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New Guard

The New Guard was a right-wing paramilitary organization established in Sydney, Australia, in February 1931, primarily active in New South Wales amid the economic turmoil of the Great Depression.^[1] It emerged from a split with the more conservative Old Guard, driven by dissatisfaction with the latter's perceived lack of militancy against the policies of Labor Premier John Thomas Lang, who defied federal debt repayment directives.^[2] Founded by solicitor Eric Campbell, the group pledged unswerving loyalty to the British Throne, opposition to communism and socialism, preservation of parliamentary government, and readiness for national defense through a citizen militia.^[1] At its peak in 1932, membership numbered around 60,000, largely comprising ex-servicemen and middle-class supporters organized in military-style units.^[3] The organization gained prominence through provocative actions, most notably when senior member Francis de Groot, on horseback, slashed the ceremonial ribbon at the Sydney Harbour Bridge opening on 19 March 1932, declaring it open "in the name of the decent and respectable people of New South Wales" to protest Lang's presiding over the event in lieu of the Governor.^[4] Though it denied fascist affiliations and framed itself as a bulwark against subversion and bureaucratic overreach, the New Guard's authoritarian rhetoric, uniformed parades, and threats of forceful intervention against the Lang government drew comparisons to European interwar movements and fueled debates over its ideological character.^[5] The group waned after Lang's dismissal by the Governor in May 1932 and formally disbanded in 1935, having failed to translate its mobilization into lasting political influence.^[1]

Origins

Precursors in the Old Guard

The Old Guard emerged in New South Wales around 1930 as a secretive, conservative organization dedicated to countering communism, socialism, and perceived threats to the constitutional monarchy, particularly amid economic instability and the policies of Premier Jack Lang's Labor government.^[6] Composed mainly of Protestant business leaders, military veterans, and professionals, it emphasized loyalty to the Crown, preparation for civil defense through paramilitary training, and suppression of radical labor movements, with members swearing oaths of secrecy to maintain operational discretion.^[6] ^[7] This group represented a post-World War I loyalist tradition in Australia, drawing from earlier veterans' associations formed to protect against revolutionary unrest, but it formalized amid rising fears of Bolshevik-style upheaval during the Great Depression.^[8] Its structure included a "Defence Force" for armed readiness, yet it prioritized elite coordination over mass mobilization, limiting its public visibility and direct action.^[9] Eric Campbell, a World War I veteran, solicitor, and early Old Guard member active in its military elements, grew disillusioned with the organization's passivity and secrecy, viewing it as insufficiently aggressive against Lang's fiscal defiance and communist influences.^[9] ^[10] On 18 February 1931, at a meeting of the Imperial Service Club in Sydney, Campbell spearheaded a breakaway faction, establishing the New Guard as a more overt, paramilitary successor that absorbed much of the Old Guard's membership and resources while rejecting its restraint.^[9] ^[11] This schism highlighted tensions between conservative guardianship and militant interventionism, positioning the Old Guard as the ideological and personnel foundation for the New Guard's rapid expansion.^[7]

Formation and Initial Mobilization

The New Guard emerged in Sydney on 16 February 1931, founded by Eric Campbell, a World War I veteran and solicitor who had previously been involved in the Old Guard, a conservative citizens' group formed to counter perceived radical threats during the economic depression.^[12] ^[1] Campbell, dissatisfied with the Old Guard's perceived lack of militancy and readiness to confront the Jack Lang-led Labor government in New South Wales—which he viewed as enabling socialist and communist influences—convened a meeting of like-minded former military officers and loyalists to establish a more aggressive organization.^[9] ^[10] The group's founding principles emphasized unswerving loyalty to the British Crown, opposition to machine politics, and preparedness to defend constitutional monarchy against subversion, reflecting broader anxieties over the global rise of communism and domestic unrest amid the Great Depression.^[1] Initial mobilization proceeded along quasi-military lines, with Campbell structuring the movement into divisions, zones, and commands modeled on army hierarchies, complete with ranks for officers and classifications of members into three tiers based on physical fitness and skills.^[1] ^[13] Recruitment targeted ex-servicemen, professionals, and middle-class citizens disillusioned with Lang's policies, such as his defiance of federal financial controls and moratorium on overseas debt repayments, which the New Guard portrayed as steps toward economic ruin and Bolshevik-style dictatorship.^[9] By mid-1931, the organization had expanded beyond Sydney into regional New South Wales, holding public meetings and drills to build discipline and visibility, with early gatherings drawing hundreds of attendees committed to non-violent but resolute action if the state government attempted unconstitutional measures.^[14] Membership surged rapidly in the first half of 1931, driven by propaganda emphasizing patriotism and anti-communism, reaching estimates of over 30,000 enrolled by July and swelling to 50,000 or more by year's end as economic hardships intensified fears of labor radicalism.^[1] ^[15] This growth was facilitated by local units and aggressive enrolling drives, though internal records and police intelligence noted variations in active participation, with many joining for defensive purposes rather than offensive paramilitary intent.^[13] The New Guard's early focus remained on vigilance and organization rather than direct confrontation, positioning itself as a bulwark against the Lang administration's policies, which included bank closures and challenges to federal authority that alarmed conservative elites.^[5]

