Australia and the World Short Answer Test Flashcards
Short Answer History Quiz
1
Q
Who discovered Australia?
A
Aboriginal People 65,000 years ago by crossing the Timor Sea
2
Q
Which colonial power first contacted Australia? When? Why did they not settle here?
A
The Dutch reached Aus 150 years before Cook, but they did not settle here because they did not think it was profitable
3
Q
When did the British arrive in Australia? Who was the first?
A
Captain James Cook discovered and ‘claimed’ in NSW in 1770
4
Q
When did the first fleet arrive? How many people did it carry? Where did it settle?
A
-First Fleet landed 26 January 1788
-Carried 1300 people (11 ships)
-Settlement in Port Jackson (Sydney)
5
Q
What are two reasons for why the British settled in Australia?
A
-The British needed a place to put their convicts (of which there was 165,000)
-The British wanted a strategic economic base to facilitate control over Asia and the Pacific region (as well as cultivation of Norfolk Island timber and flax)
6
Q
What was the first colony in Australia?
A
Sydney/NSW which spanned across the Eastern seaboard
7
Q
What was the second colony is Australia?
A
Van Diemen’s Land
8
Q
When and why did Van Diemen’s land rebrand?
A
Van Diemen’s Land rebranded to Tasmania in 1858 after convict transportation ceased and it rebranded as a tourist destination
9
Q
What was the third and forth colonies?
A
Port Phillip (Melb/Vic)
Morton Bay (QLD)
10
Q
Why was South Australia different to the rest of the colonies
A
SA was a free settlement and there was never any intention to bring convicts here
11
Q
What was the Wakefield plan?
A
The Crown sold SA land and used to money to subsidise poor people moving to SA and working as labourers
Land was sold in SA by the Crown and the proceeds of those land sales were used to subsidise the fares of poorer people to come to SA and work as labourers
12
Q
What were the 5th and 6th colonies?
A
Swan River Colony (WA)
South Australia
13
Q
What year did the colonies achieve self-governance? What is meant by self-governance?
A
- British allow NSW a partially elected Legislative Council in 1842
o i.e. men who owned property could elect representatives which formed a council and the council would then liaise with the Governor - Extended to SA, Tasmania and Victoria by 1851
- Britain then allowed us to Draft own constitutions, enacted (by British parliament) in mid-1850s
- Enable popular election of parliament consisting of 2 chambers
14
Q
At its inception, who could vote in Legislative Assembly (Lower House) elections?
A
Men (SA allowed all men to vote)
15
Q
At its inception, who could vote in Legislative Council (Upper House) elections?
A
Men who owned property
16
Q
Which states’ Council selected Governors for life?
A
NSW and QLD
17
Q
Which state has a unicameral system?
A
QLD since 1922 (Abolished upper house/Legislative Council)
18
Q
How was the property restriction on the franchise (i.e. the right to vote) justified?
A
- That people with land and enterprises had more of a stake in the outcome, therefore, they would think more about their vote i.e. preserving the purity of the ballot box
- And the feminine mind and body was seen as inherently unsuited for making responsible voting decisions
- Additionally, it was implied the men (fathers and husbands) would take into consideration the interests of the women in their lives when voting
- Also it was believed that women would just vote the same way as their husbands or fathers, therefore, their husband or father would get two votes
- Women got the right to vote in 1894 in South Australia (it was opposed 7 times before then)
19
Q
How were Governor’s initially appointed?
A
*Britian appoints the Governor who supposed to follow advice of elected government, but also took orders from Colonial Office in London
20
Q
What power did Britain have over Australian Laws? On what issues might they exercise this?
A
Veto powers essentially
*Colonial law could be overturned by Britain esp. when concerning imperial interests or uniformity: e.g. foreign policy, shipping and trade, marriage and divorce
21
Q
What are the 5 key reasons for federation?
A
- Foreign policy concerns
- Develop defensive capability
- Tariff/economic policy (i.e. Vic not having any tariffs, so all imports went there and disadvantaged other colonies)
- Immigration control
- Facilitating transport (single-gauge rail) and communication (est. national postal service)
22
Q
Name three Liberal/progressive fathers of federation? Why did the advocate for federation?
A
- Alfred Deakin, Henry Higgins (Vic), Edmund Barton (NSW), Charles Kingston (SA)
- Democrats
- Pro-federation (nationalists)
- Protectionists (national, not internal tariffs)
- Anti-class (profound for the time)
- Pro-interventionist state (they thought the government should have a big say in people’s lives like taking care of unemployed and sick and old people, even if it meant paying for them)
23
Q
Name two state-centred fathers of federation? Why did the advocate for?
A
- Premiers - George Turner (Vic), George Reid (NSW), John Forrest (WA)
- Pro-federation (NSW’s Reid, initially opposed federation – concerned NSW would lose power)
- Defend states interests
- Concerned about federal power
24
Q
Who was Alfred Deakin?
A
second Prime Minister of Aus
Served as PM 3 times in first decade
studied law and Uni of Melb
* Young adulthood interest in spiritualism and occult
* Concern for social justice – he tried to improve working conditions in factories, and that factories should be regularly inspected, he fought for compensation of injured workers, he tried to limit the hours worked by children
25
Who was Edmund Barton?
First Prime Minister of Aus
Lawyer who wrote and then interpreted the constitution
26
What were two reasons 'outside the conventions' (against federation?)
* Those opposed to federation because it was not sufficiently democratic (less populous states had disproportionate Senate seats; voting rights)
* nor republican (retained Imperial ties to Britain / the Crown as the head of state and we did not try and sever these ties the way the Americans had)
27
What were some key interests groups that opposed federation?
Organised Labour
Feminist and Women's groups (Rose Scott, Women's Christian Temperance Movement) although most women supported federation
28
When did SA give women the vote?
1894
29
Why was federation a miracle?
* As a lot of new regimes and countries are formed through wars, civil wars and bloodshed, but in Australia it happens through a series of conversations
Though it was an arduous journey as:
* Aust. historian John Hirst, Sentimental Nation: the process of federation was so vexed that the achievement of federation could not be celebrated as such
30
Who said "federation “must always appear to have been accomplished by a series of miracles”?
Alfred Deakin
31
What was the Commonwealth Franchise Act (1902)?
* Commonwealth Franchise Act (1902) gave all women the right to vote – over the age of 21, but it took away the right to vote for Indigenous People where those who could vote could continue to vote, but younger generations would not receive the franchise as they turned 21
32
What were some social security provisions introduced in Australia pre and post 20th c?
* In 19thC the norm was that charitable relief was provided by voluntary organisations and the Church (very little govt assistance; i.e. rations for relief work)
* In 1908 – introduction of old-age and invalid (disabled) pensions (means tested, men over-65, women over-60)
* In 1912 – gov created a maternity allowance (‘baby bonus’)
* No unemployment benefits until after WW2!
* Australia was the first country in the world to establish and guarantee a minimum wage for workers – the rest of the world called us a social laboratory for this
33
Why did the rest of the world call Australia a social laboratory?
Introduction of minimum wage to support a worker, wife and three children
34
What was the old protection of arbitration? Who came up with abitration?
* Old Protection – ‘tariff-and-hope’ where tariffs were set high so that workers could be paid properly but this was merely left in the hands of the employer (this is pre-federation)
* Pre-federation wage boards (where they tried to set a minimum wage) (not in all states, and couldn’t intervene in disputes that crossed borders)
* After federation, the federal government establishes a court of Arbitration to try and set a minimum wage
* Justice Henry Bournes Higgins
35
Who was Henry Bournes Higgins?
