National Liberal Union

The NLU was formed in August 1901, as a successor to the Queensland Political Association.^[3]

In 1902, Protectionist Party leader Alfred Deakin said in a letter to The Morning Post, a London newspaper, that "Ministerial forces were best under control" in southern Queensland through the NLU.^[4]

As the Protectionists were not active in Queensland at the time, the NLU endorsed candidates in the House of Representatives and Senate for the 1903 federal election.^[5][6] Two NLU MPs were elected, but none of the organisation's three senate candidates were successful.^[5]

The NLU remained active for a number of years, although they were largely replaced by the Anti-Socialist Party at the 1906 federal election.^[1] The only Protectionist candidate in Queensland was Darling Downs MP Littleton Groom, however by that time he did not appear to be linked to the NLU anymore.^[7]

Herbert Beaumont Marks served as the party's secretary for its Townsville branch in 1909.^[2] The NLU faded away around that time, which is when the Liberal Party was formed out of a 'fusion' of the Protectionists and Anti-Socialists.^[8]