Australian Interwar Years MCQs with Answer
Which Australian Prime Minister served during most of the interwar period?
a) Robert Menzies
b) Billy Hughes
c) Joseph Lyons
d) Stanley Bruce
Answer:
Answer: d) Stanley Bruce
What was the nickname given to the economic crisis that affected Australia in the 1930s?
a) The Depression
b) The Boom
c) The Renaissance
d) The Revival
Answer:
Answer: a) The Depression
The Australian Labor Party split in 1931, leading to the formation of which political party?
a) Nationalist Party
b) United Australia Party
c) Liberal Party
d) Country Party
Answer:
Answer: b) United Australia Party
In 1927, which city was declared as the federal capital of Australia?
a) Sydney
b) Perth
c) Canberra
d) Melbourne
Answer:
Answer: c) Canberra
What significant event occurred in Australia in 1929, affecting the economy and employment rates?
a) Gold Rush
b) Great Barrier Reef discovery
c) Stock Market Crash
d) Wool Boom
Answer:
Answer: c) Stock Market Crash
Which treaty formally ended World War I and was signed in 1919?
a) Treaty of Versailles
b) Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
c) Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
d) Treaty of Trianon
Answer:
Answer: a) Treaty of Versailles
The establishment of the Commonwealth Grants Commission occurred during which decade?
a) 1910s
b) 1920s
c) 1930s
d) 1940s
Answer:
Answer: b) 1920s
Who led the Australian Labor Party during the interwar years and served as Prime Minister twice?
a) Andrew Fisher
b) James Scullin
c) Billy Hughes
d) Joseph Lyons
Answer:
Answer: b) James Scullin
Which year marked the beginning of the Great Depression in Australia?
a) 1929
b) 1932
c) 1935
d) 1939
Answer:
Answer: a) 1929
The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge construction began in which year?
a) 1923
b) 1927
c) 1932
d) 1935
Answer:
Answer: b) 1927
What was the name of the political ideology that influenced Australian governments during the interwar years, emphasizing government intervention in the economy?
a) Laissez-faire
b) Fascism
c) Keynesianism
d) Communism
Answer:
Answer: c) Keynesianism
Which famous military campaign during World War I significantly involved Australian troops and resulted in heavy casualties?
a) Battle of Gallipoli
b) Battle of the Somme
c) Battle of Verdun
d) Battle of Passchendaele
Answer:
Answer: a) Battle of Gallipoli
What major industry experienced a severe decline during the Great Depression in Australia?
a) Agriculture
b) Mining
c) Manufacturing
d) Textiles
Answer:
Answer: a) Agriculture
The famous “Melbourne Cup” horse race has been held since which year?
a) 1883
b) 1890
c) 1900
d) 1910
Answer:
Answer: a) 1883
What was the political stance of the Lang Labor faction led by Jack Lang in New South Wales during the Great Depression?
a) Conservative
b) Radical
c) Liberal
d) Centrist
Answer:
Answer: b) Radical
The British Empire Exhibition in Wembley, England, took place in which year, showcasing Australian products and industry?
a) 1922
b) 1924
c) 1926
d) 1928
Answer:
Answer: c) 1926
The “Dust Bowl” phenomenon affected which region of Australia during the 1930s?
a) Northern Territory
b) Queensland
c) New South Wales
d) South Australia
Answer:
Answer: c) New South Wales
The Australian economy began to recover from the Great Depression in the mid-1930s due to what factor?
a) Increased government spending
b) Rise in global commodity prices
c) Foreign investments
d) Improved agricultural practices
Answer:
Answer: b) Rise in global commodity prices
Who became the first woman elected to the Australian Parliament during the interwar years?
a) Enid Lyons
b) Edith Cowan
c) Jessie Street
d) Dorothy Tangney
Answer:
Answer: b) Edith Cowan
The “New Guard” was a right-wing paramilitary movement established in opposition to which political figure?
a) Jack Lang
b) Joseph Lyons
c) Robert Menzies
d) James Scullin
Answer:
Answer: a) Jack Lang
Which trade union leader played a significant role in the Australian labor movement during the interwar years?