Ideology and Objectives

Anti-Communism, Patriotism, and Economic Conservatism

The New Guard's ideology placed anti-communism at its core, positioning the organization as a bulwark against the perceived spread of Bolshevik influence in Australia during the Great Depression. Founded by Eric Campbell in February 1931, the group explicitly targeted the Communist Party of Australia, disrupting its meetings and rallies through paramilitary-style interventions, such as the violent clashes at Bankstown in 1931 where members sought to suppress "anti-communist vigilance" efforts by leftists.^[14]^[5] Campbell, a World War I veteran, framed communism as a disloyal force undermining national stability, drawing membership from conservative returned servicemen who viewed Premier Jack Lang's Labor government as susceptible to communist infiltration due to its populist defiance of federal debt obligations.^[1] This stance reflected broader empirical concerns over rising labor unrest and strikes, with the New Guard's membership application emphasizing the suppression of "disloyal elements" in government and society.^[13] Patriotism infused the New Guard's objectives, manifesting as fervent loyalty to the British monarchy and Empire, which it saw as foundational to Australian identity and security. The organization's foundational pledges included "unswerving loyalty to the Throne" and commitment to "all for the British Empire," appealing to an Anglo-Protestant base agitated by Lang's policies, which were interpreted as eroding imperial ties through economic isolationism.^[1] In public statements, such as those reported in July 1931, the group demanded governments defend British institutions, restrict the franchise to British subjects, and maintain the White Australia Policy as patriotic imperatives against foreign ideologies.^[16] This monarchist fervor positioned the New Guard as a defender of constitutional order and Empire loyalty, contrasting with Lang's nationalist rhetoric, and drew on first-hand experiences of veterans who equated imperial service with national virtue.^[15] Economic conservatism underpinned the New Guard's critique of state overreach, advocating for private enterprise and fiscal restraint amid the Depression. Opposing Lang's heterodox measures—like the 1931 moratorium on interest payments to British bondholders, which prioritized domestic relief over overseas debts—the group favored "sane and honourable government" aligned with orthodox economics, including debt repayment to preserve Australia's creditworthiness in imperial markets.^[14] Its principles called for protecting individual liberty and encouraging private initiative, rejecting socialist experiments as pathways to communism, as evidenced in policies addressing unemployment through non-statist means rather than expansive public works.^[16]^[17] This orientation reflected causal reasoning that economic instability stemmed from political machinations rather than systemic market failures, prioritizing long-term stability via Empire-oriented trade and minimal intervention to foster self-reliance among citizens.^[18]

Influences from European Movements and Fascism Debate

The New Guard drew ideological inspiration from contemporaneous European authoritarian movements, particularly Italian Fascism under Benito Mussolini. Leader Eric Campbell toured Europe in 1933, visiting Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, where he observed mass rallies in Berlin attended by 100,000 people and met figures including British Union of Fascists head Oswald Mosley and other fascist leaders.^[9]^[5] Campbell expressed admiration for these regimes' emphasis on anti-communism, national unity, and disciplined organization, subsequently incorporating elements of Mussolini's corporatist economic model—which prioritized state-mediated collaboration between labor and capital—into New Guard proposals for restructuring Australian governance.^[7]^[17] This influence manifested in the movement's adoption, after May 1932, of fascist-style uniforms, salutes, and a paramilitary hierarchy, alongside Campbell's formation of the New Empire Union in collaboration with the British Union of Fascists and South African fascist groups.^[17] In his 1934 manifesto The New Road, Campbell explicitly endorsed fascism, stating, "I am a Fascist because I am a democrat," while advocating for a "corporate state" modeled on Mussolini's system to foster individualism through state oversight rather than class conflict.^[9]^[17] These European borrowings aligned with the New Guard's core objectives of combating perceived socialist threats and restoring patriotic order, though they were adapted to an Australian context emphasizing loyalty to the British Crown and Empire, distinguishing it from overtly republican or expansionist European variants.^[5] Historians debate the extent to which these influences rendered the New Guard fascist, with some characterizing it as Australia's most prominent interwar fascist manifestation due to its paramilitary tactics, street confrontations, and leader's overt sympathies.^[5] Others, applying criteria from scholars like Stanley Payne, classify it as a "radical right" movement rather than fully fascist, citing its retention of conservative individualism, pro-monarchist stance, and failure to achieve mass proletarian mobilization or totalitarian control—limitations rooted in its middle-class base, regional confinement to New South Wales, and subsidence by 1935 amid legal opposition and internal fractures.^[17]^[7] This assessment underscores that while European fascism provided tactical and rhetorical models, the New Guard's ideology remained tethered to British imperial traditions and pragmatic anti-Labor activism, eschewing the revolutionary nihilism of Mussolini or Hitler.^[17]

Leadership and Organization

Eric Campbell's Role and Background

Eric Campbell was born on 11 April 1893 in Young, New South Wales, the fourth son of Allan Campbell, a solicitor and landholder, and Florence Mary Russell.^[9]^[12] He received a private education and served as an articled clerk in his father's legal office before qualifying as a solicitor on 29 August 1919.^[9]^[10] After establishing a successful practice in Sydney, partnering initially with S. G. Rowe from 1920 to 1926 and later forming Campbell, Campbell & Campbell, he represented pastoralists and merchants.^[9] Campbell's military experience shaped his later organizational approach. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 1 April 1916, serving with the Australian Field Artillery in France and Flanders as part of the 3rd Australian Division.^[12] Promoted to major, he commanded batteries during key engagements including Menin Road, Broodseinde, and Passchendaele in 1917, and helped counter the German spring offensive in 1918; he was gassed twice, once requiring three months' hospitalization.^[12] For his leadership under shellfire, particularly in April 1918, Campbell received the Distinguished Service Order in January 1919 and was mentioned in dispatches twice that year.^[9]^[12] Post-war, he commanded the 9th Field Artillery Brigade in 1924, attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1925, and transferred to the reserve in 1932.^[9]^[12] Prior to the New Guard, Campbell engaged in veterans' affairs, recruiting ex-officers for a secret vigilante group as early as 1925 and joining the Old Guard—a covert anti-communist network—in 1930 under leaders like Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Gillespie.^[9] Disillusioned with the Old Guard's caution, he founded the New Guard on 18 February 1931 at the Imperial Services Club in Sydney, positioning himself as general officer commanding.^[9]^[14] Drawing on his artillery command experience, Campbell structured the movement along quasi-military lines, with divisional and zone commanders, member classes based on military ranks, and public drills to enforce discipline and readiness against perceived threats from the Lang Labor government and communism.^[14] Under his leadership, membership peaked at over 50,000, primarily in New South Wales, enabling actions to disrupt communist meetings and maintain essential services amid political unrest.^[9]^[12]

