The Progressive Party of New South Wales was a

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

political party that operated between 1920 and 1927, achieving representation in the Legislative Assembly due to

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

. It was not a direct successor to the earlier

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

that had operated in the state between 1901 and 1907 but did include members of the former party including

George Briner George Stuart Briner (5 April 1862 – 9 September 1920) was an Australian politician. He was born in Morses Creek in Victoria to miner William Torents Briner and Mary Ann, ''née'' Whyatt. After attending Scotch College and the University of ...

and Walter Bennett. The party attracted support from conservative voters in both rural and urban NSW. As a result, its policies were socially conservative but had elements of

agrarian socialism Agrarian socialism is a political ideology that promotes “the equal distribution of landed resources among collectivized peasant villages” This socialist system places agriculture at the center of the economy instead of the industrialization ...

. At the 1920 election it won 15 seats. In December 1921, the party split over the question of support for the first government of Nationalist Party politician George Fuller. An urban wing, led by

Thomas Ley Thomas John Ley (28 October 188024 July 1947) was an Australian politician who was convicted of murder in England. He is widely suspected to have been involved in the deaths of a number of people in Australia, including political rivals. Early ...

and

Walter Wearne Walter Ernest Wearne (2 September 186717 January 1931) was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1917 until 1930. He was initially elected as an Independent but subsequently formed the Progressive ...

, agreed to enter Fuller's coalition, but a rural wing ("The True Blues"), led by

Michael Bruxner Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner (25 March 1882 – 28 March 1970) was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as leader of the Country Party (and its predecessors) in New South Wales. Born in the north o ...

and

Ernest Buttenshaw Ernest Albert Buttenshaw (23 May 187626 June 1950) was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1917 until 1932. He was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia until 1920, when he helped to esta ...

, offered Fuller only conditional support. The urban members of the party were absorbed into the Nationalist Party at that time. The Progressive Party was reduced to nine rural members at the 1922 election and was a coalition partner in Fuller's second government. The rural wing contested the 1925 election and maintained its 9 seats, but in 1927, it reorganised as the NSW branch of the Country Party, of which the Progressive Party was essentially a fore-runner.

1921 split

This table provides the details of the 1921 split, covering members of the Legislative Assembly.

References

Defunct political parties in New South Wales Political parties established in 1920 1920 establishments in Australia {{Australia-party-stub