The Communist Party of Australia reshaped working class politics in Australia from its foundation in 1920 for decades. But by 1991, it vanished with barely a whimper.

The story of the CPA is one of courage and dedication by thousands of working class fighters, led by the party in important battles. At the same time, it is a story of bitter disappointment as the party was plagued by bureaucratic Stalinist politics. These politics eventually led the party further and further towards capitulation to capitalism.

This talk will focus on Tom O'Lincoln's significant exploration of the decline of the CPA, tracing its rise to historic heights around World War Two, and its role in important struggles of the post-war period, as well as its ultimate decline and demise as it drifted "into the mainstream." This talk comes as Into the Mainstream is re-released in a new edition, with its lessons for revolutionaries of today as relevant and pressing as ever.