The Navy Vol_37_Part1 (Feb-Mar-Apr, May-June-July 1975)

TEA POT INNSERVICESTATION' For Prompt Driveway Service • All MechanicalRepairs' Lubes* Tune-ups129 PRINCES HWY, NOWRA, NSWTelephone: Nowra 2 2921WEDGWOODNext to the Poet OfficeJEWELLERSFor Quality Watches — Fine China and Glassware— Engraving — Watch Repairs by QualifiedWatchmaker(Horological Guild ot Aust)74 JUNCTION ST, NOWRA, NSWTelephone: Nowra 2 2653ERIC WOOLLEYPTYLTDSERVICES• Complete Two-way Radio AWA MobileSystems • Sales, Service. Installation4 HOCKEY ST, NOWRA, NSWTelephone: Nowra 2 2773ROPON LYNCH PTY LTDHaulage an J Earthmoving — BulldozingGeneral Earthmoving ContractorsEAST STREET, NOWRAPhone: 22132After Hours: 20537MILTRAC PTY LTD> Hardwoods e Softwoods e Mouldings eAIIInternal FixingsNd Order too BIG or too SMALL at MlltracMINCES HIGHWAY, NOWRAPhone: 2 3098Best Wishes fromBONDS OF FIGTREEChief Suppliers of Quality Fruit and Veges to• Albatross" and ' Cresswell""Bonds Are Always Batter"MULLER'SFUNERALSFUNERALS OF DISTINCTIONEstablished 1880Cremations and Burials of all denominationscarried out with the Dignity and Reverencebought with over 60 years' courteous service tothe Shoalhaven DistrictPhone: Nowra 2 214824 Hours a day — 7 days a weekHarold J. Mutter, Director5 BERRY STREET. NOWRAVisiting "ALBATROSS"?Relatives and friends ot serving personnel areinvited to enjoy the comfort ofCORAL TREELODGEGREENS ROAD, GREENWELL POINTPhone: Nowra 471358IntroductionAustralia is the world's largestisland and. indeed, may be regardedas a continental island. It measures2500 miles from west to east and2300 miles from south to north. Itsarea is about the same as that of theUnited States, some 3 000 000square miles, with a 12.200-milescoastline Most Australians, aboutthreequarters of the total12.000.000. live on the eastern,south-eastern, and southwesternseaboards, within 100 miles of thecoast. The seven coastal capitalcities hold 56% of the population —Sydney and Melbourne engrossing40%. The remaining quarter of thepopulation is distributed irregularlythroughout the rest of thecountry. Most ot the central portionis arid and with a very small population.Australia is immensely rich innatural resources, especiallyminerals and its capacity to growfood and fibres It is not onlypredominantly self-sufficient infood but also one of the world'sleading exporters ol grains, meatsand fruits. The country is also selfsufficientin most minerals ofeconomic importance. Recentdiscoveries have shown Australia tobe one of the world's maior sourcesof iron ore. and now. after fruitlesssearches for several decades, oil hasalso been discovered in payablequantity.Australia has made a real effort tomodernise its economy and haschannelled its important resourcesand skilled manpower into the mostproductive sectors ot the economyUntil very recently, it has attractedlarge amounts ot private loreigncapital because of its more advancedtechnology, large untapped naturalresources and a government thatencouraged private enterprise.Hitherto largely dependent forforeign exchange on exports ot wool,wheat and other agriculturalproducts to the United Kingdom andEurope, Australia now has greatlyexpanded its trade in minerals,manufactured goods, and otherindustrial products, its traditionaldependence on Britian as the sourceof capital and markets has lessenedin recent years, and the UnitedStates and Japan now play key rolesin its economy Especially Japan hasreplaced Britian as Australia's bestexport customer.Because Australia is an island, andheavily dependent on foreign tradefor its well-being, all but a tinyfraction of that trade is by sea. Thecountry, therefore, is rathersensitive to the expansion ot hostilesea powers in the adjacent watersand the safety ot its lines otcommunication in those areas.The Australian population isalmost exclusively European. Itsgrowth rate is 2% per year, abouthalf being immigrants. Sparsity otpopulation is probably the onlylimiting factor on its role as a potentialgreat power. With a populationot only 12,000.000 living in an areaot 3.000.000 square miles. Australiaclearly cannot expect to be independentin national security. It thecontinent were adequately populatedand its natural resources fullydeveloped. Australia would nottoday be a small country requiringthe protection of some other majorpowers.Australia is an accident otgeography and Europeancolonialism. Australians are sooften puzzled by debate as towhether they are "in" or "out" ofAsia, "part of" or "near" the region.Australia is remote from the nearestmajor friendly power, and successivegovernments since tha colonialperiod have been sensitive to thestrategic situation around them. ItsAustralia's Minister Jor Dejenct,the Honourable Lance Barnard,MP.vital interests are inescapablyassociated with Asia, yet it is notonly primarily a European societybut also basically committed to thepreservation ot a homogeneousEuropean population. This may beconsidered as a paradox to Australia.Historical BackgroundIn the years between 1787 and1918. Australia was almost entirelydependent on Great Britain for itsdefence. It had few foreign policyinterests other than maintainingclose economic and political tieswith the mother country, GreatBritain. After the First World War andduring the 1930 s. Japanese expansionistactivities in North-east Asiawere noted with concern, but as longas the British Navy dominated theSouth China Sea and the British baseon Singapore was strongly defended,Australians still felt no tear for theirown security.Australia might have succumbedto a Japanese attack in 1942 had itnot been turned into a base for thebuild-up ot American forces in thePacific region. The tall ot Singaporein February. 1942, shattered Australia'sconfidence in British protectionand prompted a re-evaluationof its foreign and defence policies.The Second World War thus had aprofound influence on the thinkingPate Forty THE NAVY May/June/July,May/June/July, 1975THE NAVYPaasfert,^