The first purpose of this study is to provide a detailed history of the 1926 referendum. Up to now there exist only brief descriptions in such journals as the Round Table and a short article by J. T. Lang. To arrive at adequate generalizations concerning the referendum process in Australia one needs to study the life stories of all referenda. More is needed than the mere surface details which may hide more than they reveal. We hope to have made a contribution towards closing this gap. Our major general thesis is that one must penetrate behind the coalition of interests known as "political parties" and study both the pressure groups which support them, and the shifting' and often conflicting interests within these groups, in order to understand the alignments in the referenda, the tactics of the warring factions, and the final outcome.