Interview with John Hinde (When the war came to Australia)

Mr Hinde was a journalist with the ABC at the beginning of the war. Frank Dixon was in charge of the news, Warren Denning was the second in charge. He discusses the night the Japanese submarine shelled Sydney harbour. He monitored the retrieval of the submarine and mentions that the crew was buried with full military honours at this early stage of the war. He discusses the sinking of the HMAS Kuttabul as a result of the submarine sinking. Mr Hinde says that people were suspicious of Hitler long before the war began. He mentions Robert Menzies, saying that he was "British to the boot tops". He was not a national hero except with the" blue rinse set". John Curtin is described as an efficient but drab journalist, and Ben Chifley had a touch of flamboyance, he was a romantic hero. Mr Hinde comments that having Russia as an ally was a problem for a lot of people. Pearl Harbour and the fall of Singapore are discussed. The escape of General Gordon Bennett and Charles Moses [the ABC General Manager] is discussed. General Douglas Macarthur is discussed at length. The Australian attitude to the visiting Americans is mentioned- after the initial relief of having the Americans, the locals got sick of them. Mr Hinde's impressions of the American troops and their attitude in general is discussed. Censorship of the press is mentioned and the use of propaganda. A radio program called "The watchman" is mentioned, this broadcast a political program every lunchtime. VP day is commented on and the return of the Changi prisoners to the Concorde Repatriation Hospital. The dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima is discussed- in hindsight, Mr Hinde is glad he didn't go to report on the devastation. The damage to Nagasaki and Tokyo is also mentioned. Mr Hinde comments on civilian life and the depressed community. He comments that Australia was changed by the war ,for example in the notion of personal security. He concludes that post-war relations with the USA have superceded relations with Britain, especially with the EEC.