A short history of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition

Abstract

The American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land is sometimes referred to as the 'last of the big expeditions'. Despite the hype (and there was plenty of that), exploration - at least in the terrestrial sense - was not its purpose. Rather, it was the frontier of knowledge that members of the Expedition hoped to penetrate. This involved co-ordinated study of both the natural environment and its Aboriginal inhabitants. Occurring in the aftermath of World War II, the Arnhem Land Expedition was a watershed event, emblematic of broader transformations in Australia and beyond. In terms of diplomatic objectives, it reflected the desire of Ben Chifley's Labor Government, then in its last days, to shore up the relationship with the United States through an overt display of collaboration between the two nations. Widely reported in the press, and transmitted to the world through film, radio and print media, this 'friendly mission' was a public face to behind-the-scenes negotiations that would shape the trans-Pacific relationship for the remainder of the twentieth century. Domestic support for the Arnhem Land Expedition is indicative of the pro-American sentiments of Australia's major political parties, then adjusting to a post-war climate of decolonisation and the demise of Britain as a global power. It was Chifley's successor, Robert Menzies, who signed the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) in 1951.