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CARTOON - ADRIFT - DROPPING THE PILOT

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Ben Strange

1923

Subcollections

Overview

Scene of a ship steaming off into the horizon on rough ocean seas. In the foreground is a man in a wooden row boat with a bag that has a tag on it saying [W.M. HUGHES / PASSENGER / TO _______] . The figure is looking back towards the ship.
Ben Strange signature bottom right.
Represents former Prime Minister William 'Billy' Hughes.
This cartoon is reminiscent of other Strange cartoons that cover economics that use the image of the ocean and large ships
Cartoon may relate to Hughes loss of influence and eventual resignation as PM in February 1923. In 1922 Labor lost majority control of Parliament

Historical information

William 'Billy' Hughes was Prime Minister of Australia from 1915-1923. He started out as the Prime Minister of a Labor Government but following a split in the party over conscription, Hughes formed a new National Party government with 24 former Labor members of parliament and members of the Liberal Party.
The hybrid National Party remained in the majority until the 1922 election where the Country Party gained the balance of power. The Country Party did not want Hughes as a coalition leader and forced him to resign as Prime Minister on 2 February 1923.
This cartoon reflects the week leading up to Hughes's resignation where many newspaper believed that Hughes would be forced to resign. Ben Strange who after the war drew a number of critical cartoons of Hughes was not very sympathetic to the position Hughes was in.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-AK1999.87

Material

Ink

Paper

Pencil

Inscriptions and markings

Artist's signature bottom right [Ben Strange]

Keywords

Western Mail Newspaper

West Australian - Newspaper

ECONOMY

HUGHES William "Billy" Prime Minister

STRANGE Ben Mr

BIRTWISTLE Ivor T Mr L/Cpl

Year

1923

Statement of significance

HIGH
The Ben Strange cartoons are historically significant as they depict many key figures linked to the history and development of both Western Australia and Australia. Political figures who regularly appeared in his cartoon’s included John ‘Happy Jack’ Scaddan, the Premier of Western Australia from 1911 until 1916, and William ‘Billy’ Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923.

City of Armadale - History House

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