Sawer, Geoffrey (Professor) AO

Professor Geoffrey Sawer AO as head of Radio Australia in the Second World War, interviewed by Dr Errol Hodge

Tape 1: Discusses Mac Ball; early university teaching; member of Militia; unfit for war zone service; joined short wave division of Radio Australia; British and American influence on broadcasts; Australia government directives; Doc (Bert) Evatt; 'Allied Translator Intelligence Service' (ATIS); broadcasts to Asia/Pacific; end of war and end of directives from British, American and Australian governments; British troops receiving surrender of Japanese forces on Indonesia and problems with Indonesian Independence Movement; Australian government policy and directives on Radio Australia's coverage of the Indonesian situation in 1945; dismissal from Radio Australia; short discussion on structure of Radio Australia. Tape 2: Dutch government broadcasts to Indonesia; formation of Radio Australia; Henry Stokes; political warfare agencies; propaganda; battle of Brisbane; Cowra breakout; Japanese submarine attacks on Sydney Harbour; attack on Darwin; administration of country regions should Australia be invaded; John Curtin; possibility of Australia being over run; Mac Ball's resignation and government interference; Americans supplying weapons to Dutch troops resisting actions by the Indonesian Independence Movement after the war.