THE FABIAN SOCIETY
Notable members
- Gough Whitlam (ALP Prime Minister 1972–75)
- Bob Hawke (ALP Prime Minister 1983–1991)
- Paul Keating (ALP Prime Minister 1991–1996)
- John Cain (ALP Premier of Victoria)
- Jim Cairns (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)
- Don Dunstan (ALP Premier of South Australia)
- Geoff Gallop (ALP Premier of Western Australia)
- Neville Wran (ALP Premier of NSW 1976–86)
- Frank Crean (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)
- Arthur Calwell (ALP Former Leader)
- John Faulkner (ALP Senator and National President)
- Julia Gillard (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)
- John Lenders (ALP Treasurer of Victoria)
- Henry Hyde Champion (Journalist)
- John Percy Jones (Businessman)
- Nettie Palmer (Writer)
- Ernest Besant-Scott (Historian)
- Lucy Morice (Feminist)
- Charles Strong (Clergyman)
- William Henry Archer (Statistician)
- Edward Shann (Economist)
- Charles Marson (Clergyman)
- David Charleston (Trade Unionist)
- John Howlett Ross (Teacher)
- Bernard O'Dowd (Writer)
- Phillip Adams (Broadcaster)
But there was another movement coming to birth at about this same time that
eventually gave competition to the hard-core Marxists. Some of the more erudite members
of the wealthy and intellectual classes of England formed an organization to perpetuate the
concept of collectivism but not exactly according to Marx. It was called the Fabian Society.
The name is significant, because it was in honor of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrrucosus,
his army with delaying tactics, endless maneuvering, and avoiding confrontation wherever
possible. Unlike the Marxists who were in a hurry to come to power through direct
the Fabians were willing to take their time, to come to power without direct confrontation, working quietly and patiently from inside thetarget governments.confrontation with established governments, To emphasize this strategy, and to separate themselves from the Marxists, they adopted the turtle as their symbol. And their official shield portrays an image of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Those two images perfectly summarize their strategy.
It is now 1884, and we find ourselves in Surrey, England observing a small group of
these Fabians, sitting around a table in the stylish home of two of their more prominent
members, Sydney and Beatrice Webb. The Webbs later would be known world wide as the
founders of the London School of Economics. Their home eventually was donated to the
Around the table are such well-knownfigures as George Bernard Shaw, Arnold Toynbee, H.G. Wells,many prominent people aremembers, not the least of which is England’s Ex Prime Minister, Tony Blair
Fabian Society and became its official headquarters. and numerous others of similar caliber. By the way, the Fabian Society still exists, and H.G. Wells wrote a book to serve as a guide showing how collectivism can be The Open Conspiracy, and the plan was spelled out in minute detail. His fervor was intense. He saidembedded into society without arousing alarm or serious opposition. It was called that the old religions of the world must give way to the new religion of collectivism. The new religion should be the state, he said, and the state should take charge of all human activity with, of course, elitists such as himself in control. On the very first page, he says:
“This book states as plainly and clearly as possible the essential ideas of my life, the
perspective of my world…. This is my religion. Here are my directive aims and the criteria
of all I do.”1