Justice of the Arbitration Court
36
What was the new protection of arbitration?
* Henry Bournes Higgins becomes the Justice of the Arbitration court
* 1906 – Protectionist Party and Labor Party → ‘New Protectionism’ where they create a new policy where workers have to be paid a fair page that supports themselves, a wife and three children – and if the workers are not paid a proper amount, then the employers will be taxed
* Excise Tariff (Agricultural Machinery) Act (1906)
37
What was the Harvest Case? Who won?
* 1907, Hugh Victor McKay owner of the Harvester Company
* Tax is put on McKay for not paying workers enough, but he appeals it
* Higgins determines a ‘fair and reasonable wage’, based on definition provided by Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum
* Higgins decides wage Must support wife and family of 3 children
* wage of the employee need not depend on profits of the employer – revolutionary!
* High Court appeal – victory for McKay and he doesn’t have to pay the tax
* Ultimately victory for Higgins: regarded the minimum wage as sacrosanct (sacred), applied it to subsequent judgements
* Basis of centralised wage fixing system
38
Did women get paid minimum wage? Give an example
When did women agin equal wages?
No, women were paid half because it was assumed that women would be married to a man receiving a full wage sufficient to support a family
* 1974 - legislation mandated an equal wage for equal work for men and women
1912 Arbitration Case – Mildura fruit pickers (male) and
packers (female)
Packers wage set at 52% of pickers wage
1974 - legislation mandated an equal wage for equal work
for men and women
39
What was Paul Kelley's Five Pillars of the Australian Settlement?
1. White Australia
2. Industry Protection
3. Imperial Protection/Benevolence - Defence umbrella of the British navy, and continued reliance on British capital to finance Australian business and industrial growth
4. State Intervention/Paternalism - provision of state welfare e.g. old age pensions
5. Wage Arbitration - fair wages for workers - maintain Australian living standards against the rest of the world
40
Which two states resisted the Federation the longest? Google Docs Q
WA and QLD
41
In 2-3 sentences explain who was William Morris ‘Billy’ Hughes and why is he an important figure in Australian history? Google Docs Q
Leader of Labor Party – became PM in 1915
* Split with Labor over conscription, formed new
governing party - Nationalist Party - by the end of war
* 1922: Forced to form coalition govt with Country
Party, who demanded Hughes be replaced as PM by
Stanley Melbourne Bruce in 1923
helped found 3 political parties, and was expelled from them all: the Labor Party (expelled 1916), the Nationalist Party (expelled 1929), and the United Australia Party (expelled 1944)
42
In what decade of the 19th century did most Australian colonies/states achieve ‘responsible government’? Google Docs Q
1850s
43
Name the 6 principles that the Australian states agreed to found the Commonwealth on. Google Docs Q
Principles that needed to be agreed upon before Federation could occur, and which became the defining social, economic and political characteristics of the nation:
* Union under the crown
* A federal union – not a uniform system
* A democratic union
* White Australia
* Industrial protection
* A just society
44
In 1-2 sentences, explain what the Commonwealth Franchise Act did for Australian women’s voting rights. Google Docs Q
Commonwealth Franchise Act (1902) gave all women the right to vote – over the age of 21, but it took away the right to vote for Indigenous People where those who could vote could continue to vote, but younger generations would not receive the franchise as they turned 21
45
When did SA, WA and Vic get the franchise for women?
SA - 1894
WA - 1899
Vic - 1908
46
Briefly state in two-three sentences some exclusions from the popular ANZAC legend. Google Docs Q
before being shipped to war, recruits indulged in group sex with an 18-year-old girl at barracks; brawled with police
o in Egypt: some ANZACs burned belongings of local people, brawled, got drunk and rioted; spent sufficient time in local brothels for many to contract venereal disease
47
In 1-2 sentences, what were the main economic reasons Australia was hit hardest during the Great Depression? Google Docs Q
Australian economy suffered from falling wheat and wool prices, and competition from other commodity-producing countries.
We relied too much on foreign trade
48
To what extent was Jack Lang significant to Australia’s political landscape in the 1930s. Google Docs Q
As premier of NSW, Jack Lang argued during the depression for Australia to not pay back their loans to England
49
What were the main causes of the Battle of Brisbane. Just knowing what the Battle of Brisbane was, and when it occurred, would be a good start. Google Docs Q
26 November 1942 – night of fist-fights and rioting
involving American military and Australian soldiers and
civilians
* 1 Australian solider killed, 100s injured
* Censorship
* US soldier found ‘not guilty’ of manslaughter
50
Give three reasons for Menzies’ sheer longevity as Prime Minister. Google Docs Q
Menzies’ unique talents
* Menzies’ able team
* The weakness and stupidity of his opponents
* The right man at the right time: Australian aspirations in
the 1950s
51
What were the main issues that plagued the Labour Party during the Cold War that saw them fail to gain power? Google Docs Q
Fears of communism
52
Name two locations where the British tested the atomic bomb on Australian soil. Good question. Also worthwhile knowing when the testing occurred.
Maralinga, SA - 1956-57
Emu Field, SA - 1956-57
Monte Bello, WA - 1952, 1956
53
Name three policy achievements of the Whitlam administration and two flaws of his leadership. Either part of this question would be a good question. Google Docs Q
Education: creates Universities Commission and
abolishes student fees (hooray!)
Health: creation of Medibank – universal health insurance
providing free health care for all
Elderly: increases pension to 25% of average wage;
begins to abolish means testing
* Autocratic leader
* Whitlam’s inattention to detail – left major policy decisions
in the hands of ministers
* Difficulty in controlling errant ministers…
54
When did the bombing on Darwin occur, and how many were killed? Google Docs Q
1942
230 killed
55
Who were 3 of the ‘fathers’ of Federation? Google Docs Q
Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, Henry Higgins
56
Name Kelleys ‘5 pillars of the Australian settlement’ Good question (though the question would be a bit easier, such as naming or briefly explaining 3 of the 5 ‘pillars’. Google docs Q
1. White Australia
2. Industry Protection
3. Imperial Protection/Benevolence - Defence umbrella of the British navy, and continued reliance on British capital to finance Australian business and industrial growth
4. State Intervention/Paternalism - provision of state welfare e.g. old age pensions
5. Wage Arbitration - fair wages for workers - maintain Australian living standards against the rest of the world
57
What was the impact of the provision of the maternity allowance on perception of women? Google Docs Q
Woman’s civic duty was to produce healthy babies
58
Who was Vida Goldstein? Google docs q
Suffragette – fought for Victorian women’s right to vote
Est. Australian Women’s Association and Women’s Parliament
Campaigned for peace and disarmament and women’s right to birth control
1903-17 – unsuccessful candidate in 5 federal elections
Worked to encourage women’s involvement in political process
59
How was the exclusion of Aboriginal Australians from the census justified? Google docs q
* The census defined electoral boundaries and the number of representatives that could be elected (in Fed. parliament) from each state…
* states with relatively small ‘white’ populations but high numbers of Indigenous people (such as WA) might receive more parliamentary reps = deemed unfair (since Fed. Govt had no power over Indigenous affairs)
* used as a measure to allocate income (from tariffs) returned by the Commonwealth to the States…
o if Indigenous people were counted in the Census, States with large Indigenous population would receive income even though Indigenous people didn’t, in general, purchase imported goods
60
What were the 3 imperatives of peace between the wars? Google docs q
* As a result of the sacrifices they had made during War,
Australians made three demands of the peace:
- Compensation for losses
- Security
- National efficiency – a world in which science and
technology would make life easier
61
How did the government respond to the push for greater national efficiency? Google Docs Q
WW1 reinforces the belief that science and technology
will reshape the world
* Technology shrinks time and space → greater efficiency
and productivity
* Charles Kingsford-Smith, 1st trans-Pacific flight, 1928
* Improvement and productivity through the application of
science:
- CSIR: application of science to agriculture
* Improve children (race):
- medical inspections of children at school
- est. free kindergartens
62
Why was Australia vulnerable after the Wall St crash? Google Docs Q
24 October 1929 – Wall St. stocks plunge: value of
shares drop 27% in single day
* Australia vulnerable due to reliance on foreign capital
and commodity markets
63
When was the communist party dissolution bill passed? Important question! Google Docs Q
1950
64
What is ASIO? Who formed it? First part of this question is worthwhile. Google Docs Q
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Chifley’s ‘socialist tendencies’: control of economy and
production through rationing and tariffs
* 1947 plan to nationalise the banks
* US refuses to share military technology and intelligence
65
When was the referendum held to ban the communist party? Good question Google Docs Q
1951
66
What is the Naturalisation Act? Question would have to be framed more specifically. Google Docs Q
Naturalisation Act (1903) – denies citizenship rights to “aboriginal natives of Asia, Africa, or the Islands of the Pacific, excluding New Zealand”
67
When was the department of immigration created? What was the aim? Google Docs Q
Creation of Department of Immigration in 1946, aim to increase population by 1% every year through immigration (70,000 immigrants/year)
* Preference for British migrants
68
Who was Vladimir Petrov? Why was he important? Google Docs Q
Petrov was a Soviet Spy who failed to set up communist links and defected to Australia after Stalin's death ...
