Andrew Fisher, the High Commissionership and the Collapse of Labor

The appointment of Andrew Fisher as High Commissioner in London in October 1915 might be regarded as an early, if familiar, example of the use of that office to reward or remove a failing senior politician. In a period when Australia's external interests were still focused almost exclusively on Great Britain, however, the High Commissionership was a unique and potentially important office. Although its holders were invariably political appointees, they often made significant contributions to the conduct of Australia's external relations. The first High Commissioner, Sir George Reid (1910-16), represented the Commonwealth during an important phase in the establishment of the Royal Australia Navy and oversaw the creation of a network of trade representatives in Europe; Stanley Melbourne (Lord) Bruce (1933-45) shouldered the burden of Australia's commercial, financial and diplomatic representation throughout the 1930s.1 The term of Andrew Fisher (1916-21), however Labor's first and only appointee until 1946 was not similarly distinguished.2 The breakdown of his health and his difficulty in adapting to London were largely the reasons for this. But less personal factors were also at play. His resignation as Prime Minister in October 1915 marked a watershed in federal politics. It closed the era of the early Commonwealth with its virtual hegemony of Liberal-Protectionist and Labor governments, and commenced a realignment of political forces which left the federal parliament dominated between 1917 and 1939 by the conservative ministries of Hughes, Bruce and Lyons. The purpose of this article is to examine the ways in which Fisher's appointment and term as High Commissioner both reflected and were influenced by these changes. To a lesser degree, it also highlights the continuity in Fisher's attitude towards some of the major issues confronting the labour movement during the period: conscription, coalition with non-labour parties, and relations between Australia and the British Empire. The first part of the article analyses Fisher's role and significance as leader of the Federal Labor Party. The second examines the factors leading to his appointment as High Commissioner. The third discusses his subsequent relationship with his successor as Prime Minister, W. M. Hughes. Finally, the concluding section comments on the impact of Fisher's term on popular perceptions of the High Commissionership

Commonwealth · Economic history · Hegemony · Parliament · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Australian History and Society · Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism · History · Law · Public Administration

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