Gibson, Ralph, 1906 -

Socialist Melbourne / by Ralph Gibson. (Melbourne : International Bookshop, 1951)

Ralph Gibson was educated at Melbourne Grammar and Melbourne University. He lectured for the Workers' Educational Association and joined the Communist Party in 1932. He became the Victorian State Secretary and served on the National Committee. He helped Frank Hardy with research for Power without Glory.

Socialist Melbourne begins by forecasting the end of Capitalism, "having produced the two greatest wars and the greatest depression in all history. It shows every sign that it has outlived its day and will soon cease to be." (p. 3)

After setting the scene, he takes us on a guided tour of the new Melbourne.

It is five years since a Socialist Government was elected to power in Australia. ...

When the majority of Australians declared for Socialism the rich rebelled. It was called the Bankers' Revolt. There was a short, violent struggle, but the people won - and here we are. (p. 3)

Gibson takes us on a tour of a factory run by the workers, and shows us the new Spencer Street Station, "We enquire how it came to be built. We are told that when the new system began, the debts of the railways were wiped out, with compensation in case of hardship only." (p. 11) There is also an underground railway system and a people's bank. Worship at Churches is allowed but "They have no longer their Church schools, which helped to divide Australia youth on lines of class and creed." (p. 13)

The State Theatre has a fixed price for seats of 6d.

Inside we see films of many kinds - comics, romances and other films, some of which appear very much like the pictures of old days, but we soon notice a big difference. We miss the millionaire heroes, their exclusive hotels, their fashionably dressed wives and mistresses. We miss films of sex, gangsterism and violence. The scenes are from the lives of ordinary men and women ...

We leave the theatre anxious to see more of the cultural life of the new society. (p. 13-14)

On visiting Parliament House our guide tells us there are still different parties,

We learn that the largest party, with the majority of cabinet seats, is a united workers' party formed of the Communist Party of the old days and those of the Labour Party who finally supported the change to Socialism ...

Soon the building of socialism will be complete and we shall have a classless society. We shall then have only one party, and finally no party. (p. 16)