An Australian foreign policy? Australia in War and Peace, 1914-19

The question of whether an Australian foreign policy existed during the First World War arises because there was no Department of Foreign Affairs at that time.
Through ‘Australia in War and Peace, 1914-19’, a major collaborative research project between the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies (MCAS) at King’s College London and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra, we illustrate that there was indeed an Australian foreign policy at the time, despite the lack of recognisable instruments and institutions. Australian foreign policy operated instead in an imperial context. The ultimate goal of our project is to produce a volume of Documents on Australian Foreign Policy on War and Peace, 1914-19. The publication will follow the model of the previous volume produced by the same partners, Australia and the United Kingdom, 1960-1975, which consisted of painstakingly selected, historically significant Australian and British documents illuminating the Anglo-Australian relationship. In this talk we will outline the main features of the new research project, explore its major themes and share some of the fruits of our research so far.

Tuesday 4 December, 5.30pm arrival for a 6pm start. Light refreshments served.
Location: Visitor Centre, Shrine of Remembrance.
Cost: Gold coin donation.

Bookings go to: http://www.shrine.org.au/Visit-the-Shrine/Talks-and-Events/An-Australian-foreign-policy—Australia-in-War-an