During this celebration of Australia’s Day, the World at War is proud to announce the publication of a selection of works from Down Under. While not large in number they are far ranging in subject and locale. From Garth we learn, most of us I’m sure, for the first time, of the Australian Ski Troops who were formed to oppose the powerful Vichy French forces in Syria. Moving on, Paul B. A., another contributor to our forum, has given us an excellent synopsis of the complicated command problems experienced by Australia as her forces served under a variety of British and U.S. commanders. Last, but certainly not least we are happy to publish for the first time anywhere, as complete a history of the development and deployment of Australian armor as exists anywhere on the web. This fine piece of writing will stand as a ready resource for future students of the Pacific Theatre whenever the subject is Australians at war. Please enjoy them with our compliments.
Given the restraints imposed by the period under discussion on this website, 1918 to roughly 1948, we will not venture back to very earliest beginnings of Australian nationhood even less to it's aboriginal antecedents. That is not our mission here. Rather we wish in the most general way to introduce the reader to some of more salient features of the Australian experience by the use of this timeline. Not every important event is included and good men can differ on what is most important.
From the turn of the 20th century until 1914 nearly 400,000 people started a new life on the shores of Australia. No less than immigration trade was an important element in the national life of Australia. Raw materials comprised the bulk of the goods being exported. While Australia traded with many nations her main trading partners during the pre-war period were, in order of importance, Great Britain, United States, Japan and Germany.
It is certainly no exaggeration to say that the Australian nation was born on the battlefields of the Great War. Over 330,000 Australians will take a direct part in the war fighting for the first time as an Australian army rather than part of the British army on battlefields ranging from Palestine to the Gallipoli to the Western Front. World War One is the great turning point in Australian history after which she will forge her own road to destiny while maintaining her close ties with Great Britain.
At home the war will reveal fractures in the body politic. Debate will rage on the question of conscription versus volunteerism and on the proper method of financing the war. The financial needs will be met by a combination of War Bonds, higher taxes and increased printing of bank notes. On one hand the war serves to bring the nation together while on the other reveals deep differences in thought.
As a consequence the political system will see the formation of distinct political parties such as the National Labor Party (split off from the Labor Party) and the Country Party.
In the twenties the state will undertake many large scale projects and assume a mounting burden of debt. All important branches of the economy with the exception of wool depend on state subsidies financed by bonds floated on the London exchange. With the onset of the economic crises of 1929, Australia, like most of the rest of the developed world will enter a time of severe hardship. Unemployment will reach 25% and credit will be unattainable. As the crisis deepens the central and state governments will be forced to cut all expenses including wages and pensions by the drastic figure of 20%. For the first time immigration falls below that of emigration. While the economy will see a slight improvement through the 1930's, it is only the demands of the coming war with the Axis that will pull the nation back into harness. By 1942 the economy has been centralized with state budgets falling under the hand of the central government.
It is fair to say that many Australians felt let down by Great Britain's failure to
live up to her security commitments in the Pacific Theater. As a result, Australia felt
more as an independent nation than ever before. Looking for their own security rather
than that of the Commonwealth, Menzies, once again Prime Minister, looked for
closer ties with the United States and was instrumental in the formation
and implementation of ANZUS treaty between the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
| 1899 |
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Britain’s colonial war with the Boers broke out in October. The Australian
colonies are quick to offer army contingents.
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| 1901 |
January 1 |
The "Commonwealth of Australia" is formed as a federation.
This changes the status of the former British colonies to a
united member of the British Commonwealth.
Due to rivalries between Sydney & Melbourne a site will be
chosen for the new capital.
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29 April |
An united Australian Parliament convened by proclamation at the Victorian House
of State Parliament Melbourne. In attendance is His Excellency Earl Hopetoun
Governor-General of Australia.
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9 May |
The first united Australian Commonwealth Parliament opened with public rejoicing
all-round by HRH Duke of Cornwall and York (later George V) at the Melbourne
Exhibition Building, erected to house the Great (Empire)
Exhibition of 1880.
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Non-indigenous population Australia: 3,773,801 persons.
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| 1902 |
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Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Women’s suffrage adopted for Federal elections.
