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Australia First Movement – Fact sheet 28

Background

The Australia First Movement existed for five months until its leaders and some of its members were secretly interned in March 1942. Their internment was based on the suspicion that the movement might attempt to provide help to Japanese invaders. [1] This led to a Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry headed by Mr Justice Clyne which sat between 19 June 1944 and 17 May 1945.

Between 1936 and 1942 the movement published 16 volumes of a newsletter titledThe Publicist. This publication stated that its aim was to 'arouse in Australians a positive feeling, a distinctive Australian patriotism of a thoroughly realistic kind'. AlthoughThe Publicist was regarded as dully repetitive, argumentative and sometimes childish, it featured prominently in the Commission of Inquiry – mostly due to its seemingly pro-Japanese stance, when Australians were living in fear of Japanese invasion. [2]

Records dealing with the Australia First Movement

Commisson of Inquiry into the Internment in 1942 of certain persons connected with the Australia First Movement Group (CA 945)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Transcript of evidence	1944–45	A1107

Commonwealth Investigation Service (CA 650)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Correspondence files of the Commonwealth Investigation Service	1916–60	A8911
	Correspondence files	1941–48	A373

Investigation Branch, Central Office (CA 747)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Report of Commission of Inquiry into the detention of certain members of the Australia First Movement Group	1945	A374, 1

Security Service, Central Office (CA 660)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Press cuttings relating to Australia First internees	1942–44	A375, NN

Attorney-General's Department (CA 5)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Correspondence files, W (War) prefix	1939–49	A472
	Special correspondence files	1952–	A467

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (CA 1297)

Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
Miscellaneous security files inherited by ASIO	1916–	A6335
Australia First Movement (The Publicist)	1939–42	A6335, 3
Microfilm copies of personal and subject files (A6119 & A6122)	1960–	A6126
Australia First Movement – 'The Publicist'	1940–46	A6126, 30

Prime Minister's Department (CA 12)

Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
Correspondence files	1934–50	A461
Australia First Movement	1946	A461, U327/1/4
Correspondence files	1939–47	A1608
Australia First Movement part 1	1941–49	A1608, S39/2/3

War Cabinet Secretariat (CA 1468)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	War Cabinet Minutes without Agenda files	1939–46	A2676
	War Cabinet Minute nos 2067 and 2095 – Australia First Movement	1942	A2676, 2067 and 2095

Department of Defence [III], Central Office (CA 46)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	The Shedden Collection	1937–71	A5954
	Australia First Movement	1942–45	A5954, 431/10

Security Service, New South Wales (CA 946)

Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
General summary of the Australia First Inquiry	1944	C419
Transcripts of the Australia First Inquiry	1944–45	C418
Correspondence concerning the Australia First Inquiry	1944–45	C421

The Hon. Sir Thomas Stuart Clyne (CP 265)

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Personal notebooks of His Honour Judge TS Clyne	1939–62	MP688/1

Records held at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra

	Title or description of record	Date range	Series number
	Official History, 1939–45 War, Series 4 (Civil) Volumes I & II: Records of Paul Hasluck	1945–69	AWM68

Notes

[1] For information about World War II internment see:

[2] Muirden, B,The Puzzled Patriots – The Story of the Australia First Movement , Melbourne University Press, Victoria, 1968.

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Australia First Movement – Fact sheet 28

Background

Records dealing with the Australia First Movement

Notes