One of the most famous incidents of the anti-conscription campaigns occurred shortly before the second referendum. Prime Minister Hughes had two eggs thrown at him while speaking at a railway station in Warwick, Queensland. This incident led to the formation of the Commonwealth Police.

Hughes announced the second referendum in November 1917, just seven weeks before the vote was to be held. This campaign was short and fierce.

Queensland had been one of the strongest ‘No’ votes in the first referendum, and its Premier, Thomas Ryan, was the only state leader to oppose conscription. Hughes made it a priority to visit Queensland in the campaign.

On 29 November 1917, Hughes was returning to Sydney after speaking at a number of meetings in Brisbane. This visit had been particularly fiery; while there Hughes had ordered the Censors to raid the Queensland Government Printers to seize copies of a speech Ryan had made; in return some of Ryan’s associates had suggested that he should arrest the Prime Minister.

Hughes’ train stopped at Warwick, and he stepped off to address the crowd. As he approached the platform his supporters had built for him, he was hit by two eggs thrown by Paddy Brosnan; one of them lodged in his hat. Hughes would later claim that it knocked off his hat. A supporter of the Prime Minister jumped off the platform and struck Brosnan in the face. Police Sergeant Kenny removed Brosnan from the station, although he later returned to heckle the Prime Minister. This time it was an enraged Hughes, who jumped off the platform, yelling “arrest that man!” Kenny refused to do so, arguing that no crime had been committed, and as a Queensland police officer was not required to take commands from the Prime Minister.

Hughes used this incident in his subsequent campaigning, exaggerating many of the details. This article from a pro-conscriptionist newspaper is based on that exaggerated version.

Although it appears amusing, this incident had serious consequences. Irritated that Premier Ryan refused to discipline Kenny, Hughes vowed to establish a Commonwealth Police, under the control of the federal government. Some of the first postings were made in Warwick.

Further Information

Conscription

Mr Hughes in Queensland

Assaulted at Warwick

Hat Knocked Off

With Rotten Eggs

Police Protection Withheld

Brisbane. Thursday.

Extraordinary riots occurred at Warwick this afternoon. When Mr. Hughes alighted from the train he was seized by a mob and subjected to much violence, while addled eggs were thrown. One of the eggs knocked his hat off. 

A returned soldier threw himself at Mr. Hughes' assailant. A fight ensued and Mr. Hughes was soon in the middle of the mob. One man carried a hammer and another a spanner. 

Mr. Hughes, in the midst of the demonstration appealed to the police. But the sympathies of the police were not with him. Mr. Hughes was being assailed by a man much bigger than himself. The man was arrested, but was released immediately when out of Mr. Hughes' sight, and returned to the scene.