Internal Structure and Paramilitary Elements

The New Guard was structured hierarchically along military principles, reflecting its paramilitary orientation. At the apex was the chief commander, Eric Campbell, overseeing a network of subordinate leaders including divisional commanders, zone commanders, and local unit commanders.^[14]^[13] This command structure facilitated rapid mobilization and coordinated activities across New South Wales, primarily in Sydney.^[14] Membership, which peaked at over 50,000 by 1932, was predominantly composed of World War I veterans and middle-class professionals organized into classes differentiated by physical fitness and technical skills.^[14] These classifications enabled assignment to specialized roles, enhancing operational efficiency in a movement designed for disciplined, extra-legal interventions against perceived threats like communism and the Lang government.^[14]^[13] Paramilitary elements were evident in the group's adoption of military-style discipline, ranks, and readiness for confrontation, including physical clashes with labor and communist groups.^[15] Founded by former army officers in February 1931, the organization emphasized loyalty oaths, uniform-like attire for members, and a focus on abolishing political machines through forceful means if necessary.^[13] While not formally armed, its structure and tactics positioned it as a right-wing paramilitary force capable of mass action, as demonstrated in events like the Sydney Harbour Bridge incident.^[14]

Major Activities and Confrontations

Opposition to the Lang Labor Government (1931)

The New Guard formed on 18 February 1931 at Sydney's Imperial Service Club under Eric Campbell, a World War I veteran and solicitor, as a militant alternative to the more secretive Old Guard, explicitly to counter the Lang Labor Government's Depression-era policies, including debt moratoriums on overseas loans and expansive public works that conservatives regarded as inflationary and defiant of British imperial obligations.^[9]^[14] Lang's refusal to remit interest payments to the United Kingdom, formalized in his 1931 "Lang Plan," heightened fears among business interests and monarchists of economic sabotage and radical drift, prompting the New Guard's emphasis on patriotic loyalty to the Crown and suppression of perceived disloyalty.^[18]^[9] Organized along quasi-military lines with divisional and zone commanders, the group conducted drilling exercises and public vilification of the Labor Party, while disrupting meetings suspected of communist influence and demanding the deportation of radicals.^[1]^[9] By mid-1931, membership surged in Sydney and surrounding New South Wales areas, drawing primarily from conservative returned servicemen and middle-class professionals alarmed by Lang's fiscal defiance, which had led to federal intervention and state financial isolation.^[14] A key demonstration occurred on 23 July 1931, when over 2,000 members gathered at Sydney Town Hall for a "loyalist reunion," reaffirming objectives of anti-communism, empire loyalty, and readiness to resist governmental overreach.^[16] Campbell positioned the New Guard to assume control of essential infrastructure, such as the Bunnerong power station, in any "emergency" arising from Lang's policies, reflecting causal concerns over potential civil unrest from unpaid debts and union militancy.^[9] These 1931 activities laid groundwork for escalated confrontations, with the movement's rapid growth to tens of thousands underscoring widespread empirical opposition to Lang's unilateralism amid Australia's deepening economic crisis, though direct clashes with Labor supporters remained sporadic until 1932.^[14]^[5]

Sydney Harbour Bridge Incident (1932)

On 19 March 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was ceremonially opened in Sydney, New South Wales, amidst intense political antagonism toward Premier Jack Lang's Labor government, which the New Guard viewed as undermining constitutional authority and fiscal responsibility.^[19] Captain Francis Edward de Groot, a decorated World War I veteran and senior New Guard member, infiltrated the proceedings dressed in his former Hussars uniform and mounted on horseback among the official escort.^[20] As Lang prepared to cut the ribbon, de Groot spurred forward from the ranks, slashed the ribbon with his cavalry sword, and declared the bridge open "in the name of the decent and respectable people of New South Wales."^[21] De Groot's protest stemmed from the New Guard's opposition to Lang, whom they accused of dictatorial tendencies, including a moratorium on overseas debt repayments that defied federal policy, and perceived slights to the British Crown, such as attendees keeping hats on during the national anthem.^[22] Prior to the event, de Groot consulted New Guard leader Eric Campbell, who endorsed the action as a fitting symbolic rebuke.^[22] Campbell later affirmed that de Groot acted with the full approval of the organization's executive council, framing it as a defense of loyalty to the throne against Lang's perceived republicanism.^[23] The ribbon was promptly retied, allowing Lang to complete the official ceremony before a crowd estimated at 300,000 to 1 million spectators.^[19] De Groot was immediately arrested and charged with offensive behavior in a public place; on 5 April 1932, he was convicted in Sydney's Central Police Court and fined £5, plus costs, after pleading that his war service made him a more suitable figure to open the bridge than Lang.^[22] A psychiatric evaluation deemed him sane, and his sword was confiscated but later returned following a legal settlement.^[20] The incident garnered extensive media coverage, elevating de Groot to celebrity status and boosting New Guard recruitment, particularly among women who formed an auxiliary unit inspired by his audacity.^[21] It underscored the group's paramilitary tactics in confronting perceived threats from Lang's administration, aligning with their broader objectives of upholding British loyalty and combating socialism, though it also drew criticism for vigilantism.^[14] The stunt symbolized the New Guard's willingness to stage public spectacles against Labor rule, occurring just weeks before Governor Philip Game's dismissal of Lang on 13 May 1932.^[19]

