“To be Avoided at all Hazards” – Rebel Irish and Syndicalists Coming into Office”

This chapter focuses on the ramifications of the Easter Rising for the broader British imperial network, specifically for Australian politics. It looks at the impact of the Rising on the government of Prime Minister William Morris Hughes. Anger at the British response to the Rising led Irish Catholics in Australia to vote against conscription, leading to the loss of a referendum in 1916. The prospect of “rebel Irish and syndicalists” undermining the Australian contribution to the war effort caused alarm among conservatives in Australia and Britain. Prime Minister Hughes then entered into trade negotiations with the British imperial government to sell Australian wheat in order to win back the farmers’ vote in time for the 1917 election. Poor climatic conditions outside Australia, however, pushed up prices for Australian wheat and enabled the government to reach an agreement favourable for farmers, despite British disappointment at the failure of conscription.