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Chris Monnox

@cmonnox.bsky.social
204 followers 122 following 168 posts

Historian of elections and electioneering, particularly early 20th century. I'm based in Canberra and also do ACT politics.

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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
You could also search the street in the gazette, but I suspect that'll be most useful if it's near a boundary
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Hmm. They switched from using rate books and their own rolls to the State roll at some stage, but I think that might have been a bit later in NSW. Some rate books are digitised, but again that's a some...
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Which is a no, although you’ll probably find some rough matches in cities.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Subdivisions were administrative units for federal elections. Each one had a central polling place where they’d bring the ballot boxes and count them on election night, and voting outside your subdivision, even if in the same electorate, was an absent vote.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Ben covers a lot in this, and some of the arguments are familiar. But not the anti-preselection stuff. We think the spectrum is rank and file ballot-party executive, but interwar conservatives disliked preselections as such.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Sydney had a plague outbreak in 1900, which means there are photos. I think of those photos whenever facebook serves me old photo nostalgia.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Can't find it atm, but there's an old urban history chapter that has the arguments against eastern suburbs flats in the 20s, and it's same stuff plus claims that flats are a German thing.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I don't think any eighties ads talked about dishonour. Not even the Singo ones
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Homemade election jingles. Ad agencies did election jingles in the eighties, but I've repeatedly found local candidates in the thirties making up their own with zero quality control.
Typewritten text reads:

Labor's latest contemplation
Is a currency inflation
According to Ted Theodore's remarks
They've been gaily dissipating
But we're waiting, yes we're waiting
To tell them what Australians think in Parkes.