The Immigration Restriction, the ‘White Australia’ Act passed in Parliament.
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| 1903 |
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Deakin succeeds Barton as PM.
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| 1904 |
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First cabinet of the Labor party with John Christian Watson as PM.
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| 1905 |
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Deakin once again becomes PM, this time for the Labor party.
The Introduction of the "Arbitration Court" to solve tariff conflicts. Since only organisations are allowed to plead, this leads to the growth of the labor unions.
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| 1906 |
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Australia government gains sovereignty over the British territory of Papua,
part of the New Guinea island.
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| 1907 |
September 26 |
Australia becomes a Dominion.
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| 1908 |
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The United States ‘Great White’ Fleet visits Australia.
Introduction of mandatory ‘Old Age and Invalid Pension Act’.
Federal Parliament agrees to locate the capital near Yass, NSW.
Andrew Fisher becomes PM in the second Labor government.
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| 1909 |
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Britain accepts concept of separate Australian navy with the Empire.
Compulsory military training of youths enacted.
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| 1911 |
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Australia’s population 4,455,000 million persons, not including the Aborigines.
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| 1912 |
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Federal transcontinental railway work began to connect the state of Western
Australia to the rest of the nation.
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| 1913 |
October 4 |
The new Royal Australian Navy Squadron enters Sydney Harbour.
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The new capital of Australia, the projected site, had the Governor-General of
Australia lay the first foundation stone and Lady Denman gave the new
place a name chosen by Federal Cabinet, Canberra.
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| 1914 |
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Norfolk Island becomes a territory of Australia, situated off the east coast.
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August |
Australia enters the Great War alongside the British Empire.
Australia sends small expeditionary force to capture the German colonies in
the southwest pacific and neutralise German naval wireless communications.
The PM Fisher pledges Australian support of the British Empire, "to the last
man and the last shilling"
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HMAS Sydney sinks the German raider Emden.
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| 1915 |
April 25 |
Landing at Gallipoli.
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| 1917 |
May |
The newly formed Nationalist Party wins the elections under W.M.Hughes
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| 1918 |
July 4 |
Monash in command of an Australian Army.
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| 1919 |
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At the peace conference at Versailles, Australia demands the annexation of the
former German colonies. It is granted a 'C class mandate for Papua & Bougainville.
Australia enters the League of Nations as a full member.
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| 1921 |
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First women elected to the Australian parliament.
Britain decides to build a naval base at Singapore.
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| 1922 |
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Federal cabinet supports PM Hughes in offering Australian troops for British security in Asia Minor.
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| 1923 |
February |
S.M.Bruce becomes Prime minister and forms a coalition government with the Country Party.
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Imperial Conference agrees the Dominions can appoint their own diplomatic representatives and negotiate
treaties with foreign powers.
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| 1926 |
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Imperial Conference defines status of Britain and the Dominions.
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| 1927 |
May 9 |
The Federal Office of Australian Government moves from Melbourne to Canberra.
The Duke of York opens the Parliament House in the new federal capital.
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| 1929 |
October |
The Wall Street crash.
A new government is formed by the Labor Party under James Henry Scullin.
The party is split between the faction that demands deficit spending and the
deflationist faction. In November Sculling puts up the protective tariff and
cancelled the connection from the Australian currency to the Gold standard.
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| 1930 |
April |
Restrictions on imports are introduced.
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December 2 |
Sir Isaac Isaacs, Chief Justice of Australia, becomes the first Australian
born Governor-General.
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| 1931 |
June |
Central and state governments agree to cut all expenses (including wages and pensions) by 20%. In December, due to a vote of no-confidence new elections are called. J.A.Lyons wins and leads a coalition of the Country Party and the newly formed United Australia Party (former Natinalist Party with some conservative elements of the Labor Party).
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The British government declares the political independence of the members of the Commonwealth. It is not ratified until 1942, which leaves the external policy of Australia entirely to Great Britain. Despite this, Australia builds up own diplomatical representations in many contries.
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| 1932 |
March |
Sydney Harbour Bridge, a symbol of national pride attracts huge crowds for opening.
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| 1933 |
January |
The international game of test cricket attracts political controversy with
the ‘bodyline’ series.