69
Who was the leader of the Allied Forces in the Pacific? Google Docs Q
General Douglas Macarthur / USA
70
What event caused the political downfall of Dr H.V. Evatt? Google Docs Q
He appeared as a communist sympathiser/communist after defending the Communist Party Dissolution Bill
Menzies claimed that the Petrov's had bought evidence of a communist spy ring in the Labor Party
Dr H.V. Evatt went made trying to defend himself
71
Drawing from the lectures, was Menzies a skilful or lucky politician? Google Docs Q
Menzies’ unique talents
* Menzies’ able team
* The weakness and stupidity of his opponents
* The right man at the right time: Australian aspirations in
the 1950
72
Who led the Wave Hill walk-off from 1966 to 1975? Google Docs Q
Vincent Lingiari of the Gurindji country
73
What year did women get the vote in the Commonwealth and sates?
Commonwealth & WA & NSW - 1902
SA - 1894
WA - 1899
TAS - 1903
QLD - 1905
Vic - 1908
74
On what basis were women excluded from the franchise at the start of the 20th c?
* Court of Arbitration defined women as ‘dependents’ and effectively excluded them from category of ‘worker’
* Women received 52% the ‘fair and reasonable’ wage of men (this kept women dependent on men)
* Government Inquiries defined women as ‘mothers’ or ‘breeders’: (women’s civic job was to have children)
75
In which states could Aboriginal People vote before the Commonwealth Franchise Act? Why?
WA and Qld
Indigenous people no right to vote in Fed. elections unless already granted by the states
* Australian Constitution stated:
o ‘Protection’ of Indigenous people was responsibility of the states, not Commonwealth Parliament
o ‘Aborigines’ not to be counted in the Census
76
How did the Commonwealth Francise Act (1902) impact Indigenous people?
it took away the right to vote for Indigenous People where those who could vote could continue to vote, but younger generations would not receive the franchise as they turned 21
77
What were some reasons why Indigenous people were denied voting rights?
o fears that the vote of Indigenous workers could be ‘bought’ by their bosses, or unduly swayed by outside forces
o due to their general illiteracy and lack of education, fear that Indigenous people couldn’t exercise right to vote in responsible manner
o mostly didn’t pay taxes or own property, therefore had less ‘stake’ in the country and didn’t deserve right to have say in Commonwealth Govt affairs
o i.e. same argument used to deny poor/working class men the right to vote in 19thC
78
Why were Indigenous people excluded from the census?
* The census defined electoral boundaries and the number of representatives that could be elected (in Fed. parliament) from each state…
* states with relatively small ‘white’ populations but high numbers of Indigenous people (such as WA) might receive more parliamentary reps = deemed unfair (since Fed. Govt had no power over Indigenous affairs)
* used as a measure to allocate income (from tariffs) returned by the Commonwealth to the States…
o if Indigenous people were counted in the Census, States with large Indigenous population would receive income even though Indigenous people didn’t, in general, purchase imported goods
79
Which state was allowed to keep tariffs after federation?
WA because they were a less established colony that needed help but it was eventually phased out
80
Why were aboriginal people excluded from the constitution?
* Aboriginal people were excluded from the constitution because they were thought to be a dying race
* Indigenous people encouraged to live on large reserves, provided with rations and basic medical care
* public administrators became ‘Protectors’ and legal guardians of Indigenous people on reserves
This was enshrined in the WA Native Administration Act (1905)
81
What was the WA Native Administration Act (1905) ?
The act enabled the surveillance and control of Aboriginal people by agents of the colonial State government in the early 20th century.
82
Who was Edith Cowan?
First woman elected to State Parliament in WA, 1921
And she is on the $50 note
83
Who First women in Commonwealth Parliament (lower and upper house)?
1943: Dame Enid Lyons (House of Reps) and Dorothy Tangney (Senate)
84
Which was the last state to give women the franchise?
Victoria
85
What was the Australian Women’s Association?
group the informed women’s political consciousness, taught them how parliament works, how bills are passed, advocating for women voting as individuals (and not the same way as their husbands)
86
What was women's parliament?
mock parliament when women pretended to be in parliament and pass bills and have political discussions, informing people how the political process works
87
In what ways were Indigenous People treated like children?
o couldn’t manage property sell (except without the permission of the protector)
o couldn’t buy or sell (except through the protector)
o couldn’t sue/exercise legal powers without the consent on protector
o couldn’t marry without consent
o NB: extent of rights varied between the States
* The rules were in part to protect Indigenous people from being exploited by White people forcing them into contracts, especially White men who wanted to sexually exploit Indigenous women for ancestral land
88
How many men enlisted in WW1? When was WWI? How many killed? How many wounded, gassed or taken prisoner?
* 417,000 men enlisted
1914-1918
* 59,000 killed
* 157,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner
* Aust casualty rate 65% (proportionate to total embarkations) highest of any country in the war
89
Why did Aus fight in WWI?
* As a Member of British Empire, Aus had the compulsion (to fight in any war the Britain waged, In turn, Aus would receive protection from Britain because of our):
* Fear of Japan – our reliance on British Navy
* Individual motivations for enlistment: unemployment, promise of adventure, opportunity to travel, to escape or hide, to test oneself, to display valour and courage, to ‘join the game’
* Belief war would be short: “over by Christmas 1914”
* Preserve freedoms – Germany invades Belgium (which is sovereign country), and threatens France and Britain (thus we needed to fight to preserve people’s freedoms)
* German atrocities eg. murder of nurse Edith Cavell (who sheltered British soldiers)– became theme of 1915 recruitment campaign
90
What is one of the population interpretations of Aus's involvement in WWI that is embedded into our national consciousness?
Spiritual ‘birth’ of nation:
* Australia’s sacrifice in WW1 defined national character and secured our nationhood
* Allusions to France and the United States, whose nationhood and democratic freedoms were secured through bloody wars of independence
* This concept - most enduring legacy of WW1
91
When was the Gallipoli Campaign? How many died on the first day? How many died total?
