Kathryn Avery - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
My PhD thesis examines the Australian government’s concerns over Japanese intentions in Portuguese Timor prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War. My broad research interest is Australian foreign policy and defence history, with a particular focus on Australian-Japanese and Australian-British relations during the first half of the twentieth century.
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Book Reviews by Kathryn Avery
Agora, 2018
In 1942, Australia’s worst fears of a Japanese invasion appeared to be on the verge of materialis... more In 1942, Australia’s worst fears of a Japanese invasion appeared to be on the verge of materialising. A Carefree War: The Hidden History of Australian WWII Child Evacuees succeeds in painting a picture of this darkest and most perilous year by addressing the drastic measures parents took to ensure the safety of their children at a time when a Japanese invasion appeared imminent.
Conference Presentations by Kathryn Avery
1919-1939: Towards a New History of the Interwar Period Conference, 2-3 September 2019, Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales, 2019
This paper explores Australian anxieties over Japanese designs on Portuguese Timor that culminate... more This paper explores Australian anxieties over Japanese designs on Portuguese Timor that culminated in the joint Australian-Dutch military intervention there in December 1941. During the interwar years, Australia’s leaders feared for their nation’s security should the colony fall into the orbit of Japan’s sphere of influence. Yet the significance of Portuguese Timor to Australia during these years has received scant attention. By 1919 the fading colonies of the Portuguese Empire were considered derelict. One of these, Portuguese Timor, was viewed as the weakest point in Australia’s northern surroundings. Centuries of colonial misrule had left it largely underdeveloped and vulnerable. Archival evidence suggests that Australian leaders supported London’s unsuccessful efforts to incorporate the colony into the British Empire as a means to prevent future Japanese encroachment. As the international situation dramatically worsened during the 1930s, the question of Portuguese Timor once again occupied the minds of Australian leaders. With greater awareness of Britain’s incapacity to sufficiently project its military power, Australia’s leaders pursued a number of measures in an attempt to prevent Japanese interests. Ultimately their efforts were unsuccessful.
Australian Historical Association Conference, 2-6 July 2018, Australian National University, Canberra, 2018
Books by Kathryn Avery
The Great War: Aftermath and Commemoration, NewSouth Publishing, 2019
Agora, 2018
In 1942, Australia’s worst fears of a Japanese invasion appeared to be on the verge of materialis... more In 1942, Australia’s worst fears of a Japanese invasion appeared to be on the verge of materialising. A Carefree War: The Hidden History of Australian WWII Child Evacuees succeeds in painting a picture of this darkest and most perilous year by addressing the drastic measures parents took to ensure the safety of their children at a time when a Japanese invasion appeared imminent.
1919-1939: Towards a New History of the Interwar Period Conference, 2-3 September 2019, Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales, 2019
This paper explores Australian anxieties over Japanese designs on Portuguese Timor that culminate... more This paper explores Australian anxieties over Japanese designs on Portuguese Timor that culminated in the joint Australian-Dutch military intervention there in December 1941. During the interwar years, Australia’s leaders feared for their nation’s security should the colony fall into the orbit of Japan’s sphere of influence. Yet the significance of Portuguese Timor to Australia during these years has received scant attention. By 1919 the fading colonies of the Portuguese Empire were considered derelict. One of these, Portuguese Timor, was viewed as the weakest point in Australia’s northern surroundings. Centuries of colonial misrule had left it largely underdeveloped and vulnerable. Archival evidence suggests that Australian leaders supported London’s unsuccessful efforts to incorporate the colony into the British Empire as a means to prevent future Japanese encroachment. As the international situation dramatically worsened during the 1930s, the question of Portuguese Timor once again occupied the minds of Australian leaders. With greater awareness of Britain’s incapacity to sufficiently project its military power, Australia’s leaders pursued a number of measures in an attempt to prevent Japanese interests. Ultimately their efforts were unsuccessful.
Australian Historical Association Conference, 2-6 July 2018, Australian National University, Canberra, 2018
The Great War: Aftermath and Commemoration, NewSouth Publishing, 2019