Assault on Jock Garden and Other Clashes

On 6 May 1932, eight members of the New Guard assaulted John (Jock) Garden, secretary of the Trades and Labour Council and a key supporter of the Lang Labor government, along with his sons, outside their home in Maroubra, Sydney.^[24] Garden, who had previously led the communist-influenced Australian Workers' Union before shifting alliances, was lured from his residence under the pretense of a meeting and then attacked by a group wielding sticks and other weapons.^[24] The assailants, identified as New Guard members including Ernest Arthur Langley and Colin Barry West, were convicted in June 1932 on charges of assault, with sentences ranging from fines to three months' imprisonment; appeals were largely dismissed, though one was reduced to one month.^[25] ^[26] Eric Campbell, New Guard leader, initially denied organizational involvement, attributing the act to individual actions against Garden's perceived communist sympathies, but police raids on New Guard premises uncovered related evidence, including documents linking the group to the incident.^[27] ^[9] The assault exemplified the New Guard's broader campaign against perceived communist threats during the early 1930s economic crisis, when the group viewed Labor-left alliances under Premier Jack Lang as enabling Bolshevik infiltration.^[1] New Guard paramilitary units routinely disrupted Communist Party of Australia street meetings, particularly on Friday evenings in Sydney, employing intimidation and physical force to counter open-air propaganda events.^[28] In one documented clash, approximately 200 New Guard members intervened at a communist gathering on 16 October 1931, leading to brawls that injured participants on both sides.^[28] Such confrontations escalated into recurring street fights with communist militants and Labor-affiliated groups, including instances where New Guardsmen temporarily blinded opponents during skirmishes, reflecting the paramilitary training emphasized in the organization's structure.^[5] These clashes contributed to a polarized urban environment in New South Wales, where the New Guard's anti-communist vigilantism intersected with opposition to Lang's fiscal policies, prompting retaliatory formations of left-wing defense squads.^[7] Police investigations into New Guard activities intensified post-Garden assault, uncovering arms and plans indicative of organized disruption, though the group maintained its actions defended constitutional order against subversive elements.^[13] By late 1932, such incidents waned amid legal repercussions and shifting political focus, but they underscored the New Guard's role in direct physical opposition to leftist organizing.^[5]

Role in Political Crises

The 1932 Constitutional Crisis

The 1932 New South Wales constitutional crisis culminated on 13 May 1932, when Governor Sir Philip Game dismissed Premier Jack Lang following Lang's enactment of legislation that defied federal debt repayment obligations and bypassed parliamentary approval for state finances during the Great Depression.^[29] The New Guard, led by Eric Campbell, had positioned itself as a bulwark against Lang's administration, which it condemned for undermining constitutional authority, promoting fiscal irresponsibility, and allegedly fostering communist influences through policies like the moratorium on overseas debts.^[9] Campbell publicly warned that the Guard would enforce the constitution by force if official channels failed, framing Lang's defiance as a revolutionary threat warranting paramilitary response.^[30] In the preceding months, New South Wales police and intelligence operations uncovered New Guard preparations for extraconstitutional intervention, including mobilization of its quasi-military "Secret Army" units and contingency plans to seize key government sites, kidnap Lang, and install a provisional administration loyal to the Crown.^[31] ^[13] These plots, involving an estimated peak membership of around 100,000, were substantiated by intercepted communications and informant reports, though Campbell denied orchestration of violence while emphasizing readiness to "save the state" from anarchy.^[14] Police Commissioner Walter Childs and allies in the Lang government viewed the Guard as an existential menace, leading to heightened surveillance and preemptive arrests to neutralize potential uprisings.^[30] Game's dismissal of Lang—prompted by advice that two key bills violated the Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865—effectively resolved the impasse without invoking Guard action, as the Governor invoked reserve powers to uphold imperial and federal supremacy.^[29] The New Guard refrained from immediate mobilization, with Campbell later claiming in reflections that the constitutional mechanism had preempted the need for their intervention, though internal divisions emerged over the failure to capitalize politically.^[9] This outcome contributed to the Guard's rapid loss of momentum, as the removal of Lang deprived it of its primary rallying cause, halving membership within months amid an improving economy and redirected conservative energies toward electoral United Australia Party efforts.^[14]

Plans for Governmental Intervention

The New Guard, led by Eric Campbell, prepared contingency measures to enforce constitutional authority during the escalating 1932 New South Wales constitutional crisis, particularly if Premier Jack Lang rejected dismissal by Governor Sir Philip Game. These plans emphasized rapid mobilization of paramilitary units to safeguard key institutions and suppress perceived rebellion, framed by Campbell as upholding loyalty to the Crown and rule of law rather than subversion. Membership was organized into battalions capable of swift deployment, with drills conducted in Sydney's northern suburbs from April to May 1932 to train in formation marching, rifle handling, and urban combat tactics.^[32] Preparations included stockpiling arms and ammunition, acquiring duplicate keys to the state police armoury for potential access, and directives for escalating force: initial use of revolvers and rifles against minimal resistance, progressing to tear gas, grenades, and heavier weaponry if met with organized opposition. Armed detachments were slated to secure Sydney's entry points, sever electrical supplies to disrupt Lang's control, and occupy strategic sites to compel governmental compliance or removal. Police intelligence reports from the period documented these arrangements, heightening fears of an imminent coup, though execution hinged on Lang's defiance of Game's order.^[32]^[33] Contemporary allegations in May and June 1932 newspapers asserted that New Guard leaders had orchestrated plots to kidnap Lang and senior ministers, install armed oversight over Sydney, and supplant the elected government directly. Detective testimonies claimed council directives for such actions, including pre-positioned forces to execute the takeover. Campbell's postwar memoir The Rallying Point (1965) portrayed these as defensive contingencies to avert anarchy, denying any premeditated dictatorship but acknowledging readiness to "rally" if Lang barricaded Parliament or invoked martial law.^[34]^[33]^[35] The plans remained dormant after Game dismissed Lang on 13 May 1932 without violence, averting confrontation and contributing to the New Guard's rapid loss of momentum as economic conditions improved and Lang's Labor administration fell at the subsequent election. Historians like Andrew Moore interpret the schemes as proto-fascist ambitions to supplant democracy amid anti-leftist fervor, though reliant on police and press sources potentially amplified by Lang government sympathies; Campbell's account stresses constitutional fidelity over authoritarian seizure.^[1]^[32]