* Landing on beach with steep slopes - 25 April 1915
* Approx. 650 Aust soldier killed first day
* Trench warfare stalemate
* Evacuation, December 1915 (8 months after landing) great success
* 8,700 Aust soldiers killed and approx. 18,000 wounded
* Then there is the construction of the ANZAC legend and reports back home about how brave our soldiers are (Australians have a habit of valorising people who fail)
92
How did Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett report on Australians at Gallipoli?
* Describes Australian soldiers as a ‘race of athletes’, superior to the British … courageous, tenacious fighters
* Increasingly critical of British command
* Lecture tour of Australia in 1916 reinforces the legend of the Australian soldiers
93
Who was CEW Bean
* Chosen as Australia’s official war correspondent, with aim of writing official history
* Landed at Gallipoli and remained for the entire campaign
* Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–18 (12 vols, published 1920-42)
* “Australia became fully conscious of itself as a nation.”
94
According to CEW Bean, what was the ANZAC character?
* the typical Australian was a bold white male
* Australians were brave and ferocious in battle
* Australians were unwilling to bow to military discipline (esp. inept British command)
* ANZACs never flinched in battle
* ANZAC was a larrikin: quick with a joke, never saluted a superior officer
* ANZAC hated military etiquette
* held the British officer class, and even the subservient ‘Tommy’ (English soldier), in contempt
* the Australian Imperial Force was a democratic organisation: friendly relations between officers and men; anyone could rise from the ranks to a commission
* adaptation of the image of the bushman
95
How did Manning Clark in A History of Australia contest these perceptions of ANZACs?
o before being shipped to war, recruits indulged in group sex with an 18-year-old girl at barracks; brawled with police
o in Egypt: some ANZACs burned belongings of local people, brawled, got drunk and rioted; spent sufficient time in local brothels for many to contract venereal disease
96
What two pieces of media perpetuate the ANZAC legend?
Peter Weir’s 1981 film, Galliopli
TV Mini-series 1983 – ANZAC
97
What were some experiences on the homefront and/or exclusions during WWI?
o Internment of Australian residents of German origin; repression of German culture, Lutheran Schools etc.
o Censorship
o Arrest of dissenters (anti-conscriptionists, radicals etc.)
* Emphasis on masculinity and soldiers, battlefield excludes women (who worked as nurses, cooks, drivers, munitions etc., and also on ‘the Homefront’)
* Reifies war service (and masculinity) as ultimate expression citizenship and patriotism. What about those who ‘fought for freedom’ on the ‘home front’
98
Which other Worthy Achievements does the ANZAC Legend Overshadow?
* Workers fighting for their rights (General Strike of 1917)
* Indigenous people contributing to nation building (enlisting and trying to enlist)
* Women working in war industries etc. - defining themselves as more than just ‘dependents’ and ‘baby producers’
* Australian democracy at work – the conscription referenda (x2 and we said no x2)
99
In what ways has the ANZAC legend been invoked in Australian society?
* ANZAC legend invoked by contemporary politicians etc. for own political agenda:
o Notion that British commanders ‘betrayed’ ANZACs at Gallipoli fuels Republic debate in 1990s
o Sacrifice of ANZACs evoked to inspire workers, sportsman etc. to strive harder
o Idea of ‘egalitarian’ and ‘classless’ AIF (Australian Imperial Force) used to reinforce myth that Australia was an is an egalitarian and classless society;
o egalitarian army has been overstated; significant class and sectarian division on the home front
100
Who proposed the Commonwealth Franchise Bill (1902) and what was included? What amendments were maid?
Richard O’Connor - franchise for women and AAs
Mtherson amended it to exclude AAs
101
Who was Balwin Spencer?
pioneer of the Stolen Gen before it was a thing I guess around 1911
* Baldwin Spencer advised the Gov to create reserves to preserve Aboriginal life
* But half-caste children should be taken away and educated the European way because it was the “best interest of the children” and family consent was not needed
where they lived ini Bungalows like children
102
What was the Coniston Massacre?
* 1928 – Dingo Trapper, Fred Brooks was murdered by Walpiri people
* Constable William Murray organised a search party to track the responsible Aboriginal people – it covered 1200 km and became one of the last punitive expeditions against Aboriginal people
* Murray killed 31 people including 2 women
* Natives resisted violently
* Murray arrested two Aboriginal people for killing Brooks but they were found not guilty at trial
103
How many people did missionary Annie Lock estimate were actually killed in the Coniston Massacre?
70
104
What did PM Stanely's Bruce's inquiry into the Coniston Massacre find?
the shooting was justified and there was no evidence of a massacre, Murry was cleared of all charges
105
What was the goal/policy for Aboriginal peopl, in particular half-castes?
* Assimilation was enshrined in policy (stolen gen and re-education)
* Part-Aboriginal people were expected to be absorbed into White Australia
* It was assumed that full blood Aboriginals would need a longer period of assimilation or they would remain in tribal society
* Assimilation was the key policy for several decades – it meant raising Aborgines as white, raising education and economic standards and removing children – esp. half-castes which was justified as being in the child’s best interests
106
What did Paul Hasluck say about Aboriginal Australians?
* Paul Hasluck said we should cease treating Aboriginal people as sub-human and treat them like other Australians
* Hasluck supported the removal of half-Aboriginal kids where necessary, but gave more weight to mother’s consent
107
What was Menzies approach to Aboriginal peoples?
cultural Darwinism: Aborigines had survived but their culture would die
108
When and which gov gave AA the right to vote?
Menzies, 1962, as a part of the cultural Darwinsim - they had to act like the white man
109
When and what referendum did Harold Holt put forth? What was the outcome?
* Referendum was: 27 May 1967
* The referendum put forth 2 things; Aborigines would be included in the census and it gave the Commonwealth joint responsibility for Aborigines with the States
* Resounding yes, 91%
(it had strong bipartisan support - virtually no 'no' argument
110
According to Paul Kelly, why was the 1967 referendum a resounding yes?
* According to Paul Kelly, the 67 referendum was about treating Aboriginal people as Australians, it was about equality which is why the vote was so high. Many people saw the referendum as the end of the process, but it was just the start. It launched a backlog of demands that would run for decades and provoke a backlash.
111
What led to the landmark land rights case in NT?
* Wavehill was the biggest pastoral station in NT, owned by British company the Vesty Company
* Gurunji people wanted equal pay, but quickly also demanded ownership of their land
* Campaign was led by Vincent Lingiari (head stockman)
* WC Wentworth, Liberal PM John Gorton’s Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, proposed 8 of the 6,000 square miles at Wavehill be given to the Gurunji
* Gorton gov said no
112
What was Whitlam's involvement in the Wavehill strike?
* Gough Whitlam promised land rights at 1972 elections and said the world would judge Aus for the way it treats AAs
* Whitlam organised the Vesty’s to give a substantial lease to the Gurunji
* Whitlam poured sand into Lingari’s hand as a symbol of the land change over
* Whitlam wanted to use NT as a landmark case and set a precedent because the States had no power in the territory
* The bill was introduced in 1975, but he was dismissed before it became law
113
Which PM started the 10-year long reconciliation process?
Bob Hawke
114
In what year did the High Court overturn terra nullius?
* In 1992, The High Court overturned terra nullius in 1788 (bought to court by Eddie Mabo)
* Native Title in common law
115
In what year was Native Title act introduced, by whom and what was it?
1993, Paul Keating, , Labor gov passed the historic Native Title law where AAs could claim native title were nobody else had an interest in the land and where they had a traditional association
116
Why did John Howard refuse to apologise for the Stolen Gen?
