Australian Prime Minister Tribute to American Veterans

RHY · Nov 16, 2011

In particular, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard noted the importance of the Battle of the Coral Sea in which the United States Navy halted the advancing Japanese task force that would have paved the way for the invasion of Australia in WWII.

See: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/11606698/aussie-pm-pays-tribute-to-american-veterans/

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3363269.htm

http://www.smh.com.au/world/gillard-wont-confirm-us-troop-reports-20111112-1ncjs.html

LordBest · Nov 16, 2011

While I would never underplay the importance in American involvement in the Pacific in safeguarding Australia during WWII, there was never any serious intent to physically invade the Australian mainland. The proposed plans, such as they were, were opposed by Prime Minister Tojo and were completely impractical given the distances involved. They were abandoned for good in February 1942, months before the Battle of Coral Sea. The most you can say is had the Allies lost the war Australia may have been invaded at some point in the future.

There was, however, a widespread public perception that Japanese invasion was imminent which persists to the current day. It was, and is, incredibly arrogant to think the Japanese would divert the vast resourced needed to pacify a continent the size of Australia when they had far more valuable prizes closer to home. I am firmly with historian Peter Stanley on this.

Shangas · Nov 16, 2011

I agree with LordBest.

There was never a plan by the Japanese to invade Australia. It would've been impractical to say the least.

There were FEARS of a Japanese invasion, to be sure. But those fears were generally unfounded. The closest that the Japanese ever got was attacking Sydney and Darwin.

Of course, there is the famous "Brisbane Line" story, but that was a theoretical last-resort measure by the Australian Government, IF an invasion were to take place.

dr greg · Nov 16, 2011

The 'yellow peril' demon has been lurking in the Australian psyche since the goldrush, and the Japanese campaign only gave it more life, and it was the main reason Menzies begged the US to let us join in Vietnam, as opposed to the oft-held belief of the Domino Theory.
I would argue that today's announcement that US Marines are to be stationed in Darwin as an unspoken counter-balance to feared Chinese expansionism is the latest manifestation thereof.
However I don't think we should worry too much about "upsetting our biggest trading partner" Australia happily sold wool to the USSR right through the Cold War with no problems...

RHY · Nov 17, 2011

I guess the three of you won't be voting for the current Australian Prime Minister from the sounds of your comments. All I wanted to point out that your Prime Minister was the first head of state to speak at the Veterans Day Memorial Service at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Not even the President of the United States has acknowledged this service, though President Obama arrived later that night. The significance for the WWII veterans was the acknowledgement by Prime Minister Gillard of the sacrifice of those buried at Punchbowl Crater who served during WWII. Personally, when I have a few VBs with my Aussie friends, I tell them not to worry about the Chinese, its the 245,613,043 (July 2011 est.) Indonesians with the $10 AKs that they have to think about.

Shangas · Nov 17, 2011

To me, there's nothing political about this. It was the mention of an invasion of Australia. To my knowledge, such a thing was never part of the Japanese plan of attack in the Asia-Pacific region.

Yes, the Japanese airforce bombed Australia on a number of occasions, but that was because of the presence of allied airpower in Darwin at the time. By the later half of the war, Japan was busy fighting the Americans anyway and wouldn't have been able to invade Australia even if they wanted to.

I say this as an Australian of Chinese descent, but there was a time not too long ago when Australia was FIERCELY pro-white. The White Australia Policy was part of Australia for very nearly 100 years. They were terrified of the "Yellow Peril", which, as Dr. Greg says, started in the 1850s with the Gold Rush on Victoria. The Japanese activity in WWII only heightened the already significant fears that would've existed at the time.

I remember learning about the history of my school. I live in Melbourne which is about as far away from the Japanese as you can get on mainland Australia, and yet even down south here, during the war, students were digging trenches in the school sports-grounds to serve as air-raid shelters in the event of a Japanese attack. Of course, no such attack came, but it was the fear of it.

LordBest · Nov 17, 2011

My grandfather remembers an outbeak of mass hysteria along the southern coast when someone claimed to have seen a Japanese submarine (I think they may actually have seen one, I forget the details). They thought it was the prelude to an invasion.

