Ted Hill (Australian Communist)
Encyclopedia
Edward Fowler Hill was an Australian barrister and communist
activist. He was chairman of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
(CPA(ML)) from 1964 to 1986.
Hill was born on 23 April 1915 in Mildura, Victoria
to James and Alice Hill. He attended school at Hamilton High School, where his father was head teacher. After leaving school he worked as a clerk for Bill Slater
a local barrister
who was also the local Labor
Member of Parliament. In 1933 he moved to Melbourne to study law at the University of Melbourne
. Despite being awarded for his academic knowledge he did not finish his legal degree until 1981. It was during his time at the university that he joined the Communist Party of Australia
(CPA).
He was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in 1938 and soon became well known as the CPA's leading legal figure, defending the party and its members in several well-known trials. In 1951 he advising Frank Hardy
in his prosecution for criminal libel
over his novel Power Without Glory
. Hill also represented the CPA before the 1947 Royal Commission
into Communism and the 1954 Royal Commission into alleged Soviet
espionage
in Australia (see Petrov Affair
).
In the 1950s Hill was Victorian State Secretary of the CPA. When the Sino-Soviet split
developed in the early 1960s, Hill supported the position of the Communist Party of China
, while the CPA majority, led by National Secretary Laurie Aarons
, supported the Soviet Union. Hill was expelled from the CPA in 1963 and in March 1964 formed the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
(CAP(ML)), taking many militant members from the Victorian CPA with him. Among ordinary Australian voters, the attraction of Hill's party was negligible.
Hill fully supported the "line" of the Chinese Communists until Mao Zedong
's death in 1976, but after the 1972 change in Chinese policy away from world revolution and towards an alliance with the United States
, the CPA(ML) lost many of its adherents, particularly among radical students. After the rise of Deng Xiaoping
in China the CPA(ML) no longer supported Chinese policies, and became a supporter of "Australian independence." This led to a split in the CPA(ML) in 1978.
Despite his prominence as a Communist, Hill was able to pursue a long and distinguished legal career, as one of the best known and highly regarded workers compensation lawyers in Australia. He was widely praised by trade unions, judges and other lawyers, most of whom did not share his political views, on his death in 1988.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
activist. He was chairman of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Australia is an Australian political party based on the writings of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong...
(CPA(ML)) from 1964 to 1986.
Hill was born on 23 April 1915 in Mildura, Victoria
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
to James and Alice Hill. He attended school at Hamilton High School, where his father was head teacher. After leaving school he worked as a clerk for Bill Slater
Bill Slater (politician)
-Early life:Slater is believed to have been born in 1890. He was born to parents of Irish background. His father left his family when he was four years old. He and two siblings were brought up by his mother in Prahran. After briefly attending Armadale State School Slater left school early to sell...
a local barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
who was also the local Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Member of Parliament. In 1933 he moved to Melbourne to study law at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. Despite being awarded for his academic knowledge he did not finish his legal degree until 1981. It was during his time at the university that he joined the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
(CPA).
He was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in 1938 and soon became well known as the CPA's leading legal figure, defending the party and its members in several well-known trials. In 1951 he advising Frank Hardy
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy, or Frank, was an Australian left-wing novelist and writer best known for his controversial novel Power Without Glory. He also was a political activist bringing the plight of Aboriginal Australians to international attention with the publication of his book, The Unlucky...
in his prosecution for criminal libel
Criminal libel
Criminal libel is a legal term, of English origin, which may be used with one of two distinct meanings, in those common law jurisdictions where it is still used....
over his novel Power Without Glory
Power Without Glory
Power Without Glory is a 1950 novel written by Australian writer Frank Hardy. It was later adapted into a mini-series by the Australian Broadcasting Commission .- Publication :...
. Hill also represented the CPA before the 1947 Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
into Communism and the 1954 Royal Commission into alleged Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
in Australia (see Petrov Affair
Petrov Affair
The Petrov Affair was a dramatic Cold War spy incident in Australia in April 1954, concerning Vladimir Petrov, Third Secretary of the Soviet embassy in Canberra.- History :...
).
In the 1950s Hill was Victorian State Secretary of the CPA. When the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
developed in the early 1960s, Hill supported the position of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, while the CPA majority, led by National Secretary Laurie Aarons
Laurie Aarons
Laurence "Laurie" Aarons , Australian Communist leader, was National Secretary of the Communist Party of Australia from 1965 to 1976. He was born in Sydney, son of Sam Aarons, a leading member of the Communist Party and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War. The Aarons family was of German-Jewish...
, supported the Soviet Union. Hill was expelled from the CPA in 1963 and in March 1964 formed the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Australia is an Australian political party based on the writings of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong...
(CAP(ML)), taking many militant members from the Victorian CPA with him. Among ordinary Australian voters, the attraction of Hill's party was negligible.
Hill fully supported the "line" of the Chinese Communists until Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's death in 1976, but after the 1972 change in Chinese policy away from world revolution and towards an alliance with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the CPA(ML) lost many of its adherents, particularly among radical students. After the rise of Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
in China the CPA(ML) no longer supported Chinese policies, and became a supporter of "Australian independence." This led to a split in the CPA(ML) in 1978.
Despite his prominence as a Communist, Hill was able to pursue a long and distinguished legal career, as one of the best known and highly regarded workers compensation lawyers in Australia. He was widely praised by trade unions, judges and other lawyers, most of whom did not share his political views, on his death in 1988.