' wing	RSSILA^[4]
Ideology	Conservatism^[5] Monarchism Protectionism^[6] Australian nationalism^[7]
Political position	Centre-right^[8] to right-wing^[9]
National affiliation	Nationalist–Country Coalition (1922–1931)
Colours	Blue
House of Representatives	53 / 75 (1917–1919)
Senate	34 / 36 (1920–1923)
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections