Evan
@evansmithhist.bsky.social
Academic/Writer - History/Politics/Criminology - British, Australian & southern African (plus transnational) history - he/him - top 2% researchers 2024 (Stanford/Elsevier rankings) - views own - cult classic, not best seller - DMs will, alas, remain unread
ICYMI: Who Makes the Far Right?
@booklearning.bsky.social and I used membership application forms for the National Front of Australia (secretly copied by ASIO in 1980/1) to analyse who supported the far right in Australia in 1970s-80s.
Open access article!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@booklearning.bsky.social and I used membership application forms for the National Front of Australia (secretly copied by ASIO in 1980/1) to analyse who supported the far right in Australia in 1970s-80s.
Open access article!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 11, 2026 at 6:02 AM
ICYMI: Who Makes the Far Right?
@booklearning.bsky.social and I used membership application forms for the National Front of Australia (secretly copied by ASIO in 1980/1) to analyse who supported the far right in Australia in 1970s-80s.
Open access article!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@booklearning.bsky.social and I used membership application forms for the National Front of Australia (secretly copied by ASIO in 1980/1) to analyse who supported the far right in Australia in 1970s-80s.
Open access article!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
It’s often assumed the far right recruits from ‘white working class’ and there’s surprise some have ‘normal’ middle class jobs. @booklearning.bsky.social and I looked at who applied to join an Australian far right group in 1970s-80s to test this assumption.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 10, 2026 at 12:04 AM
It’s often assumed the far right recruits from ‘white working class’ and there’s surprise some have ‘normal’ middle class jobs. @booklearning.bsky.social and I looked at who applied to join an Australian far right group in 1970s-80s to test this assumption.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The far right in Australia was very geographically determined. The main NFA bases were in Queensland and Victoria, with NFA HQ in Melbourne until the early 1980s and then in Queensland. In Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, applying members generally lived in working class or lower middle class suburbs.
February 9, 2026 at 9:44 AM
The far right in Australia was very geographically determined. The main NFA bases were in Queensland and Victoria, with NFA HQ in Melbourne until the early 1980s and then in Queensland. In Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, applying members generally lived in working class or lower middle class suburbs.
The NFA heavily skewed male, with only 9 women present in the application forms. Of those 9, 4 joined at the same time as their husband. However the leader of the NFA from 1978 to 1981 was Rosemary Sisson, a law student in her 20s, which was very different from the NF in the UK.
February 9, 2026 at 9:41 AM
The NFA heavily skewed male, with only 9 women present in the application forms. Of those 9, 4 joined at the same time as their husband. However the leader of the NFA from 1978 to 1981 was Rosemary Sisson, a law student in her 20s, which was very different from the NF in the UK.
In terms of age, the National Front of Australia skewed towards the young and the old. Of those who provided a DOB, 14 were under 25 and 18 were over the age of 50.
February 9, 2026 at 9:36 AM
In terms of age, the National Front of Australia skewed towards the young and the old. Of those who provided a DOB, 14 were under 25 and 18 were over the age of 50.
Of those who provided an occupation on the application form, we can see a slightly higher amount of people working 'blue collar' jobs. There were also a small number of farmers, graziers and plantation managers.
In addition, there were several who described themselves as retired or students.
In addition, there were several who described themselves as retired or students.
February 9, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Of those who provided an occupation on the application form, we can see a slightly higher amount of people working 'blue collar' jobs. There were also a small number of farmers, graziers and plantation managers.
In addition, there were several who described themselves as retired or students.
In addition, there were several who described themselves as retired or students.
Analysing support for far right parties can be difficult, so Lauren and I used membership application forms sent to the NFA in the late 1970s-80s, which were then copied by ASIO in c.1981 and found in the NAA. These forms contain lots of demographic information (address, employment, age, gender).
February 9, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Analysing support for far right parties can be difficult, so Lauren and I used membership application forms sent to the NFA in the late 1970s-80s, which were then copied by ASIO in c.1981 and found in the NAA. These forms contain lots of demographic information (address, employment, age, gender).