a) Ben Chifley
b) William McKell
c) John Curtin
d) J.T. Lang
Answer:
Answer: a) Ben Chifley
What name was given to the government-led program to provide work for the unemployed during the Great Depression?
a) New Deal
b) WorkChoices
c) Relief and Recovery Plan
d) Work for Australia Initiative
Answer:
Answer: a) New Deal
The 1933 Royal Commission led to the reorganization of which institution in Australia?
a) Australian Broadcasting Commission
b) Reserve Bank of Australia
c) Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
d) Australian Federal Police
Answer:
Answer: b) Reserve Bank of Australia
The policy of forcibly removing Indigenous Australian children from their families during this time is commonly known as what?
a) Indigenous Reconciliation
b) The Stolen Generations
c) Cultural Integration
d) Assimilation Project
Answer:
Answer: b) The Stolen Generations
Which international event significantly contributed to the economic downturn in Australia during the 1930s?
a) Treaty of Versailles
b) Great Depression in the United States
c) Rise of Fascism in Europe
d) Russian Revolution
Answer:
Answer: b) Great Depression in the United States
What was the name of the policy that restricted non-European immigration to Australia during the interwar years?
a) White Australia Policy
b) Closed Borders Initiative
c) Selective Immigration Plan
d) Pacific Exclusion Act
Answer:
Answer: a) White Australia Policy
The ‘Battle of Brisbane’ in 1942 was primarily between whom?
a) Australian and Japanese forces
b) Australian military and local citizens
c) Labor and Conservative political factions
d) Allied and Axis forces
Answer:
Answer: b) Australian military and local citizens
What was the name of the Australian infantry unit that fought in World War I and was known for their achievements at Gallipoli?
a) ANZAC
b) AIF
c) RAAF
d) SASR
Answer:
Answer: a) ANZAC
Which labor leader initiated the ‘Premier’s Plan’ in an attempt to overcome the economic crisis of the 1930s?
a) James Scullin
b) Joseph Lyons
c) Jack Lang
d) Ben Chifley
Answer:
Answer: c) Jack Lang
The ‘Harvester Judgment’ of 1907 had a significant impact on which aspect of Australian society?
a) Industrial relations
b) Agricultural subsidies
c) Immigration laws
d) Environmental conservation
Answer:
Answer: a) Industrial relations
Which Australian state was affected by a severe economic downturn due to the collapse of its banking system during the Great Depression?
a) New South Wales
b) Victoria
c) Queensland
d) South Australia
Answer:
Answer: a) New South Wales
The ‘Bradfield Scheme’ proposed the diversion of rivers in which region of Australia for agricultural purposes?
a) Northern Territory
b) Western Australia
c) Queensland
d) Tasmania
Answer:
Answer: c) Queensland
Who became the Prime Minister of Australia after the dismissal of the Scullin government in 1931?
a) Billy Hughes
b) Joseph Lyons
c) Stanley Bruce
d) James Scullin
Answer:
Answer: c) Stanley Bruce
What was the name given to the coalition of conservative parties formed in 1922?
a) National Party
b) United Australia Party
c) Liberal Party
d) Country Party
Answer:
Answer: d) Country Party
The ‘Doctrine of the Australian Settlement’ advocated for what principle in Australian politics during this period?
a) Protectionism
b) Free trade
c) Imperialism
d) Isolationism
Answer:
Answer: a) Protectionism
Who was the Governor-General of Australia during the 1920s and 1930s?
a) Lord Denman
b) Lord Gowrie
c) Lord Forster
d) Lord Stonehaven
Answer:
Answer: b) Lord Gowrie
What was the term used to describe the generation that came of age during World War I and grew up in the interwar years?
a) Lost Generation
b) Silent Generation
c) Baby Boomers
d) Greatest Generation
Answer:
Answer: a) Lost Generation
What pivotal event in global politics significantly influenced Australia’s foreign policy during the interwar years?
a) Bolshevik Revolution
b) Treaty of Versailles
c) Great Depression
d) Rise of Fascism in Europe
Answer:
Answer: b) Treaty of Versailles
The ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ was constructed in Western Australia for what purpose?
a) Preventing