Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Corio 1940: Triumph for John Curtin but Stillbirth for an Australian Motor Car

2006; Liverpool University Press; Issue: 91 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/27516156

1839-3039

Mal Harrop,

World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact

While the 1940 by-election in Corio, Victoria was a triumph for John Curtin. It came at a cost, the stillbirth of a locally owned Australian motorcar industry. Although national histories suggest that the major impact of Corio was a shift by Curtin in the attitude of the Australian Labour Party (ALP) to sending troops overseas. This article uses local Geelong media to highlight other issues of significance both to the Corio voters and the nation. It concludes that a horse racing scandal, the Motor Vehicle Agreement Act 1940, and the presence of a large overseas-owned car assembly company in the electorate, all played a significant part in Curtin's victory. However, by opposing the monopoly provision of the Motor Vehicle Agreement Act Curtin lost the only possibility of Australia having its own car manufacturer to compete with the global giants.