Australia in the Age of International Development, 1945 1975

This book examines Australian colonial and foreign aid policy towards Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia in the age of international development (19451975). During this period, the academic and political understandings of development consolidated and informed Australian attempts to provide economic assistance to the poorer regions to its north. Development was central to the Australian colonial administration of PNG, as well as its Colombo Plan aid in Asia. In addition to examining Australia's perception of international development, this book also demonstrates how these debates and policies informed Australia's understanding of its own development. This manifested itself most clearly in Australia's behavior at the 1964 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The book concludes with a discussion of development and Australian foreign aid in the decade leading up to Papua New Guinea's independence, achieved in 1975.

Argues that developmental imperatives were emphasized in Australian aid policy between 1945 and 1975 Provides new insights into the connections between colonial policy in Papua New Guinea and foreign aid in Southeast Asia Shows how Australian policymakers were brought into the global project of international development that peaked during decolonization and the Cold War

Auteur

Nicholas Ferns is a Teaching and Research Associate at Monash University, Australia. His research has been published in Australian and international journals, including The Australian Journal of Politics and History and Diplomacy and Statecraft.

Résumé

"Ferns' book ... presents an insightful and thoroughly documented assessment of this important topic. ... he examines how Australian policy over these years was both consistent and flexible as politicians, bureaucrats, and academics responded and adapted to changing international conditions and intellectual trends. ... Ferns' familiarity with the literature of development, economics, and international relations is strongly evident throughout his book and provides his analysis with a solid knowledge base. ... Ferns' book is nonetheless a timely and necessary contribution to our understanding of Australian political history." (Jonathan Ritchie, History Australia, August 16, 2021)

Contenu
Introduction.- 1. Stone Age to the Twentieth Century: Trusteeship and the New Deal for Papua New Guinea, 1945-1949.- 2. By Every Means in Our Power: The Establishment of the Colombo Plan, 1949-1957.- 3. New Codes and a New Order: Papua New Guinean Development in the Hasluck Era, 1951-63.- 4. Developed, Developing, or Midway? Australia at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 1964.- 5. We Should Be Doing More Than We Are: The Colombo Plan, Papua New Guinea, and the Australian External Aid Review, 1957-1965.- 6. Taking up the Latest Fashions: International Development in Flux and the Australian Response, 1965-1975.- Conclusion.