ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collections
HMSS 0368 ACT Greens Records
Scope and Content Notes
| Call Number | HMSS 0368 |
|---|---|
| Collection | ACT Greens Records |
| Date Range | 1992-2012 |
| Quantity | 2 m (8 manuscript boxes; 1 poster box) |
| Access Conditions | open |
| Copying Conditions | with attribution |
| Related Collections |
The first attempt to start a green party to contest ACT elections is believed to have occurred in 1984, following the success of the Greens in Germany. However, it was competing on much the same ground as the strong anti-nuclear lobby of the time and decided to withdraw from the contest, although a small Sydney green group stood as ‘The Greens’, the forerunner of the present Australian Greens.
Other unsuccessful attempts were made in 1986-1987 and in 1988, when the Canberra branch of the Rainbow Alliance was formed to contest the first ACT Legislative Assembly election in 1989. The Rainbow Alliance formed the Fair Election Coalition with three independents, and won about 5% of the ACT vote but failed to reach the quota of votes required for election. A fourth attempt was made in late 1989 to form a party to contest the 1990 federal election under the name Green Democratic Alliance (GDA). It fielded candidates in the ACT but failed to win a seat. After the election a breakaway group of two registered the name ‘the ACT Greens’ but the fledgling party soon disbanded and the name was de-registered in 1991.
After the 1992 ACT Assembly election, in which there were no green candidates, it was announced that the Australian Greens party was to be formally established. The first meeting of the ACT Greens was held on 23 August 1992; it was subsequently registered as a political party in the ACT and fielded two candidates for the Senate in the 1993 federal election.
This collection begins with the formation of the current party in 1992 and is substantially a complete record up to about 2004. After that date it includes only documents that were created to be published, e.g. policy portfolios, campaign literature and party newsletters. The file titles are those created by Colin Smith, the Honorary Archivist of the Australian Greens, prior to transfer to the ACT Heritage Library. A second collection of files was transferred by Colin Smith to the ACT Heritage Library in January 2023. Those files have been integrated into the collection.
Box List
BOX | FILE TITLE | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY | DATE RANGE |
1 | ACT – HIS | History ‘The history of green politics in the ACT’ 1984 to 1995, by Gordon McAllister, published in Green Leaves in 1995. A brief prehistory as at 1995 | 1 folder | 1995 |
1 | ACT - BEGINNINGS | History Documents created very early in the life of the ACT Greens - does not include constitutional documents | 1 folder | 1992-1996 |
1 | ACT – CON | Constitution Copies of two constitutions of the ACT Greens – one as at 2000 and the other undated – also certificate of registration of the ACT Greens as a political party | 1 folder | 2000 – 2006 |
1 | ACT – CON | Constitution Versions of the ACT Greens Constitution and some correspondence relating to amendments and incorporation | 1 folder | 1992-1996 |
1 | ACT – MIN | Minutes and some agenda papers of general and other meetings of the ACT Greens | 1 folder | 1994 – 2004 |
1 | ACT – MIN | Minutes of General and 'Coordinating' meetings | 1 folder | 1994-1998, 2002 |
1 | ACT – FIN | Annual financial and audit reports | 1 display book | 1992 – 2005 |
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1 | ACT – MEM | Membership Records Membership application forms and survey and volunteer recruitment documentation, 1996-2002 List of members and key people with contact details, 1993-2006 | 3 folders | 1993 – 2006 |
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1 | ACT – ADM | Administrative Files Samples of letterhead, 1993 & 2004 Greens office relocation, 2004 Green Living Tent at National Folk Festival, 2003-2004 Instruction and resources kit for conduct of stalls, undated | 4 files | 1993 – 2004 |
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1A | ACT – POL | Policy process, sources, drafts and final portfolios | 7 files | 1994 – 2004 |
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2-3 | ACT – NPC | Newspaper Clippings |
| 1995; 1999 – 2005 |
2 over size |
| Two large scrapbooks of clippings on topics of interest, 1995 Four large scrapbooks of clippings on youth, party politics and education, 2004 – 2005 | 6 scrapbooks | 1995; 2004 – 2005 |
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| Clippings of mentions of Kerrie TUCKER and other ACT Greens MLA’s | 3 files | November 1999 – 2002 |
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3 | ACT – CAM | Election Campaign Material Documentation of election campaigning by the ACT Greens – including Election Campaign Committee minutes and agenda papers, fundraising appeals, candidate resumes, preselection documentation, nomination forms, leaflets, how-to-vote cards, media statements and coverage, instructions to volunteers and opponents' literature. (Includes nothing post-2004 that was ever of a confidential nature) | 600 mm | 1993-2012 |
3 | ACT – CAM – FED – 1993 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 1993 | 4 folders | 1993 |
3 | ACT – CAM – TER – 1995 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 1995 | 5 folders | 1995 |
4 | ACT – CAM – FED – BYE – 1995 | Federal by-election campaigning for seat of Canberra 1995 | 2 folders | 1995 |
4 | ACT – CAM – FED – 1996 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 1996 | 2 file | 1996 |
4 | ACT – CAM – FED – BYE – 1997 | Federal by-election campaigning for seat of Fraser in 1997 | 2 file | 1997 |
4 | ACT – CAM – FED – 1998 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 1998 | 6 files | 1998 |
4 | ACT – CAM – TER – 1998 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 1998 | 6 files | 1998 |
5 | ACT – CAM – TER – 2001 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 2001. Includes 2001 ACT Electoral Roll on compact disc | 6 files, 1 compact disc, 1 DVM63 tape | 2001 |
5 | ACT – CAM – FED – 2001 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 2001 | 2 file | 2001 |
5 | ACT – CAM – FED – 2004 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 2004; includes 20 colour photographs of Greens candidates and 1 black and white photograph of Kerrie Tucker | 6 files, 1 compact discs | 2004 |
5-6 | ACT – CAM – TER – 2004 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 2004 | 12 files, 5 compact discs, 1 DVD | 2004 |
6 | ACT – CAM – FED – 2007 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 2007 | 1 file | 2007 |
6 | ACT – CAM – TER – 2008 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 2008 | 1 file | 2008 |
7 | ACT – CAM – GEN – 2010 | Federal election campaigning in the ACT in 2010 | 4 files, 2 compact discs, 1 DVD | 2010 |
7 | ACT – CAM – TER – 2012 | Territory election campaigning in the ACT in 2012 | 4 files, 6 compact discs | 2012 |
7 | ACT – CAM – ? - ? | ACT and Federal campaign materials | 1 file | |
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7 | ACT – MLA | MLA's Media releases and correspondence of Greens MLA's Kerrie Tucker, Lucy Horodny and Deb Foskey | 1 file | 1995 - 2005 |
7 | ACT – PIC | Photographs thought to be of a Christmas Party in 1998 | 1 file | 1998 |
8 | ACT – NLT | Newsletters of the ACT Greens The ACT Greens Newsletter – distributed to members only 1993 – 2004 (2 files) Renamed Green Light in 2004 The Green Leaves – distributed to members and supporters 1995 – 2004 (1 file) Green Light – members, public and online issues, April 2005 – Winter 2007 (1 CD) | 3 files, 1 compact disc | 1993 – 2007 |