Introducing BA Santamaria[1] “Sometimes depicted as a man totally dedicated to principle, even perhaps despite consequences, he emerges…rather as an agile political pragmatist reformulating theory to suit the purpose at hand… “[Santamaria’s] driving will is the explanatory key which allows us to see our intrepid anti-communist crusader not so much as a grand conspirator, but as a tragic figure in the classic sense, whose own indomitable will and imagination betrayed him, seducing him into a political adventure which was bound to fail.” – Fr Bruce Duncan[2] Bartholomew Augustine – more commonly just BA or “Santamaria” – Santamaria stands as one of the most impactful and provocative characters in Australian political history. He was one of “relatively few Australian political figures” to “leave a lasting impression on their country’s history and moral life”[3]: he deeply entangled himself in major historical events, especially the Labor Party split in 1954-5 and the Catholic Church near-split in 1955-7; through his political organising, propaganda writing and occasional advice to government, he would affect the political identities and careers of countless thousands; and he would come to have significant long-term influence on the social fabric of this country, especially the ideological landscape and cultural discourse.