Decline and Dissolution

Impact of Lang's Dismissal

The dismissal of New South Wales Premier Jack Lang on 13 May 1932 by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Philip Game resolved the constitutional crisis that had fueled the New Guard's rapid growth and mobilization, thereby depriving the organization of its central antagonist and immediate purpose.^[5]^[14] The New Guard, under leader Eric Campbell, had explicitly threatened to intervene forcibly—including potential seizure of key government sites—if Lang was not removed through constitutional channels, positioning itself as a paramilitary bulwark against perceived socialist overreach.^[5] Game's action preempted these plans, averting direct confrontation while channeling authority back to established institutions, which diminished the perceived necessity for vigilante resistance.^[5]^[15] In the immediate aftermath, the New Guard attempted to sustain visibility through public demonstrations, such as a rally at Sydney Town Hall on 25 May 1932, but these efforts failed to reignite urgency amid easing tensions.^[13] Membership, which had swelled to an estimated 50,000 at its peak earlier in 1932, entered a sharp decline as supporters disengaged, viewing the primary threat neutralized without the organization's involvement.^[15]^[36] The subsequent state election on 11 June 1932, in which Lang's Labor Party was decisively defeated by the United Australia Party under Bertram Stevens—securing 47 seats to Labor's 24—further entrenched conservative governance, rendering the New Guard's confrontational stance redundant.^[14] Compounding these political shifts, an improving economic outlook in late 1932 eroded the broader discontent that had initially propelled the New Guard's appeal among middle-class and professional demographics fearful of economic collapse and radicalism.^[14] The group lost substantial support despite internal attempts to broaden its platform beyond anti-Lang agitation, marking the onset of its organizational fade-out as recruitment stalled and cohesion weakened.^[14]^[11] This transition highlighted the New Guard's dependence on acute crisis for vitality, with the dismissal catalyzing a pivot toward ideological experimentation in subsequent years, though without recapturing former scale or influence.^[36]

1933 Ideological Reorientations

In the aftermath of Jack Lang's dismissal as Premier of New South Wales on 13 May 1932, the New Guard experienced a sharp decline in membership and influence, prompting leader Eric Campbell to reassess the organization's strategy by mid-1933.^[9] With direct action against the Lang government no longer viable, Campbell sought inspiration from European authoritarian models, embarking on an overseas trip where he investigated fascist regimes in Italy and Nazi Germany.^[37] Upon his return to Australia in July 1933, Campbell publicly affirmed his admiration for fascist principles, declaring in interviews that he was "a Fascist to my finger-tips" while emphasizing discipline, leadership, and opposition to parliamentary democracy's perceived weaknesses, though distinguishing his views from strict Italian or German variants.^[10]^[11] This exposure influenced a broader ideological pivot within the New Guard toward corporatism and anti-parliamentarism, as articulated in Campbell's subsequent writings and speeches, which advocated for a "corporate state" to supplant party politics and combat socialism.^[9] Internally, the movement grappled with divisions over continued paramilitary focus versus electoral engagement, culminating in the decision that extra-parliamentary agitation alone could not sustain goals amid waning public support.^[17] By late 1933, these tensions led to the formation of the Centre Party on 9 December, reorienting the New Guard's remnants into a formal political vehicle aimed at contesting elections with a platform blending monarchism, anti-communism, and fascist-inspired economic reorganization.^[17] The shift marked a departure from the New Guard's initial aversion to party alignments, reflecting pragmatic adaptation to Australia's constitutional framework while retaining core anti-leftist tenets.^[9] Campbell positioned the Centre Party as a "middle way" against both Labor radicalism and conservative complacency, though it struggled with internal rebellions and limited appeal beyond Sydney's middle-class base.^[38] This reorientation, however, failed to reverse the organization's trajectory, as fascist rhetoric alienated potential broader alliances and highlighted the challenges of transplanting European models to Australian soil.^[17]

1935 State Election and Final Fade-Out

The New Guard, seeking to transition its influence into formal politics amid declining membership after the 1932 dismissal of Premier Jack Lang, established the Centre Party (also known as the Centre Movement) as its electoral vehicle in 1933. Led by founder Eric Campbell, the party aimed to contest seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly by promoting anti-communist, monarchist, and economic conservative policies, drawing on the Guard's residual paramilitary networks.^[9]^[14] This move reflected Campbell's strategy to reorient the organization toward parliamentary competition rather than street-level agitation, though internal divisions and public disillusionment had already eroded its appeal.^[9] The Centre Party fielded candidates in five electorates for the 11 May 1935 state election, which featured 213 candidates vying for 90 seats under compulsory preferential voting. Eric Campbell personally contested the Sydney seat of Lane Cove, a conservative stronghold, but secured insufficient votes to challenge the United Australia Party (UAP) incumbent. While Centre candidates achieved second place behind UAP rivals in two districts—indicating pockets of residual support among anti-Labor voters—the party won no seats and polled minimally overall, with vote shares under 10% in contested areas. The election itself saw the UAP-Country Party coalition retain government under Premier Bertram Stevens, defeating a fragmented Labor opposition still recovering from the Lang schism.^[39]^[40]^[9] The electoral debacle accelerated the New Guard's dissolution, as the failure to translate organizational remnants into legislative success underscored its obsolescence in a stabilizing post-Depression political landscape. By late 1935, membership had plummeted from its 1931 peak of around 100,000 to near irrelevance, with Campbell withdrawing from public activism to resume private legal practice. The movement formally ceased operations by 1936, its quasi-military structure dismantled and influence absorbed into mainstream conservative parties like the UAP, marking the end of its brief but intense role in New South Wales politics.^[14]^[9]

