Douglas Darby

Evelyn Douglas Darby MP (24 September 1910 – 22 August 1985) was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. His efforts in denouncing socialism, attacking the labour movement, breaking strikes, organising anti-Soviet Eastern European émigrés, supporting Australia's military commitment to the Vietnam War, and championing non-communist Taiwan, established Darby's reputation as a powerful right-wing ideologue.

Early life Darby was born in Lowestoft, England, and remained proud to be British throughout his life. His parents were Percy Charles Darby, estate agent, and his wife Jessie, née Ainslie, a branch secretary of Shop Assistants Union. Darby attempted to break a 24-hour tram and bus strike in his electorate, seeing the Tramways Union as part of Labor's "servile state". Although denounced by strikers as a "strike breaker", most commentators supported Darby's efforts. A further bus and tram strike in January 1947 brought Darby's Manly Emergency Services Committee into operation and there were physical conflicts with communists from Sydney. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, seven public transport strikes occurred in Sydney, but each strike was weakened by the many individuals who responded to Darby's appeal for motorists to offer lifts to stranded commuters. along with support for the Australian role in the Vietnam War. By 1973 he helped found an unofficial organisation known as the Australia-Free China Society, Darby was the editor and principal contributor to the Society's fortnightly newsletter, Australia-Free China News. The promotion of "Free China", along with his parliamentary duties, took up much of Darby's time during the Gough Whitlam years. at nearby 37 White Street, Balgowlah in 1953 where he spent the rest of his life. Douglas and Esme had two sons (James and Michael), four daughters (Alison, Jennifer, Norma and Rosemary) and an adopted Chinese daughter (Mala).

He died on 22 August 1985 after undergoing heart surgery at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital at Wahroonga.

His wife, Esme (1908–97), was educated at Fort Street Girls High School, Sydney Teachers College and the University of Sydney (graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1934). She worked as a teacher in the years 1928-41 and 1943-44. While living in the Manly area she supported The NSW Society for Crippled Children. After a failed bid in 1961 to gain pre-selection for the seat of Mackellar, she supported the Australian Housewives Association on the Captive Nations Week committee, accompanied her husband to several anti-communist conferences overseas and to Taiwan, and was a committee member of the Australia-Free China Society. In 1975 she was awarded an MBE for her promotion of youth welfare. The New Rat Track, Sydney: D. Darby, 1971 The Natural Anti-Pollutionist, St. Ives, N.S.W.: South Pacific Federation of Natural Therapeutists, 1972 Out of the Night, Taipei: Australia-Free China Society, 1975 Oil for Lamps of Freedom, Taipei and Sydney: Australia-Free China Society, 1972; 2nd edition, Australia-Free China Society, 1977 The Radiance of a Star, Sydney: Wentworth Books, 1972 Why Croatia?, [Victoria]: D. Darby, c. 1975 Slovakia's Quest for Freedom, Sydney: Australian Slovak's Association, 1978 Australia's Debt to the Republic of China, Sydney: Australia-Free China Society, 1978 Trust the Two Per Cent: A Comparative Study of Free China and Communist China, Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Centre for International Studies, 1982 Christmas Means Giving, Balgowlah, N.S.W.: D. Darby, 1982 The Forgotten Factor: The Twenty-Seventh Christmas Poem, Balgowlah, N.S.W.: D. Darby, 1983