By Tim Briedis
This thesis explores a slice of Brisbane’s radical history. I focus on the Self-Management Group (SMG), a revolutionary organisation that flourished from 1971-1977. The SMG formed as Brisbane activism shifted from a politics based around conscience to a revolutionary subjectivity. In 1977, the SMG dissolved. Three new organisations were formed, one of which became the Brisbane Greens in 1984. I examine the potential and pitfalls of radical organisation. While the SMG had flaws, its practice was strengthened by a utopian desire, a creative flair and a sense of how the political relates to everyday life. I argue that such utopian desire is relevant to a revitalisation of political radicalism today.
Categories: Anarchism/Anti-State, History and Historiography