Membership and Influence

Demographic Profile and Scale

The New Guard's membership peaked in 1931–1932 at an estimated 50,000, though contemporary and historical assessments vary between approximately 36,000 and 60,000 active participants across New South Wales, concentrated overwhelmingly in Sydney.^[14]^[5]^[3] These figures reflect self-reported recruitment drives and local unit formations rather than verified enrollments, with rapid growth fueled by opposition to Premier Jack Lang's policies during the Great Depression, followed by sharp decline after his 1932 dismissal.^[5] Demographically, the organization primarily attracted middle-class men, including small business proprietors, professionals, clerks, and skilled tradesmen who viewed themselves as defenders of law, order, and British imperial values against perceived socialist threats.^[3] A substantial contingent comprised World War I ex-servicemen, drawn through paramilitary appeals to discipline and loyalty, with strong overlaps via groups like the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Association (RSA).^[3] Working-class involvement formed a minority but notable element, estimated at 18–20% in analyzed branches such as Five Dock, encompassing laborers, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, and railway workers recruited via trade union infiltration and promises of employment stability.^[5]^[3] The Railway Service Association provided a key conduit, expanding from 2,712 members in 1930 to over 5,000 by early 1933, with about 90% pledging allegiance to the New Guard.^[5] Membership was predominantly male, supplemented by a minor women's auxiliary for supportive roles, and skewed toward Anglo-Australian conservatives with monarchist and anti-communist orientations, reflecting broader Protestant-aligned resistance to the Labor Party's Catholic-influenced base under Lang.^[32]^[41] Isolated cases included non-Anglo participants, such as one documented Jewish member, but the core profile emphasized "respectable" elements alienated by economic crisis and political radicalism.^[3] By 1933–1935, ideological shifts toward overt fascism and internal fractures over violence eroded this base, reducing active scale to negligible levels.^[5]

Notable Figures and Supporters

Eric Campbell, a World War I veteran and Sydney solicitor born on 11 April 1893 in Young, New South Wales, founded and led the New Guard after breaking away from the Old Guard in February 1931 due to its perceived lack of militancy against Premier Jack Lang's policies.^[9] Campbell organized the group along military lines, with himself as commandant, drawing on his experience as a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Imperial Force.^[14] He traveled to Europe in 1933 to study fascist movements in Italy and Germany, incorporating elements like disciplined uniforms and oaths of loyalty to the British Crown into the New Guard's structure.^[37] Under his leadership, the organization peaked at over 50,000 members, primarily in Sydney, emphasizing anti-communism and defense of constitutional monarchy.^[14] Captain Francis de Groot, an Irish-born antique dealer and World War I cavalry officer born on 24 October 1888 in Dublin, joined the New Guard in 1931 and became one of its most publicized members for his protest at the Sydney Harbour Bridge opening on 19 March 1932.^[42] Riding a horse into the ceremony, de Groot slashed the official ribbon with his saber before Premier Lang could cut it, declaring the event should honor the King rather than Lang, resulting in his fine of £5 for disturbing the peace.^[43] This act symbolized the New Guard's monarchist fervor and opposition to Lang's authority, boosting the group's visibility despite de Groot's later disavowal of fascist labels.^[42] Other prominent members included aviators Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm, renowned for their 1928 trans-Pacific flight, who aligned with the New Guard's patriotic and anti-leftist stance.^[7] Supporters extended to business figures like Sir Frederick Stewart, a transport magnate and newspaper director, who backed the movement's efforts to counter perceived radical threats during the Great Depression.^[28] The group's base comprised largely middle-class professionals, military veterans, and loyalists, with recruitment drives targeting those fearing communist influence amid economic turmoil, though exact demographics varied by Sydney suburb.^[5]

Legacy and Assessments

Contributions to Anti-Leftist Resistance

The New Guard, formed in Sydney on February 9, 1931, under Eric Campbell's leadership, positioned itself as a bulwark against perceived leftist encroachments, particularly targeting the policies of New South Wales Premier Jack Lang's Labor government.^[14] Drawing primarily from conservative returned servicemen, the organization emphasized anti-communist vigilance and opposition to Lang's defiance of federal financial controls during the Great Depression, which it viewed as enabling socialist and disloyal elements.^[1] Its manifesto pledged unswerving loyalty to the British Crown alongside the suppression of "disloyal and immoral elements" in government and society, framing Lang's administration as a conduit for such threats.^[1] ^[28] A core contribution involved direct disruption of leftist gatherings, with members routinely infiltrating and breaking up Labor Party, trade union, and Communist Party meetings to counter their influence.^[3] ^[10] The group conducted military-style training camps, equipping participants with drilling, boxing, and paramilitary skills explicitly aimed at physically confronting communist agitators and defending against potential leftist uprisings.^[10] This preparedness extended to the 1932 constitutional crisis, where the New Guard mobilized forces in anticipation of Lang's resistance to dismissal by Governor Sir Philip Game on May 13, 1932; Campbell publicly declared readiness for armed intervention to remove Lang if constitutional measures failed, thereby amplifying pressure on the embattled premier.^[5] Such threats underscored the organization's role in deterring extra-constitutional leftist consolidation by signaling widespread conservative backlash. Symbolic acts further exemplified their resistance, as seen in Francis de Groot's March 19, 1932, interception of the Sydney Harbour Bridge opening ceremony, where the New Guard captain slashed the official ribbon before Lang could, denying the premier a platform for populist aggrandizement and protesting his government's radical fiscal defiance.^[21] De Groot's action, for which he was briefly arrested but acquitted on grounds of loyalty, highlighted the New Guard's tactic of public humiliation to undermine leftist authority.^[21] Overall, these efforts contributed to a climate of opposition that facilitated Lang's ouster without direct violence, preserving constitutional order while checking the expansion of state-level policies divergent from federal anti-Depression orthodoxy, though the group's post-1932 activities waned as the immediate leftist challenge subsided.^[5]

