Accessibility Tools

  • Content scaling 100%
  • Font size 100%
  • Line height 100%
  • Letter spacing 100%
Commentary

Turn up the light

John McLaren on the 1980 federal election

by John McLaren
October 1980, no. 25

The most imaginative, although in all probability the least politically effective, of the campaign badges produced for the current Australian elections is the ALP Badge, ‘the light on the hill’. The badge, a simple cloisonne in blue and red with gold wire, symbolises the hopes of that great Australian, J.B. Chifley. It is accompanied by a card with his words:

We do say that it is the duty and responsibility of the community and particularly those more fortunately placed to see that our less fortunate fellow citizens are protected from those shafts of fate which leave them helpless and without hope; this is the objective for which we are striving. It is as I have said before, the beacon, the light on the hill to which our eyes are always turned and to which our efforts are always directed.

 


Continue reading for only $10 per month.
Subscribe and gain full access to Australian Book Review.

Already a subscriber? .
If you need assistance, feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..




From the New Issue

Pissants: A deflated football novel by Brandon Jack

by Will Hunt

Ripeness: A novel about social maturation by Sarah Moss

by Amy Walters

Advances – October 2025

by Australian Book Review

You May Also Like

Shadow Child by Rosalie Fraser

by Philip Morrissey

The Update - July 26, 2016

by Hidden Author

Data Relations

by Jarrod Zlatic

Leave a comment

If you are an ABR subscriber, you will need to sign in to post a comment.

If you have forgotten your sign in details, or if you receive an error message when trying to submit your comment, please email your comment (and the name of the article to which it relates) to ABR Comments. We will review your comment and, subject to approval, we will post it under your name.

Please note that all comments must be approved by ABR and comply with our Terms & Conditions.

Submit comment