Diplomatic Witness

The author became Governor-General of Australia after a long record of service as a Cabinet Minister in the portfolios of Territories, Defence and External Affairs. In this book he draws on the experiences during an earlier period of public service as an officer of the Australian Department of External Affairs from 1941 to 1947. It reveals much of the background to war-time administration in Canberra and especially the international side of Australian post-war reconstruction and post-hostilities planning. The development of Australian thinking about defence and foreign affairs during the period is traced and one of the underlying themes is the relationship between minister and public servants in the formation of foreign policy. This book is intended for students and researchers in foreign policy analysis and Australian history.