But Shangas is right it isn't political, the Prime Minister made a common historical error, an error which irritates me slightly, but no more than that. In fact it is such an ingrained myth that it is quite possible that even if she knew it was erroneous she would still have said what she said. I don't really have a problem with it. Regarding Indonesia, going back a few years I remember saying something similar to a friends father who worked for ASIO (the Australian version of MI5/CIA) and he told me that we had the military capacity to strip them of their command and control infrastructure within a week and their offensive capacity within two. I doubt (and hope) it would come to that but comforting to know.

Shangas · Nov 17, 2011

Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation if anyone's wondering what that means.

RHY · Nov 17, 2011

LordBest said:
My grandfather remembers an outbeak of mass hysteria along the southern coast when someone claimed to have seen a Japanese submarine (I think they may actually have seen one, I forget the details). They thought it was the prelude to an invasion.

If you ever get the chance, rent the movie by Spielberg titled "1941", it makes light of the incident where a Japanese submarine was spotted offshore of Los Angeles, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Also, the Indonesian government reaction to the joint US/Australia base was not as welcome as the Chinese goverment's as well. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/w...-in-australia.html?_r=1&partner=MYWAY&ei=5065 and http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-warns-distrust-over-us-troop-deal-000530096.html

lolly_loisides · Nov 17, 2011

LordBest said:
My grandfather remembers an outbeak of mass hysteria along the southern coast when someone claimed to have seen a Japanese submarine (I think they may actually have seen one, I forget the details). They thought it was the prelude to an invasion.

It was more than a claim of a sighting. Japanese midget submarines attacked Sydney in May & June of 1942. The naval ship Kattabul was sunk & 21 sailors lost their lives.

dr greg · Nov 17, 2011

It's a little-known fact that Japanese submarines were quite active off the coast of Australia during the war, but the attacks were not widely reported in the press for fear of triggering panic such as occurred when they shelled the beach-side suburbs of Sydney.
The consequent collapse in real-estate values led to openings for people with a bit of dash,- a mate of mine's family bought a massive mansion in
Vaucluse for a song when that happened, and they weren't blue bloods at all, they're still there, and the house/land must be worth 15-20 million by now!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_naval_activity_in_Australian_waters

lolly_loisides · Nov 17, 2011

^^^^^^
Funny you should mention that Dr G, an aunts family sold their family home at Vaucluse for a pittance.

dr greg · Nov 17, 2011

During the war?

lolly_loisides · Nov 17, 2011

Oh yes, after the sub attacks.

Philip Adams · Nov 17, 2011

I can recall my father saying that NOBODY wanted to buy waterfront property at that time.

People were really concerned the attacks would increase.

LordBest · Nov 18, 2011

I should have said, this sighting was at Warnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria, a long way from any potential invasion routes. There was certainly Japanese submarine activity, not least the attack on Sydney, I just don't recall if they were active in that area of if the story was apocryphal.

dr greg · Nov 18, 2011

Definitely not apocryphal, there were forts on the coast all over the place as well, I used to play in one as a kid that the old bloke across the road was stationed in, neighbourhood gossip had it that his legendary alcoholic intake was a consequence of endless nights on guard fortified with rum against an enemy that never came.

lolly_loisides · Nov 18, 2011

Today the Prime Minister announced plans to commemorate the 1942 bombing of Darwin. There's also plans to establish a "Defence of Darwin" Museum.
http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/national-day-plans-commemorate-bombing-darwin

dr greg · Nov 18, 2011

Will they have an "Adelaide River Stakes" on Cup Day tho......

HOP UP · Nov 28, 2011

There was, however, a widespread public perception that Japanese invasion was imminent which persists to the current day.

Yes, and the Curtin Government of the time perpetuated that fear with posters and propaganda to help subsidise the war effort and stimulate enlistments - nothing new there.

All posters have made valid points - nice to see that people actually understand the events that transpired in the context of the time.

Well done :eusa_clap !

HOP UP

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