Australian liberalism is the nation's oldest political tradition, yet its belief in freedom of thought and action has often inhibited its adherents from joining together in common purpose.

Resolving this dilemma was the task which lay before Robert Menzies and the varied supporters of the liberal cause in the wake of the disastrous 1943 federal election wipeout. Their solution was Unity in Autonomy - a new party with a clear 'philosophy' to inspire and unite people behind the principles of freedom, opportunity, enterprise and individual dignity, combined with the autonomy of state divisions to organise and articulate liberalism in their own way. This landmark history of the founding of the Liberal Party is the first to explore the party's pervasive federalism, and how forging a structure that can uphold core principles while accommodating local differences, has helped the party long outlive its centre-right predecessors.

Introduction - Zachary Gorman

1. A Party with a Philosophy - David Kemp AC

2. Organisational Federalism - Andrew Kemp

3. Founding The Liberal Party of Australia: How Women Made A Difference - Anne Henderson AM

4. 'Bold We Brag': The New South Wales Division - Zachary Gorman

5. The Origins and Early Years of the Victorian Liberals - Stephen Wilks

6. Queensland Liberalism: The Queensland People's Party 1943-49 - Lyndon Megarrity

7. South Australia's Liberal and Country League in the Formation of the Liberal Party of Australia - Baden Teague

8. The Wild West: Formation of the Liberal Party of Western Australia - Sherry Sufi

9. Conservative Arcadia: Non-Labor Parties in Tasmania 1903 to 1950 - Stefan Petrow

10. The Australian Capital Territory: Liberalism's furthest frontier - Gary Humphries AO

11. The Liberals Up North - Shane Stone AC

12. The Country Party, the foundation of the Liberal Party, and the birth of the modern Liberal-Nationals Coalition - John Anderson AC and Terry Barnes

Dr Zachary Gorman is the Historian and Research Manager for the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne. An expert on the history of Australian liberalism, he has authored or edited eight books covering figures like Robert Menzies, George Reid, Joseph Cook, Joseph Carruthers and William Wentworth.