Warning

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.

xClose
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
  • About
  • Blog
  • Prime Ministers
  • Websites
  • Venue hire
  • Visiting
  • What's On
  • Collection
  • Learning
  • Democracy
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
  • Visiting
    • Heritage building
    • Planning your visit
    • Families at MoAD
    • Access for people with disabilities
    • Group bookings
    • Café
    • MoAD Little Corner Shop
    • UNSW Canberra Howard Library
  • What’s On
    • Exhibitions
    • Events
  • Collection
    • The Building
    • Objects and rooms
    • Oral Histories
  • Learning
    • Programs
    • Resources
    • Booking information
    • Preparing for your visit
    • The Memo newsletter
    • Competitions and challenges
  • Democracy
    • Defining democracy
    • Australian democracy: an overview
    • The democratic audit of Australia
    • One thing I like about democracy
    • Links
    • Quotes
    • Notes
    • About
    • Blog
    • Prime Ministers
    • Websites
    • Venue hire
    From the blog

    On This Day: Jack Lang dismissed as Premier of New South Wales

    3 minute read

    Fri 13 May 2016 by
    Campbell Rhodes
    • democracy
    • On This Day
    • politics

    Did you know, there was another Dismissal, decades before Sir John Kerr sacked Gough Whitlam?

    On this day, 13 May, 1932, Governor Sir Philip Game sacked Jack Lang as Premier of New South Wales. Lang was a Labor Premier who had come to power in the wake of the stockmarket crash.

    He had his own radical plans for combatting the Great Depression, which ruffled more than a few feathers. An unashamed socialist but a determined anti-Communist Lang had his own plan to get through the economic crisis. Lang wanted to stop paying off foreign debts, get more government credit, and abolish the gold standard.

    Lang’s plan didn’t sit well with the establishment, the banks, the other states or the Commonwealth government, all of whom were backing spending cuts. Lang had his own supporters in the federal Labor Party, who in 1931 left it and voted to bring down the Scullin Labor government. Lang remained a Labor pariah for decades because of this, but he continued to be very popular with his base, and his speeches drew huge crowds throughout Sydney.

    Lang refused to pay his state debts, so the new United Australia Party federal government under Joe Lyons passed a bill, the Financial Agreement Enforcement Act, in early 1932.

    The effect of the act was to force NSW into paying its debts. Lang refused to be stopped. In response, Lang instructed his officials to withdraw state funds from banks and not to pay any money into or through any banks, or to the Commonwealth Treasury.

    Game, advised by others including the Chief Justice, believed Lang’s actions were illegal. He asked Lang to withdraw his instructions, but Lang refused, stubborn to the end. And so, on 13 May, Game dismissed Lang as Premier and appointed Bertram Stevens, the leader of the UAP, in his place. Just like in 1975, the caretaker Premier then called an election which he won handily.

    Lang retained his leadership, and remained active in politics. But he would never again be Premier.

    3 minute read

    Fri 13 May 2016 by
    Campbell Rhodes
    • democracy
    • On This Day
    • politics

    Campbell has been the Curatorial Officer at the Museum since 2012 and has worked in the sector for almost a decade. He is passionate about telling stories through objects and activities, and equally passionate about the hopelessly large pile of books he hasn’t got around to reading yet.

    Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

    18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600, Australia

    PO Box 3934
    Manuka ACT 2603

    Open daily 9am—5pm

    ABN: 30 620 774 963

    Telephone: 02 6270 8222

    Enquiries:
    info@moadoph.gov.au

    Research library

    Please note: video surveillance is used 24 hours a day around and throughout the building and may be used for research purposes

    If the museum is closed due to an emergency, call for new opening times: 1800 716 066

    Visiting

    • Heritage building
    • Planning your visit
    • Families at MoAD
    • Access for people with disabilities
    • Group bookings
    • Café
    • MoAD Little Corner Shop
    • UNSW Canberra Howard Library

    What's On

    • Events
    • Exhibitions

    Collection

    • The building
    • Highlights
    • Objects and rooms
    • Oral histories

    Learning

    • Programs
    • Resources
    • Booking information
    • Preparing for your visit
    • The Memo newsletter
    • Competitions and challenges

    Democracy

    • Exploring democracy
    • Documenting a democracy
    • Australian democracy
    • Defining democracy

    About

    • OPH Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Budget
    • Corporate documents
    • Employment
    • Freedom of information
    • Media
    • Newsletter
    • Support us
    • Partnerships
    • Democracy 2025
    • Donate to our collection
    • Online house rules

    Blog

    Prime Ministers

    Websites

    Further information

    View our recruitment opportunities.

    View our copyright policy.

    View our privacy statement.

    View our ticketing terms and conditions.

    Questions about the website:
    website@moadoph.gov.au

    The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is a Corporate Commonwealth Entity within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet