CARTOON - ADRIFT - DROPPING THE PILOT
1923Scene 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
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
Details
Artist's signature bottom right [Ben Strange]
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
City of Armadale - History House
Other items by Ben Strange
- CARTOON - EAST IS EAST AND WEST IS WEST
- CARTOON - SLUMDOM
- CARTOON - TEMPTING GOOD - A BERLIN SHOWCASE
- CARTOON - THE WAITS CHRISTMAS 1916
- CARTOON - TOMMY WALKER- STILL GOING STRONG
- CARTOON - SHE'S COMING! - THE NEW TERROR
- CARTOON - THE DECIDING FACTOR
- CARTOON - ON A GOOD WICKET
- CARTOON - THE GREAT PEACE POSTER
- CARTOON - STARVATION IN EUROPE
- CARTOON - THE LONG TREK FROM THE NORTH
- CARTOON - CROWD AROUND CAR
Other items from City of Armadale - History House
- CARTOON - IN PRAISE OF BEAUTY
- CARTOON - THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF LITTLE NOT WANTED
- CARTOON - FINANCIAL RETURN
- CARTOON - KING COAL'S GROWL
- CARTOON - TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD
- CARTOON - THE PREMIERS CONFERENCE BOVRILISED: BUT THE STATES LIVES IN HOPE
- CARTOON - YOUR EYES HAVE TOLD ME SO
- CARTOON - THE ROAD TO ARMADALE
- SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLACKBOY CAMP
- PACKET HONEY LABELS
- COWLS OR COLLARS LOYAL ORANGE LODGE
- COWLS OR COLLARS LOYAL ORANGE LODGE