On 19 May the Australian Institute of International Affairs brought together prominent scholars and former foreign policy officials to discuss Australia’s foreign policy making from 1972-83. The forum was the third in a series commemorating former Ministers for Foreign Affairs and followed successful forums on the R.G. Casey era and the 1960-72 period. Proceedings of the first two forums have been published as edited books which are available online here

The forum began with an overview of Australian Foreign Policy during both the Whitlam Government 1972-75 and the Fraser Government 1975-83. A series of panels then covered Australia’s relations with China and Japan, relations with the US and Indonesia, engagement with the Third World, and diplomacy during the Whitlam/Fraser era. Participants shared their own experiences throughout the era, providing us with valuable and candid insights into the lives of the former ministers.

Papers will be gathered and discussions transcribed for release of the third book in the series.