Ernie Judd
Ernest Edward Job Pullin Judd | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ernest Edward Job Pullin Judd Template:Birth date near Forbes, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | August 20, 1959 (aged 76) Rydalmere mental hospital, Australia |
| Other names | Ernie Judd |
| Occupation(s) | Socialist activist, publisher, political commentator, bookseller |
| Years active | circa 1907–1930s |
| Known for | Socialist activism, publishing The Best Bookshop, political commentary |
Ernest "Ernie" Edward Job Pullin Judd (9 April 1883 – 20 August 1959) was an Australian figure known for his socialist activism, publishing ventures, political commentary, and bookselling.
Family
Judd entered the world near Forbes, New South Wales as the eldest among ten siblings. His parents were Ernest Augustus Judd (1861–1918), who worked as a road contractor, and Alice Florence (née Stephens) (1865–1937). All four of his grandparents hailed from England. Later in life, he moved to Sydney.
Early political activities
Circa 1907, Judd became a member and treasurer of the Socialist Labor Party, which followed Daniel de Leon’s doctrines and had separated from the Industrial Workers of the World. He also maintained connections with Sydney’s I.W.W. Club.
As an Independent Socialist candidate, Judd ran for office in Wollongong during the 1913 New South Wales State Elections, achieving 4.8% of votes. He made another unsuccessful bid in 1917 for the King electorate in Sydney, receiving just 0.4%.
During the First World War, Judd represented the Municipal Workers' Union as a delegate to the Labor Council of New South Wales. Firmly opposing conscription, he collaborated with H. E. Boote and P. S. Brookfield to challenge the 1916 I.W.W. prosecutions and was appointed by the Labor Council to investigate and support their release. He gained notice by publishing W. A. Holman’s Secret Memorandum, which exposed plans to dismiss single men to increase military enlistment.
In the Senate election held in May 1917, Judd garnered 11,983 votes but did not win a seat.
By late 1918, while living in Surrey Hills, Sydney, Judd faced charges under the War Precautions Act due to his anti-recruitment statements. Although convicted, the jury recommended leniency and he received a £25 fine. He appealed to the Privy Council in London; however, on 21 October 1919, his appeal was rejected.
Publisher and bookseller
Judd established his own publishing enterprise and operated 'The Best Bookshop' at 140 Castlereagh Street in Sydney. Through this venue and the secularist periodical Liberator, he promoted literature on free thought and birth control. His works included The War and the Sydney Labor Council (1917) and Judd's Speech From the Dock (1919). In The Case for the O.B.U. (1919), he argued for replacing 'Class Governments' with an 'Industrial Parliament' while criticizing the Australian Labor Party. Later publications included How to End Capitalism and Inaugurate Socialism (1931) and a co-authored piece with A. P. Warren titled Why War is Near.
Post-War Political activities
By 1920, Judd had become a compelling orator with considerable influence; police noted how crowds at socialist gatherings were drawn to him. The release of ten I.W.W. members that year further enhanced his standing, although his candidacy for Sydney Central in state elections yielded only 282 votes.
He declined participation in a 1921 unity conference among Sydney socialists, condemning the Communist Party as merely a capitalist front organization. Following an altercation with right-wing protesters at The Domain where he brandished a revolver, Judd was convicted of carrying a firearm and offensive conduct; his subsequent appeal was denied.
As General Secretary of the Socialist Labor Party from 1920 onward, Judd faced challenges disciplining industrial organizer A. W. Wilson and later experienced conflicts with Arnold Peterson, leader of the American counterpart party. With dwindling support for his party, he became protective over its finances and engaged in legal disputes. In 1926, after being fined for neglecting compulsory voting in Senate elections, he unsuccessfully appealed through both state and federal judicial systems.
Through his publication Revolutionary Socialist, Judd criticized political figures such as R. J. Heffron and backed candidates like Tom Mutch in Botany during elections in 1927 and 1930; Heffron sued him over these accusations. In 1930, Judd successfully claimed £100 in damages against Sun Newspapers Ltd. for libel connected to his 1929 federal candidacy in North Sydney. However, his defamation suit against the Labor Daily in 1932 resulted only in minimal damages without costs awarded.
Remaining active as a public speaker at The Domain, Judd was arrested in January 1938 for using "unseemly language" and was fined £5 following self-representation at trial; he was also bound over to maintain good behaviour for a year.
Death
By 1929, Judd was living on Albion Street in Surrey Hills, Sydney, before relocating to Liverpool Street around 1930—an address that probably served as his office—during legal proceedings involving the Barrier Truth newspaper. Starting in the mid-1930s, his public presence diminished as he increasingly led a reclusive life. He passed away on 20 August 1959 at Rydalmere mental hospital; his Death Certificate recorded his usual residence as Llandaff Street, Bondi Junction. Judd was cremated without any religious ceremonies and remained unmarried throughout his life.
References
- Turner, I., Sydney’s Burning (Melbourne 1967).
- Farrell, F., International Socialism and Australian Labour (Sydney, 1981).
- Cain, F., The Wobblies at War (Melbourne, 1993).
- Sydney Morning Herald, various issues between 1919 and 1929.
- Wilson, A.W. All for the Cause (MSS, State Library of Victoria).
- Farrell, Frank, "Judd, Ernest Edward Job Pullin (Ernie) (1883 - 1959)" in "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Supplementary Volume, Melbourne University Press, 2005, pp 208–209.