1948, Paterson intervened when a police officer began to assault a demonstrator near Central station. Paterson was himself then struck from behind by another officer, and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, unconscious. Paterson was unable to do any political activity for some months afterwards. An inquiry into the incident found that no wrongdoing had occurred and no police officer was ever arrested or charged with the assault. The ex-Queensland police officer and former Labor leader Bill Hayden later named the officer as sergeant Jack Mahony, who had boasted about using a pick handle on "the 'Commie' Fred Paterson" during Hayden's time as an officer. While Paterson was recovering, the Queensland branch of the veterans organisation Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) expelled him for being a Communist. However, his return to Townsville, once he had sufficiently recovered from his injuries to travel, was widely celebrated. End of political career In a 1949 redistribution, Paterson's electorate of Bowen was abolished, and split between two new electorates: Burdekin and Whitsunday. Historian Ross Fitzgerald suggests that the redistribution was done deliberately to split Paterson's electoral support and prevent him from being returned to parliament in the 1950 election. Paterson contested the election in Whitsunday, but lost to Country Party candidate Lloyd Roberts. Paterson's defeat at the 1950 election largely ended his political career. At the time, Prime Minister Robert Menzies was launching his anti-Communist campaign, and introducing legislation to prevent Communists from holding public office. Paterson was involved in the successful campaign against Menzies' anti-Communist measures together with Max Julius, and he continued to be involved in the union movement and Communist Party right up until his death in 1977. Paterson and fellow communist Gilbert Burns were constantly the subject of surveillance by the federal security service more correctly known as the Commonwealth Security Service (CSS). The Brisbane office of the CSS was run by Bob Wake. See also Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947 Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1947–1950 References External links 1897 births 1977 deaths Australian Rhodes Scholars University of Queensland alumni Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly People from Townsville Australian socialists Australian communists Australian Marxists Communist Party of Australia members