[1996.0101] Papers of George Cunningham

Photographs and memorabilia of George Cunningham’s part in Dymphna Cusack’s play, Pacific Paradise, produced by the New Theatre in 1956. Includes other plays of New Theatre in the 1950s including Reedy River.

Scrap book of George Cunningham’s cartoons compiled by his mother in a wall paper sample book, 1961 - 1963.

Shows Menzies with his hand in the pocket of the workers of DLP Destruction Co. Ltd. N.d.; no author identified, but possibly Cunningham from typical form of his Menzies. Fragile print.

Shows United ARU under present leadership strangling the DLP ‘Group’ leaders emerging as a snake from a sack of money for sabotaging unions held by Menzies, Bolte and Monopoly. N.d.; no author identified. Fragile print.

‘We’ve done it again. Now for a MORE peaceful New Year’. Shows Santa with comets of Provocations, Bomb Tests and Border Incidents behind him. N.d.

‘The big grab: rents, fares, freights’, Counihan 1955, original drawing which shows Bolte as robber with sack of loot. Annotated, ‘Bolting from Pentridge - No - Bolte from Parliament’.

‘We’ve done it again. Now for a MORE peaceful New Year’. Shows Santa with comets of Provocations, Bomb Tests and Border Incidents behind him. N.d.

Shows Menzies accusing peace demonstrators of being Communist Dupes, n.d. Transparency.

Shows Menzies buying US oil for heaps of money and selling Australian oil to the US for Peanuts, 4/1962. Printed copy.

‘One push and the whole caboose will go over for good’, 1961. Shows Menzies as a Knight riding the Country Party broken down horse with the DLP and Anti-Communism propping him up. Published copy from Guardian.

‘She won’t move until we get rid of that ballast’, Cunningham’s first published cartoon. Shows the US space scientists trying to launch moon rocket with Monopoly Owned Science, War Profits, Unemployment and Racial Prejudice preventing it.

Shows Menzies suspended from a DLP balloon with Unions about to deflate it. N.d. Similar sketch on back of original.

‘End this act - on December [9th?]’. Shows Leaders of the DLP [McManus] carrying Menzies on tight rope, n.d., but possibly 1962. Includes published version as Guardian cartoon of the week.

‘Now don’t blame me - I definitely said Don’t go over Kings Bridge!’, 2/1963. Bolte to chauffeur in Roles Royce with big bend in middle.

Shows grave robbers digging up grave of Petrov in middle of night with Menzies silhouette in background, 3/1963.

‘All I want is to come into the kitchen for a warm’, 1963. Shows US Militarists as a large snake set to coil around the Australian householder represented as a trusting chicken.

‘Behind Bolte’s facade’, 1963. Shows Bolte hiding behind a facade which reads ‘visit Victoria the Progressive State’, while Kings Bridge, Spencer Street Station, Horsham-Kyosan appear on the rubbish tip behind.

‘Spring Street Bubble’, 1963. Shows Bolte blocking household water supply with Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works rate rises.

‘And now Your Honors, we find we are in a position to proceed at last’, 1962. Shows Kings Bridge Royal Commission now in session, March 1979, with Judge and Clerk of Court all grown old and dusty waiting to commence.

‘Make 1962 a proclaimed period’, 1962. Shows the large fire hose of peoples’ action pointing at a nuclear cloud.

‘Horatio at the bridge’, ‘We will do what we consider to be right, disregarding the noisy minority and the biased, sectional press’: Bolte, 1962. Shows Bolte as Horatio on the propped up King Street Bridge holding back demonstrators with placards reading

‘A King size shake up’, 1962. Shows Bolte being shaken and dollars, low quotes, x-rays, facts and truth falling from his pockets.

‘Don’t worry, Bud, we’re only making weather checks’, 1962. Shows US Soldier guarding ‘Li’l ole Laverton U.2 Base: Australians keep out’ with U2 plane named Miss Calculation and H-Bombs in background.