For their policy spells failure
And dishonour to Austarlia
And our verdict is awaited near and far.
So we'll give an indication
That we're right against inflation
By voting number one for Charlie Marr
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Holding on to my first edition Cross of Trams all the harder because I think it's a transitional form on the way to this.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Elizabeth Kikkert walked so Moira Deeming could run
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
#academics let's celebrate the edited book chapter! What is an edited book chapter that you're particularly proud of, or one you think deserves more readers? Mine is this one, where I got to cite manuscript sources from the local library in a polsci book: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com
The Australian Capital Territory 2012–2023: Urban Politics in an Urban Polity
Australian Capital Territory voters are younger, more likely to hold a bachelor’s degree, and more likely to work in the public service than Australians generally. Their politics is mostly centr...
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Bring back 'shark plague.' Lots of sharks? The papers used to have a name for that
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Reposted by Chris Monnox
Beth @zahri.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
As One Nation starts announcing candidates, here's a bingo card over the possibilities
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Yeah you don't see the tradition if you only look outside the parties. You need all of the above and the centre right parties pre-WWII
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
This is it. You read vested as organised and that brand of politics gets much more legible and much less novel.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Yep. And if you did that you might well get results that favour expanding the Assembly.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Expanding the parliament beats contracting the public, but that view isn't widely shared in Canberra. Go to any local thing about democratic reform and you'll hear a thinly veiled case for fewer people.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
This, from 1922, is the correct way to handle a dog interrupting your politics: 'Efforts to part the dogs were of no avail. But Mr Lazzarini was not perturbed. "Let em fight," he shouted, "it's only Earle Page and Billy Hughes having a scrap."
A 1922 article from the Goulburn Post. The section reads: Mr. Hughes," continued the speaker, "is flaunting himself before the electors as a Simon Pure, ordained by the very Deity Himself to guide the destinies of Australia. What I want to know is where he got his mysterious fortune." At this juncture there was a dog fight. The politician's voice was drowned by the din of yelping canines. For a while efforts to part the dogs were of no avail. But Mr. Lazzarini was not perturbed. "Let 'em fight," he shouted, "it's only Earle Page and Billy Hughes having a scrap." (Laughter.)
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Nobody stops to think of the vandals when they have a leadership spill
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Somebody knows the ACT Opposition Leader's name. Subnational politics sickos will understand that he's right to be excited about that.
A grinning Mark Parton in front of graffiti reading 'fuck Mark Parton.'
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I obviously had to look this up, and it was a country v city thing. Reid was mad because the protectionists sent back a draft redistribution that created more city seats. They, apparently, thought the drift to the cities was temporary...
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I would quit my job to play Sid Meier's Electoral Commission with AEC dachshunds as scouts and cooker microparties as op barbarians
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
It's a very local council name. Community Strong winning the City of Hillsville River wouldn't surprise anyone
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender are part of a tradition that is very open to anti-party parties. It's not so open to admitting there's a tradition.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Middle Australia is ripe for an argument against payment of members. Don't say independent gentleman, say self-funded community representative.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I want to know the record on number of ex-leaders in the party room. Prior to today the Canberra Liberals had three, which seems like a lot
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
The mainstream Australian right being quite anti-party until WWII is a hobbyhorse of mine, but it’s relevant to the teal party stuff. You can have an anti-party party. It’s been done before. But it isn’t a new idea, or even a seventies idea.
A 1937 headline from the Sydney Sun. It reads: 'Premier Joins Up With UAP Foes of Preselection.'
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Americans are arguing about drinks and social climbing, but as an Australian I know that the original class traitor drink was white wine purchased from the bottle shop.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
This is the real reason most papers won't waive copyright for trove. Can't have people knowing just how much of the previous century certain columnists covered.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
All of the above in various combinations, but it's first and foremost a proxy argument about development. The antis believe, correctly, that the tram is designed to go with apartments.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Going to the DVA food brig for sure. Messina's anzac bikkie gelato pales in comparison.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The South Australians really went to town with their no commercialising Anzac law. No use of 'aussie' on your business, residence, or boat without permission.
From an article in the Adelaide Register: During the last Parliamentary session the War Terms Regulation Act of 1920 was passed, with the object of regulating the use of certain words and war terms in connection with trade, or to name any private residence, boat, or vehicle, charitable or other institution or any building in connection therewith. The measure specifically mentions "Anzac," or any word resembling the word "Anzac," "Aussie," "returned soldier," "returned sailor," "repatriation," "Australian Imperial Force," and "A.I.F." as prohibited words and expressions.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
I'm pretty sure those are ok, but you still should check with the Repatriation Department
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The swearing fit Billy Hughes would have over matcha anzac biscuits, an actual existing recipe I did not make up
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The government circa 1920 was one hundred percent correct about what would happen without those rules
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
This one about compulsory voting came out a bit too late for most of the 100 years of work. But for an Australian bluesky audience it also has doorknocking. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Letterboxes and Loudspeakers: Compulsory Voting and the Transformation of Grassroots Electioneering in Australia, 1910–51
Click on the article title to read more.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I may have given that a try, and it does not bode well for any government relying on chat gpt to scold people into buying war bonds instead of nylons
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AHA (Australia) @austhistassoc.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
The latest instalment of Past/Present: David Lee takes a look at how Australia has weathered fuel crises in the past, and ponders what we can learn from these experiences. Crucial reading!! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Australia has weathered fuel crises before. What can we learn from previous oil price spikes?
After the second world war, cheap oil was a foundation of global economic stability. That changed dramatically in 1973
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
This is the week when I tell students about WWII rationing and the squander bug. Who is public domain, just if any governments are thinking about that sort of thing...
A grinning squander bug surrounded by the words 'meet the squander bug.'
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
This whole thread is why you can safely discount anyone who makes no politics in local government sound untried. We know exactly what it looks like in practice.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
@benraue.com, @anthonyzougras.bsky.social, and @joshsunman.bsky.social are doing great job with a very messy election.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Urbans laundering their grievances against other urbans via the bush is a great Australian tradition
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
What actually happened is nobody touched it again until the early 80s, when the bigger electorates were getting toward 90,000 voters.
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Just adding to the parliamentary expansion good but go big while you can takes. Here's Arthur Calwell in 1948 being wildly optimistic about how often you get to expand parliament:
Calwell: 'One can never tell what will happen in the future, but my surmise is as good as that of any one else and I am satisfied that, with a birth rate of 23 per 1,000 women of childbearing age and our system of planned immigration, it is possible that by 1960 Australia will hold between 9,500.000 and 10,000,000 people and that the numbers in each electorate will have increased from about 40,000, as we propose to have them now, to about 53,000, and there will be occasion then, if not earlier, for a further increase of the size of the Parliament.'
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Lots of candidates at early 70s elections letterboxed metricisation tables instead of the usual calendars etc. I wonder how many other orgs effectively supplemented the campaign for their own marketing
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
I had forgotten about the whole Kikkert drama, but that explains Belco doing significantly better on Liberal preferences than FF
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Kevin Bonham @kevinbonham.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Nice analysis by @caseybriggs.com on ACT election preference flows. #actpol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
abc.net.au
Election data confirms what we already know: Greens don't like Liberals
Greens voters overwhelmingly preference Labor over the Liberal Party across the country — and a look at the data from the 2024 ACT election suggests there's no reason to think that would be different ...
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Chris Monnox @cmonnox.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
The Liberal preferences are also interesting. Liberal voters clearly (and correctly) saw the Belco Party as more like-minded than I4C.
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