According to multiple party sources, the Liberal Party’s aging membership is a free fall in Australia’s two most populous states, with one claiming the biggest expenses of their branches in recent years have become a “funeral wreath.”

The Liberals were destroyed in major cities in the federal election, losing seats in the Victorian Menzies and Deakin, as well as Sydney and possibly Bradfield’s Bank and Hughes, the Election Commission is recalculating. The stories in other capitals are not good.

The numbers of party members are closely protected by the office’s promise, but Australia’s Guardian has spoken with several party sources in New South Wales and Victoria, who are willing to disclose the numbers on unnamed conditions.

In Victoria, three sources said the membership ranged from 9,000 to 10,000, with most winning with Kooyong federal voters and Tim Wilson held by Till’s independent Monique Ryan and Goldstein.

A former member of Victoria's Liberal Party executive said the division had about 15,000 members close to 20 years ago. According to sources, the party has laid off employees and the average age of the remaining people has climbed to 68.

"One of our biggest expenses in the past (at local branches) was at funerals," they said. "We go to a $70 weekly at a flower shop."

Both state divisions are urging members to follow up on annual membership after losses and losses in the federal election. A Victorian source said about 30% of members had not renewed as of mid-May.

Party membership fell by 10,000 after losses in the state election in March 2023, before climbing to nearly 12,000 by the end of the year, a freelance source said. Another source said the current figure is between 8,000 and 10,000.

Earlier this month, NSW Freedom officials confirmed that about 5,000 people have failed their membership in recent years. In an opinion in the Australian Financial Review, they blamed factional battles in their branches on the decline.

"Our membership has dropped by more than 1,000 in just one year, with many branches refusing to support their factions in any way, and we have lost consecutive state and federal elections," wrote three senior party elders.

Party officials said more than 600 applicants were rejected due to concerns that they might affect the power balance within the branches.

The NSW Liberal Party’s annual disclosure to the State Election Commission also indicated a significant decline in membership income.

In 2018-19, the party generated $1.38 million from “paid individuals” with membership, affiliation or party subscriptions. According to the disclosure, the figure fell to $836,770 in the last fiscal year.

“We need to actively go out and find people and build personal relationships with them in an organization that is not a deal,” said a NSW liberal. “It’s not about getting people knocking on the door or donating, it’s about working together to help change government policies.”

Several sources of freedom in two states, including federal lawmakers, complained about losing volunteers and donors to third-party organizations, such as Advance Australia.

In Victoria, the Cormack Foundation, an entity nominated by the state branch, donated $500,000 in advance for the federal election campaign. When responding to these issues earlier this month, Advance's executive director Matthew Sheahan accused "anonymous liberals" of "hoping to blame everyone except themselves."

A former liberal, who is now involved in a political campaign by third-party organizations, said they have brought members of seats such as Goldstein and Kuyang to other voters in Victoria. But since the rise of turquoise independents, they now need to be in their own seats.

As a result, the party is increasingly relying on “non-causing actors” who are not party members in support of other marginal poll booths, they said. They mentioned reports that, despite the church banning followers from voting, the exclusive brothers’ religious denomination members published how to vote ahead of the May 3 poll.

"The Labor Party has a labor movement, the Green Party environment, the national nationals," the source said. "The Liberals are not a movement. Maybe, on the day, they were an anti-communist movement, but no Communists were in the work."

A Victorian liberal MP downplayed the decline in numbers and said the decline in volunteers was common in almost all community groups, not just political organizations. They said the cost of living has caused members to "slightly drop."

Sussan Ley was elected as leader, pledging to rebuild the party in major cities and called for a wider part of Australian society.

"If we keep our focus, our political movement will have the foundation to rebuild and guide Australians again toward a better future," Ley said earlier this month. "This begins with accepting the fact that Australians send a clear message in the election. We must listen, change and develop a new approach."

With other reports from Anne Davies