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The economy is slighly recovering.
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| 1938 |
April |
Robert Menzies leads a diplomatic mission to Nazi Germany.
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| 1939 |
April |
Robert Menzies becomes Australia's Prime Minister when Lyons dies. He will eventually become his nation's longest serving Prime minister.
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September 3 |
When Great Britain declares war on Germany, the Dominions including Australia
enter the war, too. PM Menzies words on a national wireless broadcast:
"It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in consequences of
a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great
Britain had declared war upon her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war."
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| 1940 |
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Australia sends the second AIF to support British war effort in Europe,
especially in the Western Desert of North Africa, Greece & Crete, on
Cyprus and the Middle East.
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December |
Wavell has the Australian 6th AIF Division assault Bardia.
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| 1941 |
January 4 |
Tobruk falls to Australian infantry forces.
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Australia sends ground forces to Malaya.
With the increase in Japanese power and influence in Southeast Asia
Australia begins to feel pressured.
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August -
October |
A war coalition ‘no confidence’ in R.G.Menzies causes a change of leadership.
After a short interlude of Arthur Fadden, John Curtain
(Labor Party) eventually is appointed new PM.
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October |
HMAS Sydney missing believed sunk.
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December 7/8 |
Japan enters the war with devastating offensive actions throughout the
Pacific Rim.
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December 10 |
British battleship "Prince of Wales" and battle cruiser "Repulse" are sank by the Japanese Air Force off the coast of Malaya.
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December 27 |
PM Curtain appeals to the United States.
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| 1942 |
January 11 |
Japanese reconnaissance landings on New Guinea start a bloody campaign
that will directly threaten the Australian homeland.
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January 25 |
In the wake of total mobilization of Australia for the war effort the central
government assumes control of all state budgets
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February 7-15 |
Singapore falls to Japanese troops. General Percival capitulates with 70,000 men,
among them the Australian AIF 8th Div.
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May |
As a consequence of the battle in the Coral Sea the Japanese give up their plans for conquering the south of New Guinea with a naval landing force.
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July |
A Japanese land force under Major General Horii tries to reach Port Moresby from Buna via land, using the Kokoda track. In two months of savage fighting the Australian defenders manage to stop him some 48 km short of Port Moresby. Horii falls back to Buna and digs in.
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| 1943 |
January |
Buna & Gona fall to Australians after heavy fighting.
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April - April 44 |
In a series of small, but severe battles combined Australia & US forces
manoeuvre by land, sea & air and finally conquer the Japanese strongholds of
Lae and Madang.
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| 1944 |
April - June |
In operation "Hollandia" the US with Dutch cooperation capture the airstrips
and supply bases of the Japanese army in northern New Guinea & West Irian
Jaya, NEI, defeating the bulk of this army without further fighting.
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| 1945 |
|
Australian forces inflict defeats on the Japanese cut off from their homeland
islands, on Bougainville & New Guinea and in several selected amphibious landings
on Borneo.
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May 7 |
VE Day
An Australian contingent marches in the ceremonial Victory Day Parade in London
past HRH George VI and the national flags of all Allied nations.
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July |
Curtain dies while PM. Joseph Benedict Chifley becomes caretaker PM.
He puts up an immigration program to draw immigrants from other European
countries beside the traditional Great Britain and Ireland. The intent is
to counter the newly independent and populous Asian countries like China, India or
Indonesia.
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August 15 |
VJ Day. Australia has suffered the loss of 30,000 dead in World War Two.
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| 1946-47 |
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Australia’s first term on the UN Security Council.
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| 1948 |
September |
H.V.Evatt is elected President of the UN General Assembly.
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November |
PM Chifley inspects the first Australian manufactured car at the GM-Holden
plant in Melbourne.
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| 1949 |
September |
Minister for Immigration Arthur Calwell welcomes the 100,000th migrant to
Australia since the invitation was announced after the war.
As a consequence of Chifley’s immigration program, roughly half a million
immigrants arrive, mostly refugees from war-torn Italy and now communist
dominated eastern Europe.
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December |
With the Liberal Party winning the elections,
Robert Menzies
returns to the office of Prime Minister.
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