Edited by Craig Stockings and John Connor
Sydney: NewSouth Publishing, 2013 ISBN 9781742233697
So often here in Australia we think of our military history starting on the shores of ANZAC Cove on the morning of the 25th of April 1915, when actually it began at least one hundred years before, and even further back depending on how the term 'military history' is used.
This book is an interesting collection of essays that look at incidents in and themes that run through Australia's military history before that fateful April morning. The first two essays deal with Aboriginal warfare between tribes, and with the white settlers. Aboriginal societies were warrior societies, and while some of the fighting was ceremonial it was no less real for that. Historians are still peeling back the layers of evidence as to exactly how and why the tribes fought each other. Our developing understanding of the fighting between Aboriginals and the white settlers is well-covered by the second essay in the book. What was openly stated at the time and then repressed for many years is now being spoken of again, with evidence to back it up: namely that many groups of Aboriginals fought the wave of settlers - sometimes with (temporary) success - before finally succumbing to superior numbers and firepower.
The next essays in the book then go on to elaborate a few themes: firstly Britain's desire for Australia to shoulder more of the cost of their own defence, and for Australian defence assets to be at the Empire's disposal when needed. This contrasted with Australia's lack of willingness (and financial ability) to spend on her own defence, with the tangled history of rifle clubs and the cadet movement laying bare the divide between the military requirement of trained and drilled troops, and the average citizen's view that a few crack shots with their own horses would save the day with their "natural" soldierly ability, an idea that was seemingly reinforced by the Australian experience in the Boer War. The idea of citizens doing what was needed when the time came is further expounded upon in the essay dealing with the "invasion literature" that was produced in the late 1800s, spurred by the departure of English troops from the continent, and the seeming unwillingness of the Royal Navy to commit to defending Australia come what may.
Further essays discuss the issues that arose once Australia federated in 1901, which meant that she had to create her own defence forces. The Navy was ahead of the Army in professionalisation, but compulsory military training - which was instituted in 1911 - at least allowed the government to draw on men who had a modicum of training when it was time to gather troops for World War One. This was a big step from Australian's earlier involvement in the New Zealand Wars, the Sudan or even the Boer War, where units were raised by individual colonies without much co-ordination, or it was left to individuals to join up.
The final essay deals with Australia's first military action in World War One; the capture of the German radio station at Rabaul. The previous essay's description of the struggles to get a national defence off the the ground find their apogee here: the German East Asiatic Squadron was too fearful to defend Rabaul owing to the superior firepower of Australia's nascent Navy, and troops were gathered and sent to fight within a month of War being declared.
Overall the essays in this book are interesting and educative: backed with comprehensive notes and useful bibliographies they are each a great starting point for entry into Australia's early military history.
Cheers for now, from
A View Over the Bell
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