* John Howard does not believe in apologising for something he was not personally responsible for
117
What caused student enrolment to go up in the 1960s?
* High wages and low inflation in the 1960s = increased university enrolments from working-class youths
* University enrolments in SA doubled between 1961-72
* SA’s second university opened in Bedford Park in 1966 to meet demand
118
Who was Brain MedliN?
a professor of philosophy at Flinders Uni and Maoist inspired activists – big on the anti-Vietnam war movement
Brian Medlin was arrested at Moratorium Protest against Vietnam War
119
What was the growing sense of Aboriginality in the 1960s-70s?
* A growing sense of ‘Aboriginality’ emerged in the 1960s and 70s (i.e. the idea that different Indigenous communities were a common national group)
* Introduction of Aboriginal flag during this time in 1971 (adopted by Australia in 1995)
120
When was the Aboriginal Flag designed? When was it Adopted by Aus?
1971
1995
121
What was FCAATSI?
Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders
* FCAATSI pushed for the federal government to implement national policies on Aboriginal affairs and to include Indigenous people in the census
122
Indigenous Landholding?
* Indigenous Australian societies had a complex concept of landholding:
o Traditionally, individuals inherited specific obligations to protect and harvest from certain parts of the land
o In addition to the desire to maintain these sacred connections to land, activists wanted to use their own lands to achieve economic independence from white society
123
How did PM William MCMahon respond to calls for land rights?
* Liberal PM William McMahon did not respond to call from Indigenous Australians to grant them rights to their traditional lands and instead announced he would grant mining licences to on multiple Indigenous reserves
124
What is the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and When was it est.?
* Aboriginal Activists then erected a tent out the front of Parliament House in Canberra called the ‘Aboriginal Tent Embassy’ in 1974 (which was demolished by police several times but it is still there today)
125
How munch land did the Gurindji people act for in the Wavehill strike? What did Whitlam give them?
500 or the 6000 square miles.
1975: the Whitlam government granted the Gurindji people a leasehold of 25 square miles of the land they requested
126
Who was Margaret Wirrpanda?
1987
* Yorta Yorta woman, activist
* ‘Most protesters pay a price for the stand they take … They often suffer for their beliefs. In my case, I think I’m suffering at the moment both economically and emotionally.’
* ‘I hope my children won’t follow my footsteps and take up my interests because it’s a thankless type of work.’
127
How many Australians served in the the Vietnam War? How many were conscripts?
60,000 Australians serve in total
15,381 conscripts
128
What year was conscription introduced during the Vietnam War
1964
129
What were the obligations of conscripts?
* Conscripts were obliged to give two years of continuous full time service, followed by three years in the reserve list
* 1965: the Defence Act amended so conscripts could be required to serve overseas in the Australian Regular Army
* 1966: Conscripts would be sent to fight in units of the Australian Regular Army (previously all volunteers)
130
What were the four main methods for avoiding conscription?
Four main methods:
1. Join the Citizens Military Force and serve only in Australia
2. Claim a student deferment (university fees were restrictive)
3. Claim conscientious objection (very hard to prove in court)
4. Draft dodge or accept imprisonment
131
How many protestors turned up for the Moratorium Protests in 1970?
200,000 protesters nationally
132
What does SOS stand for?
Save Our Sons (SOS)
* First group founded in Sydney in May 1965
* Similar groups of women were inspired by the Sydney group and established SOS groups in their states
* Respectful, law-abiding means of protest
133
What was the Fairlea Five?
* April 1971: five members of the Victorian SOS (Jean McLean, Joan Coxsedge, Chris Cathie, Jo MaclaineCross, and Irene Miller) sentenced to two weeks at Fairlea Prison
* This triggered national protests, including a church service on Easter Sunday outside the prison, until the women were released
anti-vietnam war protest
134
When and who Abolished conscription?
* 1973: Whitlam abolished conscription.
135
When did aus withdraw from Vietnam?
* 1972: On winning the election, Whitlam announced the withdrawal of all Australian servicemen from Vietnam and withdrew all prosecutions under the National Services Act
136
What was the Tampa Crisis? When was it?
* 26 August 2001 – Tampa rescues 433 passengers (mainly Afghanis) and 27 crew aboard the Palapa
* International law compels Tampa’s captain to take survivors to nearest port; many are sick
* Australia refused permission for Tampa to dock – sent military with supplies to intercept vessel before it reached Australian territory
137
Howard Govt Response to Afghani Refugees ?
* Demonises refugees:
o ‘queue jumpers’ and ‘illegal entrants’
o ‘probably diseased’ and ‘possible terrorists’
o ‘willing to throw their children overboard’
* Claims are false:
o Can legally apply for refugee status and entry via two ‘queues’: off-shore and on-shore (shortly after arrival)
o Navy and Govt knew that children not thrown overboard
138
Three types of migrants…
* Assisted by Australian Govt, e.g.:
o convicts and free settler women in 19thC
o ‘£10 Poms’
* Unassisted
o People with economic potential
* Unwanted
o Asian ‘business heirs’
o ‘boat people’
139
How did the gov control immigration/White Aus Policy in early federation? Why?
* Immigration Restriction Act
* (1901): ‘White Australia policy’
* Dictation Test applied in fewer than 2000 cases, yet extremely effective tool because it would dissuade people from even applying to come (in any European language chosen by officials)
* Origins of ‘White Australia policy’:
o racist?
o protection of Australian workers and conditions?
o protecting of democracy and ‘egalitarianism’?
140
Other ways of controlling migration in Aus?
* Exclusion – ‘White Australia policy’
* Assistance with fares and settlement (govt assistance mostly for British people)
* Quota system
o about 110-190,000 per year total; 13,000 ‘humanitarian’
o nationality quotas
* Points and Categories
o points for English language, uni degree, business connections
o recent emphasis on ‘skilled’ migrants’ rather than ‘family reunion’ or ‘humanitarian’ categories
141
Immigration Policy 1900-45
* Immigration Restriction Act – defines who is ‘admissible’
* Dictation test keeps out Asians, Africans and Pacific Islander immigrants
* 1920s: quota system introduced – limits number of Eastern and Southern European migrants - response to immigration restriction imposed by USA
* Depression – migrant intake cut to protect Australian jobs (e.g. 1928: 3,000 Italians allowed but only 1,500 during Depression)
142
How many Jewish people come in 1935? How many jewish people applied in 1938? How many were admitted? Why did Australia not want them?
* 1935 – approx. 100 Jewish migrants
* 1938 – over 50,000 applications for migration to Australia
* Australia sets quota at 5,100 per yr (10% of applications)
* Rationale:
o ‘Jews unlikely to assimilate’
o could ‘provoke’ anti-Semitic violence
* Australia’s policy in this regard no better or worse than almost every country in the world – see 1938 Evian conference
143
What spurred populate or perish in 1945-49?
* Japanese bombings in WW2 heightens fear of invasion
* Australian birthrate declining throughout 20thC
* Ambitious post-war reconstruction plan required enlarged workforce
* E.g. Snowy River hydro-electric scheme, trans-national railway
* Creation of Department of Immigration in 1946, aim to increase population by 1% every year through immigration (70,000 immigrants/year)
* Preference for British migrants
144
What was the Displaced Persons Scheme? When was it? How many were accepted?
* Millions of ‘DPs’, left in refugee camps at end of WW2
* Australia accepts c.170,000 DPs between 1947-52
* Agree to 2-year work contracts (anywhere in Australia), paid at union wage rates
* Preference for English-speaking Western Europeans
145
What was the Nationality and Citizenship Act (1948)
* Nationality and Citizenship Act (1948)
* Act defines category of ‘Australian citizen’ for the first time (previously simply known as British subject)
introduced to define rights of migrants who were not British subjects (previously defined as ‘aliens’)
* Encourages migrants to apply for naturalisation; Europeans must first reside in Aust for 5 years, Asians for 15 years
146
What are the benefits of Citizenship?
