National Defence League | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1891 (1891) |
| Dissolved | 1910 (1910) |
| Merged into | Liberal Union |
| Part ofa series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
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TheNational Defence League (NDL) was anindependentconservativepolitical party, founded in 1891[1] byMLCRichard Baker inSouth Australia as an immediate response to the perceived threat fromLabor. Though subsumed with theNational Association[2] and other entities into theAustralasian National League (ANL) in 1896, it was still often referred to by its former name.[3] It lasted until the1910 election, after which it merged with theLiberal and Democratic Union and theFarmers and Producers Political Union to become theLiberal Union.
The NDL, composed of Adelaide businessmen, professional men andpastoralists, organised to oppose: Labor and theUnited Trades and Labour Council, perceivedsocialism, increasedsuffrage, theeight-hour day, stateconciliation andarbitration, and asingle tax. The NDL stood for 'the preservation of law, order and property' and was opposed to 'all undue class influence in Parliament'.
The party's highest vote was 30.6 percent at the1896 election. The highest number of seats won by the party was 20 (37% of seats) at the1893 election. Its highest proportion was 17 of 42 seats (40.5% of seats) at the1902 election.
Many candidates and MPs received election endorsement only rather than being chosen as an official candidate.
The currentSouth Australian Division of the Liberal Party of South Australia claims on its website that the party originated with the NDL.[4]
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