The Australian Fabian Society was established in 1947. It is Australia's longest running political think tank. Inspired by the Fabian Society in the United Kingdom, it is dedicated to Fabianism, the focus on the advancement of socialist ideas through gradual influence and patiently promoting socialist ideals to intellectual circles and groups with power. Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the institution. ... The Fabian Society is a British socialist intellectual movement, whose purpose is to advance the socialist cause by gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary means. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community[1] for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. ...

The Australian Fabian Society has had close historical ties with the Australian Labor Party, also known as the ALP. This is evident in the number of past Australian Labor Party Prime Ministers, Federal Ministers and State Premiers who were, and are, active members of the Australian Fabian Society. The current President of the Australian Fabian Society is former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam[1]. ALP redirects here. ... ALP redirects here. ... Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ...

The Australian Fabian Society has had a significant influence on public policy development in Australia since the Second World War, with many of its members having held the highest levels of political power and influence in the land.

Political Platform

The Australian Fabian Society cites their 'Four General Aims' on their organisation's website as being:

1. To contribute to a renaissance of left of centre and progressive thought, by generating and disseminating ideas that are original, meet the challenge of the times, and are of high intellectual quality.

2. To contribute, by getting these ideas into the public domain, to the creation of a left of centre political culture and consensus.

3. To help create an active movement of people identifying with the left of centre and engaged in political debate.

4. To influence the ideas and policies of the Labor Party (and other parties) and Labor Governments to encourage progressive reform in practice.[2]

Notable members

• Gough Whitlam (ALP Prime Minister 1972–75)
• Bob Hawke (ALP Prime Minister 1983–1991)
• Paul Keating (ALP Prime Minister 1991–1996)
• John Cain (ALP Premier of Victoria)
• Jim Cairns (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)
• Don Dunstan (ALP Premier of South Australia)
• Geoff Gallop (ALP Premier of Western Australia)
• Neville Wran (ALP Premier of NSW 1976–86)
• Frank Crean (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)
• Arthur Calwell (ALP Former Leader)
• John Faulkner (ALP Senator and National President)
• Julia Gillard (ALP MP)
• Henry Hyde Champion (Journalist)
• John Percy Jones (Businessman)
• Nettie Palmer (Writer)
• Ernest Besant-Scott (Historian)
• Lucy Morice (Feminist)
• Charles Strong (Clergyman)
• William Henry Archer (Statistician)
• Edward Shann (Economist)
• Charles Marson (Clergyman)
• David Charleston (Trade Unionist)
• John Howlett Ross (Teacher)
• Bernard O'Dowd (Writer)

Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... ALP redirects here. ... Robert James Lee (Bob) Hawke, AC (born 9 December 1929) was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia after previously being an Australian trade union leader. ... ALP redirects here. ... For other persons named Paul Keating, see Paul Keating (disambiguation). ... ALP redirects here. ... John Cain John Cain (born 26 April 1931), Australian politician, was Labor Premier of the state of Victoria from 1982 to 1990. ... ALP redirects here. ... Jim Cairns in 1981 James Ford Cairns (4 October 1914 - 12 October 2003), Australian politician, was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. ... ALP redirects here. ... Donald Allan Dunstan AC QC (21 September 1926 – 6 February 1999) was an Australian politician. ... ALP redirects here. ... Professor Geoffrey Ian Gallop (born 27 September 1951), Australian academic and former politician, was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. ... ALP redirects here. ... Neville Kenneth Wran AC QC (born October 11, 1926) was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. ... ALP redirects here. ... Frank Crean in 1961 Frank Crean (born 28 February 1916), Australian politician, was a senior minister in the Australian Labor Party government of Gough Whitlam from 1972 to 1975, and was Deputy Prime Minister for the last six months of the governments term. ... ALP redirects here. ... Rt Hon Arthur Calwell (with young migrant, 1949) Arthur Augustus Calwell (August 28, 1896 - July 8, 1973) Australian politician, was Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967. ... ALP redirects here. ... John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954), has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since April 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. ... ALP redirects here. ... This article has been selected as the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... ALP redirects here. ... Henry Hyde Champion (22 January 1859 – 30 April 1928) social reformer and journalist. ... Vance and Nettie Palmer were two of Australias best-known literary figures from the 1920s to the 1950s. ... Charles Strong (26 September 1844 – 12 February 1942) was a Scottish-born Australian preacher and founder of the Australian Church. ... Bernard ODowd near age 38. ...

References

• Australian Fabian Society - Executive Members of the Australian Fabian Society for 2005/06.
• Australian Fabian Society - 'Who We Are', 'Our Aims'.

External links

• Australian Fabian Society