1. You have the full protection and assistance of Aust’s laws at home and of Australian consulates when you travel abroad.
2. You may vote at Federal and State elections.
3. You may seek election to the Federal or State Parliaments, or local governing bodies.
4. You may sit on a jury to try your fellow citizens; you may become a judge or magistrate in Australia’s courts.
5. You may serve with Australia’s armed service and hold any rank.
6. You may own land in any State of Australia.
7. You have the right to become a permanent Government official.
8. You are eligible for all social service benefits.
9. You can sponsor migrants from overseas.
147
What was Aus's approach to migrations?
* migrants expected to assimilate and adopt the ‘Australian way of life’ – supposed to shed former national, ethnic, linguistic and, in some cases, religious identities (at least outwardly)
* Notion of ‘assimilation’ defined Aust’s approach to immigration until mid-1970s
* More difficult for migrant women in the home, who had less opportunity to engage with the community and learn English
148
How many migrants did Aus gain from 1947-1973? What percentage of the population growth was this?
nearly 2.5 million
* During this period, migrants and their children accounted for 59% of Australia’s population growth
149
When was the fist arrival of Vietnamese Boat People?
* 26 April 1976 – first arrival of Vietnamese fishing boat carrying 5 people
* Welcomed by people of Darwin (a truly multi-cultural city)
150
What was Malcolm Fraser's beliefs on taking in Vietnamese Refugees?
* He argued Aus had a responsibility to take in Vietnamese refugees because of our involvement in the war and we had an obligation to our neighbours in the region that took on the brunt of the issue
* 1975 – Aust does little: extends assistance to families of Vietnamese already in Australia. Does not increase refugee intake quota.
* 1978 – Aust negotiates with Malaysia and Indonesia to prevent unauthorised departures from refugee camps; agrees to lift quota on refugee intake
* 1978-82: 65,000 refugees admitted; eventually 150,000 Indochinese migrants in total
* Can apply for citizenship after 2 years – could then sponsor ‘family reunions’
151
What were the three imperatives for peace Australians demanded after WW1?
* As a result of the sacrifices they had made during War,
Australians made three demands of the peace:
- Compensation for losses
- Security
- National efficiency – a world in which science and
technology would make life easier
152
BY 1939 how many soldier farms failed?
approx half
153
What were soldiers given part of Returned Solider Settlement Scheme? Why? Google docs q
* Returned soldiers and their families given access to
cheap land (or ‘low-interest’ loans) for farming in rural
areas
Because Anxiety about unemployed and frustrated ex-soldiers
congregating in cities
154
What were three schools of thought on seeking security post WWI?
Socialists, inspired by Russian Revolution, seek new society
based on principles of equality and collective ownership
* Others seek society modeled on military, dispensing, if
necessary, with democracy (i.e. quasi-fascism)
* D.H. Lawrence, Kangaroo, 1923
* Opting-out: seeking security in the anonymity and apathy of
the suburbs
155
Who was William 'Billy' Hughes
* Leader of Labor Party – became PM in 1915
* Split with Labor over conscription, formed new
governing party - Nationalist Party - by the end of war
* 1922: Forced to form coalition govt with Country
Party, who demanded Hughes be replaced as PM by
Stanley Melbourne Bruce in 1923
156
What was the Burce Page Govt?
* Coalition with Earle Page’s Country Party
* Bruce-Page Government in power for 6 years (1923-29)
* Priorities were: men, money, markets
Men: Migration
* ‘Populate or perish’
* Assisted migration – preferred scheme
* Unions opposed migration
* Intention: populate rural areas and tropical north
Money: British Investment in Australian
Industries
* Australia dependent on foreign investment, loans and
commodity prices
Markets
* Trade dictated by doctrine of ‘imperial preference’
* Australian products oriented towards British market –
lacked diversity
157
What caused the onset of the Great Depression?
Global commodity prices drop drastically in 1920s =
reduced income (wheat and wool drop two-thirds in
price between 1925/6 and 1930/1)
* Money lenders fear loans won’t be repaid: refuse credit,
increase interest rates
* Australian Govt and business can’t repay debts or grow
* Job losses, wage deterioration = industrial unrest (BrucePage Govt sides with employers)
158
What was Australia's peak of unemployment during the Great Depression?
- Australia 23% (peaks at 33% in 1932)
* Non-unionised unemployed not counted in statistics,
therefore understate the problem
159
What was the orthodox approach to ending the depression?
* ‘Tighten belt’: accept lower wages and dividends/profits;
cut pensions and govt expenditure
* Proposed by Sir Robert Gibson (Chief of Commonwealth
Bank) and Sir Otto Niemeyer (Bank of England, the Govt’s
chief creditor)
160
What was the Keynesian approach to the Great Depression?
Keynesian Approach
* English economist John Maynard Keynes
- General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
(1936)
* stimulate economy through controlled inflation: print
money, employ people in public works projects
(increases spending power)
* Supported by treasurer E.G. Theodore (‘Red Ted’)
161
Who was Eric Campbell?
Founder of New Guard
162
What was the New Gaurd?
New Guard founded by Eric Campbell: right-wing
organisation mainly composed of ex-servicemen:
- Fear socialist take-over
163
Why does Billy Hughes reject the insertion of racial equality clause of the charter of
the newly-formed League of Nations?
Because then we couldn't have a White Australia Policy and he justifies it on the basis of “I speak for 60,000 dead” after WWI
He wanted compensation in the form of land/Germany's former colonies that they exploited for land and resources - hence Australia gain responsibility for the administration of New Guinea - we can't exploit it but we give advice on defence stuff because they are a buffer between us and the rest of the world
164
Who was Francis de Groot
Stopped Jack Lang from opening Sydney Harbour Bridge by riding in on a Horse in 1932
165
How did Jack Lang suggest to deal with the Depression?
Lang suggested defaulting on the loans because why should England get to live prosperously while Australians live in squalor
166
What was The Plot?
* Plot hatched by Staniforth Ricketson, Kingsley Henderson
and Robert Menzies
* Persuade key Labor members to desert party and join
conservatives to form new United Australia Party around Joseph Lyons
government
* Joseph Aloysius Lyons becomes PM
Beceause they wanted an Othodox approach to the Depression and hated Jack Lang's idea (who was dismissed as NSW Governor by Philip Game)
167
How many men and women serve in WWII?
* 993,000 Australian men and women serve in WW2 (approx.
400,000 at home)
168
What were the Australian Casualties in WWII?
39,366 military personnel killed abroad (approx. 67% of total
Australians killed in WW1)
* 66,553 wounded
* 8,031 died as POWs of the Japanese
169
What were the three war/battles Australian engaged in in WWII?
‘Phoney War’, Sep 1939 – mid-1940: Aust troops in training but
largely not engaged until fall of France and Battle of Britain
* Fighting in Europe, Middle East and North Africa until Feb 1942
(fall of Singapore and bombing of Darwin)
* War in Pacific, 1942-45, allied with USA. Australian armed forces
come under the command of US General Douglas Macarthur
170
When did Menzies declare war on Germany in WWII?
Declared war on Germany, 3
Sept 1939
171
When was the Bombing of Darwin? What were the Casualties?