Criticisms, Controversies, and Historiographical Views

A prominent controversy involving the New Guard occurred on March 19, 1932, during the official opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, when Captain Francis de Groot, a New Guard officer, rode forward on horseback and severed the ceremonial ribbon with his sword before Premier Jack Lang could do so, proclaiming the bridge opened "on behalf of the citizens of New South Wales" in protest against the Labor government. De Groot was arrested, charged with offensive behavior, and fined £5 (equivalent to approximately $600 in modern terms), though he was later acquitted on appeal; the incident symbolized the group's militant opposition to Lang but drew widespread condemnation for undermining democratic process and evoking fascist-style theatrics.^[42]^[14] The New Guard was accused of planning multiple coups against the Lang administration in early 1932, including armed seizures of government buildings and the arrest of Lang, with leader Eric Campbell reportedly organizing three such attempts amid the constitutional crisis precipitated by Lang's defiance of federal financial directives. These allegations, substantiated by internal documents and later testimonies, fueled perceptions of the group as a paramilitary threat to constitutional order, prompting police crackdowns and heightened surveillance; however, no coups materialized, partly due to intervention by conservative establishment figures like the Old Guard, who favored less overt methods.^[35] Critics, particularly from labor and leftist circles, lambasted the New Guard as fascist for its adoption of uniforms, hierarchical salutes, mass rallies, and Campbell's public admiration of Mussolini's anti-communist efficiency, viewing it as an authoritarian import ill-suited to Australia's democratic traditions. The group's disruptive tactics, such as organizing 1,000 members to break up leftist meetings in December 1931 and threats of violence against perceived radicals, reinforced charges of vigilantism and suppression of dissent, with police reports describing it as a "menace to the realm."^[3] Historiographical assessments of the New Guard remain contested, with early scholarship, often from labor historians like Andrew Moore, classifying it as Australia's nearest equivalent to European fascism due to its mass mobilization and ideological borrowings, though Moore later moderated this to a "premature manifestation" lacking sustained radicalism. Revisionist analyses counter that the group's commitment to British imperialism, constitutional monarchy, and individual liberties—evident in Campbell's insistence that "I am a Fascist because I am a democrat"—distinguished it from totalitarian fascism, portraying it instead as a conservative backlash against Depression-era instability rather than a revolutionary movement; such views critique prior historiography for overapplying the fascist label amid left-leaning academic biases that amplify right-wing threats while downplaying leftist extremism. Empirical evidence supports this nuance: the New Guard eschewed fascism's anti-capitalist and statist core, retaining loyalty to parliamentary democracy even as it flirted with corporatist rhetoric post-1932.^[5]

