Craig Collie is the author of the highly acclaimed The Path of Infinite Sorrow and Nagasaki, as well as The Reporter and the Warlords and Code Breakers. He is a TV producer-director by background and was head of TV Production at SBS.
I can’t understand the mentality of the Australian people. One day they are in a panic about the war and the next they want more race meetings.’ – John Curtin PM
By March 1942, the Japanese had steamrolled through Malaya, laid siege to Singapore, and bombed Darwin with the same ferocity they had dealt Pearl Harbor. Nothing could stop them. Their next step was inevitable, surely: the invasion and occupation of Australia.
Meanwhile, as Australian prime minister John Curtin was battling with Winston Churchill to get troops back from overseas to defend their homeland, he was also positioning to ensure the United States would be there with us to fend off the approaching enemy.
And at home, people pitched in as best they could and in any way to frustrate the invader. They all played their part, torn between ‘she’ll be right’ and near panic.
On Our Doorstep is the story of how Australia and Australians – the government, the military and the people – prepared to face this calamity, and the events that persuaded them of its probability. In the end, Japan found it had stretched itself beyond the reliability of its supply line, but had it ever intended to invade Australia?
The evidence is far from certain but it is unlikely.
General Sydney Rowell
General Sydney Rowell was once asked “What would Australia’s response be if the Japanese landed at Broome and headed for Alice Springs?”. He replied, “Send out the Salvage Corps to pick up their bones”!
There is an interesting discussion on the politics of the “Brisbane Line” where allegations within the Australian Labour Party of a preparedness to fall back to Brisbane should an invasion occur. The “Brisbane line” was an alleged plan to abandon Northern Australia in the event of a Japanese invasion.This incensed Queensland labour party members whose electorates would be left undefended. That it was a military contingency plan is probably true but more than that is doubtful.
Another interesting discussion around the “scorched earth policy” and its preparations. A more detailed account of this can be found in Sue Rosen’s book “Scorched earth” which I will post on kin the near future.
The book was an interesting read that put some of the discussions with my Mother and Grandfather into context. I don’t necessarily agree with all of Collie’s conclusions, which was a similar comment I made on his book “The Path of Infinite Sorrow”. There are better books around.