* 19 February 1942 – 1
st unexpected attack
* 243 killed, approx. 350 wounded
* 20 aircraft destroyed, 8 ships sunk
* No Australian fighters got into the air
* Govt censorship – announce only 17 killed
* Attacks continue until Nov 1943 (64 raids)
Also bombed northern Australian towns: Broome (attack on 3
March 1942 kills approx. 100 people, mainly refugees fleeing the
Japanese advance through the Dutch East Indies), Katherine,
Townsville, Wyndham, Derby
172
Local responses to the Bombing of Darwin?
Local Responses…
* Darwin’s civilian population (and personnel at RAAF base) flee –
‘Adelaide River Stakes’
* Cowardice and looting?
173
When were the Submarine Attacks on Sydney? What happened? qoogle docs q
* 31 May 1942 – Sydney Harbour penetrated by 3 midget (2
person) submarines
* 1
st sub entangled in net – ‘hari kari’/‘hara-kiri’
* 2
nd sub destroys HMAS Kuttabul (19 dead) and escapes
* 3
rd sub sunk – crew commit suicide
174
Did Japan intend to invade Australia?
* Invasion never really the intention – Japan preoccupied
elsewhere
* Plan: isolate Australia to prevent it offering assistance and
launching attacks from Darwin
175
Who was General MacArthur?
US General Douglas MacArthur
retreats to Australia after fall of
Philippines
* Becomes Commander in Chief
of Allied Forces in the Pacific –
including Australia’s Armed
Forces (assisted by Aust General
Blamey)
* Between early 1942-45, approx.
1 million US troops pass through
Australia
176
How many Aus women became war brides to American GIs?
12,000 women
177
Why were American GI's more appealing to Aust women? google docs q
* GIs had smarter uniforms, earned more, access to wider and
cheaper range of consumer items and had ‘Hollywood’ factor
* ‘Over-paid, over-sexed, and over here’
178
What was the Battle of Brisbane?
26 November 1942 – night of fist-fights and rioting
involving American military and Australian soldiers and
civilians
* 1 Australian solider killed, 100s injured
* Censorship
* US soldier found ‘not guilty’ of manslaughter
An american serviceman thumps an aussie with a baton and he ran away to hide in a shop and Aussies came together and nearly tore the place apart trying to get at him, riot ensues between 100s of civilians and servicemen, an American GI opens fire and kills 1 aussie soldier and injures hundreds, media was told not to report on the incident because it would be made for morale - they reported on a 'disturbance' without reporting on people's nationality
179
What happened to Australian POW held by Japan?
* Germany takes 8,184 Australian POWs
* Japan takes 22,376 Australian POWs (14,972 after fall of
Singapore) – used as slave labour
* 8,031 (i.e. 1 in 3) die as captives of the Japanese
180
What were the Borneo 'Death Marches'?
Japan has 2,345 Aus and British POW walk until they died (only 6 survive) in 1945 when they knew they were going to surrender, but still chose to incur these casualties
181
How many POWs die constructing the Thai-Burma Railway in 1942-43?
2,646
182
What two physically strenuous tasks did the Japanese put Aust POWs through?
Borneo ‘Death Marches’, 1945
- 2,345 Australian and British POWs die; only 6 survive
* 2,646 Australian POWs die constructing the Thai-Burma
Railway, 1942-43
183
What was the Cowra Breakout?
5 August 1944 – attempted breakout by Japanese POWs at
Cowra camp
- 334 prisoners re-captured
- 234 escapees killed/suicide
- 108 wounded during breakout
- 4 Australian guards killed
By mid-1944 there were 2,223 Japanese POWs in Aust
* Japanese military tradition: escape or suicide
184
What was introduced in 1939 in Aus?
1939: reintroduction of
compulsory military training
for men turning 21
* Implementation of
conscription for home service
(unmarried men, and some
women, aged 21-39 years)
- e.g. Civil Constructional Corps
(18-60 years of age)
185
Why was conscription contentious in WWII? How did we overcome this?
* Labor Party strongly opposes compulsion to serve overseas
* US (conscript army) pressure: Aust must pledge equal
sacrifice to gain support
* Curtin masterstroke: Jan 1943 extends definition of
Australian territory to a zone of influence – conscripts serve
in New Guinea
186
What were austerity measures implemented by the govt during ww2?
Federal Govt gains power to
regulate the production and
provision of industrial and
consumer goods
* Domestic production (and
international supply) of
consumer goods greatly
diminish during war
* Petrol rationing introduced
1940
187
What was the rational of rationing?
Equitable distribution of food and clothing
* Enable personal saving and investment in government war bonds
* Administered by Rationing Commission through coupon books
(coupons exchanged by consumers → retailers →
wholesalers → primary producers)
188
When was Federal Income Tax introduced? Why?
* 1943: states transfer power to tax citizens’ incomes to Federal
Govt
* Enables Federal Govt to implement sickness and aged pension
schemes (1944) and plan for post-war reconstruction
189
What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)?
“it must be the policy of the United States to support free
peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed
minorities or by outside pressures”
* the United States should and must be the “global policeman,”
protecting and securing freedom and democracy in the “free
world”
* results in intervention in Greece, attempts to undermine
Communist Parties in France and Italy
190
What were the problems with Menzies Leadership?
* Out-of-step with new world order (Menzies a ‘man of
Empire’)
* Tertiary-educated electorate growing more discerning
* Involvement in Vietnam War was unpopular among
some
* Credit squeeze in early 1960s leads to rising
unemployment
* Unwillingness to groom successor – Percy Spender and
Richard Casey dispatched overseas
191
Why had the ALP struggling to gain leadership during the Menzies era?
* Ineffective leaders: HV Evatt and Arthur Calwell
* Outmoded ‘socialist’ policy didn’t appeal to burgeoning
middle class
* Immigration was transforming electorate – ALP couldn’t
rely on WC Irish vote
* Needed to revise modes of communication in new age of
TV and mass marketing
192
what is the 1960s social context to Whitlam's Ascent?
* Post-war economic prosperity leads to rise of an optimistic
and indulged ‘baby boomer’ generation – it became a
generation that sought more than material prosperity
because it took prosperity for granted
* Vietnam War shakes optimism
193
When did Whitlam become PM?
1972
194
How did Whitlam gov win the 1972 election?
Labor selects middle class candidates appealing to MC
desires/values
* Promises to use Commonwealth power (and grants to
States) to improve the material well-being of ordinary
Australians
* After 23 years of Liberal Party rule, ‘It’s Time’
* Wins big majority in House of Representatives, but
Liberal Party dominates Senate
195
What was achieved in the first two weeks on the Whitlam gov?
* For two weeks a two-man ministry of Whitlam and Lance
Barnard preside over all of the govt portfolios – enact
change immediately
- Formalised withdraw from Vietnam
- Abolishes conscription
- Supports ACTU’s case - equal pay for women
- Places freeze on mining on Aboriginal lands in NT
- Removes sales tax on contraceptive pill
196
Name two Whitlam gov Achievements
* Education: creates Universities Commission and
abolishes student fees (hooray!); provides money for
Catholic (private) schools
- student places at Uni increase from 180,000 (1973) to
240,000 (1975)
* Health: creation of Medibank – universal health insurance
providing free health care for all (increases Comm. health
expenditure by 150% from 1972 to 1975)
* Arts: est. Australia Council; the Aust Film Commission;
purchases Jackson Pollack’s Blue Poles ($1.3m) etc. –
funding for the Arts triples during period in power
* Women’s Affairs: creation of Office of the Status of
Women – champions equal wage, est. women’s refuges
* Aboriginal Affairs: first traditional land returned to
Gurindji people at Wave Hill; initiates Royal Commission
into Aboriginal land rights in NT
Elderly: increases pension to 25% of average wage;
begins to abolish means testing
* Welfare: introduces benefits for mothers; legal aid;
doubles value of assistance available to Aborigines
197
What did critics say about Whitlam's policy?
