The legacy of Ted Hill

Vanguard December 2013 p. 3

Twenty-five years have passed since the death of Comrade E. F. Hill, founding Chairperson of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist). His contributions to the development of revolutionary theory and its application to the particular circumstances of Australia continue to guide us through changing times and the intensification of the struggle against imperialist domination.

Comrade Hill analysed the history of Australia from the British invasion and conquest of indigenous lands, through the colonial era and into the modern era of imperialism.

His celebrated book Looking Forward, Looking Backward, which was published in 1964, looked at the role of the Communist Party in Australia, the role of parliamentary politics and the state apparatus, and the struggle for a proper application of Marxism to Australian conditions.

In the years following Khrushchev’s 1956 speech to the 20^th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the struggle in the international movement against modern revisionism, Comrade Hill played a leading role in standing firm to the principles of Marxism-Leninism.

From his research, from extensive discussions with close comrades and contacts with all sections of the working class, Comrade Hill was able to formulate a radically different assessment of Australian society and a new analysis of the path to socialism.

In 1964 he led the way in forming the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) with a programme of revolution by stages: An anti-imperialist democratic revolutionary stage directed at the dominant imperialist power in Australia, US imperialism, setting the conditions for continuing into the second stage of revolutionary struggle to win and implement socialism.

This two stage revolution would be led by the working class, but would develop from a popular united front against imperialism which would embrace other struggling classes such as the small farmers and producers also oppressed by imperialism. His legacy continues to inspire us.

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Links to some works by E.F. Hill:

 

Speech of E.F. Hill to the Central Committee, Communist Party of Australia, February 1962
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-62.htm

Letter of E.F. Hill to R. Dixon 9 May 1963
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-letter.htm

E.F. Hill, Looking Backward: Looking Forward (2nd ed. May 1968)
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-looking/index.htm

E.F. Hill, Australia’s Revolution: On the Struggle for a Marxist-Leninist Party (August 1973)
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-a-rev/index.htm

E.F. Hill, Imperialism in Australia: The Menace of Soviet Social-Imperialism (April 1975)
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-ssi/index.htm

E.F. Hill, The Great Cause of Australian Independence (Nov 1977)
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-great-cause/index.htm

E.F. Hill, Communism in Australia: Reflections and Reminiscences (1989)
http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/australia/hill-last/index.htm

E.F. Hill, Miscellaneous publications
http://www.reasoninrevolt.net.au/biogs/E000379b.htm