Australian Events

Posted in 1917

  • Prime Minister W M Hughes visiting World War I troopsFebruary: Billy Hughes leads his newly formed Nationalist Party to election victory and is returned as Prime Minister (see Australian Prime Ministers). This is despite his expulsion from the Labor Party in November 1916 over the issue of conscription when pro-conscriptionist Hughes decided to abandon the anti-conscriptionists in the Labor Party and try to govern with opposition support. The new Ministry is a coalition of National, Labor and Liberal.
  • "Win the War Day" Procession, Melbourne, 24 May 1917A second referendum to endorse a new scheme of compulsory military service for single men aged 20 to 44 is defeated by a larger majority than the first held in October 1916.
  • Daylight saving is introduced to save fuel resources.
  • Holden Brothers begin manufacturing car bodies.