Aus had become a welfare state
198
What was the economic downturn of the 1970s?
* Whitlam assumed benign economic conditions of 1950s
and 1960s would continue, but…
* ‘stagflation’ – characteristic of economies throughout
Western world
* 1973 OPEC oil shock (price increases x4 ‘overnight’)
199
What were the flaws in Whitlam's leadership?
* Autocratic leader
* Whitlam’s inattention to detail – left major policy decisions
in the hands of ministers
* Difficulty in controlling errant ministers…
200
What was the loans affair?
Govt seeks loan to maximise Australian control and
ownership of energy and mineral resources
* Whitlam, Cairns and Murphy authorise minister Rex Connor
“to borrow on Australia’s behalf and on terms left entirely to
his discretion, US$4 billion from unspecified sources”
* Connor seeks to arrange loan through shady Pakistani
financier Tirath Khemlani
* Khemlani proves unreliable…Opposition Leader Malcolm
Fraser finds out and causes fuss
* Eventually Connors authority withdrawn but he continues to
broker loan – denies doing so in Parliament…forces Whitlam
to also mislead Parliament
201
Why was Whitlam dismissed?
* Scandals, allegations of financial mismanagement, and
fears for Australia’s reputation enable Liberal Party
dominated Senate to threaten to block supply (i.e. refuse
to approve funding for govt programs) unless Whitlam calls
an election
* Whitlam refuses and stand-off continues for weeks –
money running out
* Governor General acts, 11 November 1975 – dismissing
the Govt and giving power to Fraser on condition that he
immediately call an election
* Fraser’s Liberal Party sweeps the ensuing election (13
December 1975)
202
Why was Menzies era so long lasting?
Menzies’ unique talents
* Menzies’ able team
* The weakness and stupidity of his opponents
* The right man at the right time: Australian aspirations in
the 1950
203
When did Menzies first become PM?
* Assumed PM-ship in 1939, upon death of Joseph Lyons
* WW2 exposed weakness in his leadership: willingness to
defer to Britain and not defend Aust’s interests
* Lost confidence of UAP and 2 Independents, resigns PM-ship
in August 1941
204
Who were Menzies' forgotten people? google docs q
* ‘Forgotten people’: the middle class whose interests were
not being served by the Labor Party or Big Business (the
banks etc.)
* Appealed, particularly, to women voters
205
What personal features made Menzies so influential?
Performance in public meetings and oration extremely
influential before TV
- Mellifluous voice, cultured yet unmistakably Australian
- Quick on his feet
* Brilliant political tactician, ruthless once weakness exposed
* Left ‘fine detail’ of policies to subordinates
206
What is the heroic interpretation of Menzies' Leadership?
Blessed by political parentage; privileged education
* Determinedness not to be discouraged after initial failure
as PM
* Ability to articulate the discontents of the Middle Class –
possibly manufactured the idea of the ‘forgotten people’ –
their interests not being served by Labor Party or Big
Business
* Talented speaker and debater
* Ruthless political tactician
207
What was the alternative explanation for Menzies' leadership?
Capitalises on Cold War paranoia and the weakness,
stupidity and self-destruction of the Labor opposition
* Took advantage of Labor’s failure to distance itself from
Communist Party
* Profited from Labor Party split
* Thus, longevity had more to do with failures or bad luck of
his opponents than the electorate’s confidence in Menzies’
personal abilities
208
Why was the Labor Party equated to communism?
Labor Party ideological origins: pro-workers’ rights, proregulation and control of capitalism to confer benefits to all
* Anti-conscription, pacifist elements in WW1 (similarity with
Russian Bolsheviks)
* Pro-centralised control of economy and private enterprise
(Labor continues rationing after war, takes control of
income tax)
* 1947 Labor proposal to nationalise the banks
209
What happened with the Communist Party Dissolution Bill?
* Communist Party Dissolution Bill passed by federal
parliament in June 1950
* Legislation challenged in High Court – Labor leader Dr HV
Evatt appears in defence of Communist Party
* Dissolution Bill ruled unconstitutional
* Sept 1951: referendum held to alter Constitution, enabling
ban of Communist Party – proposition narrowly defeated
210
How did Menzies' capitalise off the Petrov Affair?
Defection of Vladimir Petrov and wife – Soviet spies in
Australia
* Allegations of Communist spy ‘ring’ including Labor
Party staff members and key trade unionists
* Menzies calls election to capitalise on the allegations –
wins narrowly in 1954
211
Why were the 1950s characterised by Suburban Apathy?
* Australians in suburbs wanted safety – survived two World
Wars and the Depression; wanted to enjoy new found
material prosperity, free from ‘Communists’
212
When was the Labor Split?
1955
213
What was the Labor Split of 1955?
Catholics in the Party were Hostile to communism because communism critiqued religion as being an opiate for the masses and makes them passive and the communist cause wants revolutionaries
B.A. Santamaria thought Labor Party had been steered to close to communism
Catholics challenge people for their positions in the Party and unions and Evatt finds out so he bans them from party activities
So the Catholic leave the party and created the DLP (Democratic Labor Party)
DLP Candidate direct preferences to Liberal and Country Party to make sure Labor loses key seats
214
How many years did Menzies serve as PM?
18 years
215
When was Whitlam dismissed?
1975
216
Why do some say that the Labor Split was inevitable?
Catholics rising into the Middle
Class, no longer identifying with Working Class concerns
217
Why was the Chifley Labor Govt viewed as untrustworthy?
Chifley’s ‘socialist tendencies’: control of economy and
production through rationing and tariffs
* 1947 plan to nationalise the banks
As a result, US refuses to share military technology and intelligence
218
Why was the British Atomic Testing in Aus unethical?
* Men, poorly protected, deliberately exposed to radioactive
fallout during tests
* Test sites were not inhabited - they were used for fishing, ceremonial stuff and collecting food
* Indigenous people possibly suffered exposure to radiation
219
When did Aus dispatch troops to Korean war?
1950
220
What were some of the Liberal Govt resolute anti-communist actions?
* send military assistance to help Britain defeat the
communist insurgency in Malaya
* despatch troops to fight Communist in Korea in 1950
* ANZUS Treaty, 1951
* Commit troops to Vietnam: “all the way with LBJ”
221
When was conscription for Vietnam? How many Serve?
1962-1972
* 1962-72: 60,000 Australians serve; incl. 19,000 conscripts
* 521 killed (incl. 200 conscripts); 3,131 wounded
222
How was conscription done?
birthday bingo balls pulled
from barrel
223
What were the ramifications of the Petrov affair?
* Menzies capitalises on ‘Red scare’ to win 1954 election
* Lives ruined by allegations of Communist activity
* Evatt’s credibility destroyed by his extraordinary
performance and paranoia
* Decline of Communist Party membership
224
On what basis did Labor oppose the 1951 Communist Party referendum ban?
Dr Evatt campaigned strongly against the Referendum to ban the Communist Party on the defence of civil liberties - Australians should be allowed to freely associate with whoever
225
What was a notable addendum to the 1951 Communist Party referendum ban?
If you were accused of being a communist you would have to prove that you weren't (which is a reversal of the burden of proof) and if you couldn't prove you weren't a communist you could lose your job
226
How was ASIO preparing ahead of the 1951 Communist Party referendum ban?
ASIO was preparing to intern 7,000 activists, writers, academics, etc in the advent of war