Get in, we’re updating Moby Dick
February 5, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Get in, we’re updating Moby Dick
Cool to see a little quote from me in the promo for @yiannicart.bsky.social’s new book from @anthempress.bsky.social
anthempress.com/books/ikaria...
anthempress.com/books/ikaria...
January 31, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Cool to see a little quote from me in the promo for @yiannicart.bsky.social’s new book from @anthempress.bsky.social
anthempress.com/books/ikaria...
anthempress.com/books/ikaria...
For further information on the history of the far right in Australia, as well as those who have opposed it, I have uploaded the intro to our book 'Histories of Fascism and Anti-Fascism in Australia' here.
@drjpersian.bsky.social
www.academia.edu/121035689/Hi...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
@drjpersian.bsky.social
www.academia.edu/121035689/Hi...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
January 30, 2026 at 10:59 PM
For further information on the history of the far right in Australia, as well as those who have opposed it, I have uploaded the intro to our book 'Histories of Fascism and Anti-Fascism in Australia' here.
@drjpersian.bsky.social
www.academia.edu/121035689/Hi...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
@drjpersian.bsky.social
www.academia.edu/121035689/Hi...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
31 January, 1971 - Anti-fascists in Melbourne fight with neo-Nazis as the National Socialist Party of Australia attempt to hold a rally on the banks of the Yarra. The NSPA HQ in Nicholson Street is later attacked by protestors.
January 30, 2026 at 10:51 PM
31 January, 1971 - Anti-fascists in Melbourne fight with neo-Nazis as the National Socialist Party of Australia attempt to hold a rally on the banks of the Yarra. The NSPA HQ in Nicholson Street is later attacked by protestors.
Not one mention of Napalm Death in this article!
January 29, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Not one mention of Napalm Death in this article!
To celebrate the publication of @d-j-frost.bsky.social and mine’s book ‘In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956’, I am giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who reposts this post by 11.59pm ACST Sunday 1 Feb.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
January 27, 2026 at 7:21 AM
To celebrate the publication of @d-j-frost.bsky.social and mine’s book ‘In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956’, I am giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who reposts this post by 11.59pm ACST Sunday 1 Feb.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
A garden and a library, Cicero? In this economy?
January 23, 2026 at 2:46 AM
A garden and a library, Cicero? In this economy?
Look what arrived in the mail today!
You can currently get your very own copy with a 40% discount until the end of January via the @manchesterup.bsky.social website.
@d-j-frost.bsky.social
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
You can currently get your very own copy with a 40% discount until the end of January via the @manchesterup.bsky.social website.
@d-j-frost.bsky.social
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
January 22, 2026 at 12:09 PM
Look what arrived in the mail today!
You can currently get your very own copy with a 40% discount until the end of January via the @manchesterup.bsky.social website.
@d-j-frost.bsky.social
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
You can currently get your very own copy with a 40% discount until the end of January via the @manchesterup.bsky.social website.
@d-j-frost.bsky.social
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
Quoted this section from it the other day!
January 22, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Quoted this section from it the other day!
“This pamphlet is too big to fit in my jacket pocket”
January 18, 2026 at 11:22 AM
“This pamphlet is too big to fit in my jacket pocket”
“My hands are glued to this bench”
January 18, 2026 at 11:03 AM
“My hands are glued to this bench”
Routledge are having a 20 per cent off sale, so a great time to pick up one of my books. But if you purchase 3 together, the discount goes up to 25 per cent!
www.routledge.com/search?autho...
www.routledge.com/search?autho...
January 18, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Routledge are having a 20 per cent off sale, so a great time to pick up one of my books. But if you purchase 3 together, the discount goes up to 25 per cent!
www.routledge.com/search?autho...
www.routledge.com/search?autho...
A reminder that @manchesterup.bsky.social are having a 40% off sale for the whole of January, so use this as an excuse to pick up the new book by @d-j-frost.bsky.social and me - In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
January 15, 2026 at 1:07 PM
A reminder that @manchesterup.bsky.social are having a 40% off sale for the whole of January, so use this as an excuse to pick up the new book by @d-j-frost.bsky.social and me - In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
Welcome new BlueSky user, but the discourse is in another castle!
January 12, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Welcome new BlueSky user, but the discourse is in another castle!
January 9, 2026 at 12:45 PM