References

[1]
[PDF] New Guard Movement, 1931-35 - National Archives of Australia
The New Guard was formed in Sydney in February 1931. Its membership application form said that the movement stood for: unswerving loyalty to the Throne; ...
[2]
Unfurling Sydney's radical past - Museums of History NSW
Oct 11, 2018 · A range of new political organisations emerged in Australia, among them a paramilitary group calling itself the New Guard, which had split from ...<|separator|>
[3]
The New Guard | Australian Society for the Study of Labour History
The New Guard, Australia's equivalent of Hitler's Nazis, had a few well-known names. Many would recognise the name of Frank de Groot, the antiques dealer and ...
[4]
Harbour Bridge Opening - ONE hundred - State Library of NSW
Francis de Groot was a leading member of the New Guard, a right-wing militia group disenchanted with the Premier's decision to open the Bridge himself ...
[5]
The New Guard and the Labour Movement, 1931-35
While largely confined to New South Wales and indeed to the city of Sydney, the New Guard was Australia's most successful manifestation of inter-war fascism.
[6]
When Fascism Almost Came to Australia - Jacobin
Aug 23, 2020 · In 1931, it split, and the New Guard was formed. It soon mobilized tens of thousands of members under arms. The New Guard was also monarchist ...
[7]
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Jun 17, 2014 · At its height the New Guard had somewhere between 50,000 and 80,000 members in New South Wales❅ (men only, women were not permitted to join the ...Missing: size | Show results with:size
[8]
New Guard and Old Guard - Beecroft Cheltenham History Group
Feb 26, 2021 · The New Guard was formed at a meeting at the Imperial Service Club on 18 February 1931. Colonel Eric Campbell was elected President.Missing: precursor | Show results with:precursor
[9]
Eric Campbell - Australian Dictionary of Biography
Eric Campbell (1893-1970), solicitor and leader of the New Guard, was born on 11 April 1893 at Young, New South Wales.
[10]
Eric Campbell of the New Guard - Young Historical Museum
May 1, 2024 · Campbell, considering the organisation to be ineffective, formed the New Guard in 1931, taking most of the Old Guard's members with him. The New ...
[11]
The Harbour Bridge, the New Guard and a solicitor from Young who ...
Mar 14, 2022 · Colonel Eric Campbell founder of fascist movement the New Guard ... Disappointed with the conservative and secretive Old Guard, early in 1931 ...
[12]
[PDF] Gunner of Renown - Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company
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[13]
[PDF] the new guard and the New South Wales police, 1931-32
Jan 1, 2008 · The New Guard was founded by a group of former army officers in February 1931. The. Guard was organised on 'military principles', and aimed ...
[14]
The New Guard | naa.gov.au - National Archives of Australia
The New Guard was a monarchist and anti-leftist movement active from 1931 to 1935. The movement was formed in Sydney in February 1931.Missing: Old precursor
[15]
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110810105500313
[16]
23 Jul 1931 - THE NEW GUARD. - Trove
Eric Campbell, who presided, said the. New Guard was a highly-organised body of. loyal citizens, grimly determined and fully. prepared to prevent the State ...<|separator|>
[17]
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Sep 11, 2012 · ... Communists; New Guard Unemployment Policy', Liberty, 1:6 ... cism's anti-communism and its intense patriotism, and viewed it as a potential ...
[18]
1930 to 1939 - Depression and Crisis - NSW Parliament
... New Guard rapidly gained in membership. The Lang Government and the Crisis Premier Jack Lang His radical plan for dealing with the Great Depression caused ...
[19]
A picture in time: the Sydney Harbour Bridge opening - The Guardian
Mar 18, 2022 · On 19 March 1932 the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened to the public. The official opening was controversially interrupted by Francis de Groot.
[20]
The Irish proto-fascist who cut the ribbon on Sydney Harbour Bridge
Mar 26, 2018 · Francis Edward De Groot, a former Hussar and a senior member of the New Guard born in Dublin, disrupted the Sydney Harbour Bridge opening ...
[21]
A Fascist Sex Symbol? - MoAD Heritage Stories
Dec 12, 2012 · On 19 March 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened by Premier Jack Lang. · De Groot became a celebrity after the incident, with publicity for ...
[22]
05 Apr 1932 - DE GROOT TELLS WHY HE CUT RIBBON - Trove
When Francis Edward De Groot arrived at the Central Police Court today to answer charges arising from the ribbon-cutting incident at. the opening of the ...
[23]
21 Mar 1932 - BRIDGE RIBBON CUT. - Trove
Colonel Eric Campbell in a statement to · night declared that Captain De shoot · acted with the full approval of the executive · council of the New Guard, but that.Missing: direction | Show results with:direction<|control11|><|separator|>
[24]
JOCK GARDEN ASSAULTED Lured From Home This Morning - Trove
JOCK GARDEN ASSAULTED Lured From Home This Morning Attacked Outside His House ... New Guard had nothing to do with the attack on Alderman Garden. He added:"We ...
[25]
15 Jun 1932 - ASSAULT ON JOCK GARDEN - Trove
Eight members of the New Guard who were convicted on a charge, of having assaulted Alderman Garden and his sons at their home at ...
[26]
16 Jun 1932 - GARDEN ASSAULT CASE - Trove
The appeal of Ernest Arthur Langley and Colin Barry West against their sentence in connection with the New Guard assault on Jock Garden ...
[27]
08 Jun 1932 - ASSAULT ON GARDEN. - Trove
assault on "Jock" Garden, secretary of. the Trades and Labour Council, by. alleged members of the New Guard,. was found by the police in the Trades. Hall, in a ...
[28]
The New Guard: When Australia's rulers flirted with fascism - Solidarity
Oct 10, 2013 · Right-wing mobilisation At its peak in November 1931, it claimed 36,000 active members, and 80,000 members in total. This is enormous ...Missing: initial mobilization
[29]
The Jack Lang Dismissal As NSW Premier - MoAD History Stories
May 13, 2016 · On 13 May, 1932, Governor Sir Philip Game sacked Jack Lang as Premier of New South Wales. Lang was a Labor Premier who had come to power in ...
[30]
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Aug 6, 2025 · This article examines the challenge posed by the New Guard to the New South Wales police, and the strategies used by the police to suppress the ...
[31]
The New Guard
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[32]
When the Australian ruling class embraced fascism
Abolition of machine politics. Maintenance of the full liberty of the subject. The New Guard was led by Eric Campbell, a colonel, prominent solicitor ...
[33]
17 Jun 1932 - ALLEGED NEW GUARD PLOT - Trove
cil of the New Guard had planned. to place armed forces in charge of the. city and overthrow the Lang Govern. ment, were made by Detective Alford. The ...
[34]
20 May 1932 - NEW GUARD. - Trove
plans had been made under the direct control. of Colonel 1 Campbell to kidnap ... was a plot to overthrow the Government. and 1 idnap Air Last, among ...
[35]
The New Guard and 3 planned coup d'etats in - Academia.edu
In 1932, a group of ex-army conservatives known as the New Guard made three attempts at a coup d'état to take over the administration of NSW and imprison ...
[36]
Lessons from the past: The Great Depression and the Communist ...
Mar 7, 2009 · After Lang's dismissal the New Guard went into sharp decline. Conclusion. According to Alastair Davidson, at the end of 1928 the Communist ...
[37]
26 Jul 1933 - MR. ERIC CAMPBELL - Trove
Mr, Eric Campbell, the New Guard leader, reached Fremantle to-day on the way home from a visit abroad, during which he investigated Fascism and the Hitler .
[38]
02 Dec 1933 - New Guard Battleground Shifts Into "Smith's" - Trove
Eric Campbell of the New Guard move ment when he seeks to excuse himself, against a rebellious Section of his move ment who seek to displace him as leader ...
[39]
NSW Elections - 1935 Candidates
Campbell, Eric, 11/05/1935, Centre Movement, Lane Cove. Carlton, William Joseph ... 11/05/1935, Country Party, Castlereagh. Yewdall, William Barrett, 11/05/1935 ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[40]
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1935 Election - Party % Votes by District. District, UAP, Country, Labor, Fed Labor, Centre, Communist, Others, Formal. Albury, 59.03 .. 40.97 .
[41]
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Jul 14, 2015 · The New Guard, with 36,000 members, was an open fascist organisation that physically attacked union, ALP, unemployed and communist meetings. Its ...
[42]
Francis Edward (Frank) De Groot - Australian Dictionary of Biography
Francis Edward (Frank) De Groot (1888-1969), antique dealer and member of the New Guard, was born on 24 October 1888 at 23 Upper Liffey Street, Dublin.
[43]
Francis De Groot cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Sydney ...
Francis De Groot, a member of the ultra-right-wing New Guard group, rode a borrowed horse out of the crowd and slashed the ribbon with his cavalry sword.