Tiberius with a Telephone

by Patrick Mullins

  Killen, 1985, pp. 176.

  David Fairbairn interviewed by Mel Pratt, NLA Oral History, TRC 121/74, pp. 113–14.

  Howson, 1984, p. 709.

  Peter Howson records that McMahon ‘indicated’ that Howson should continue to pressure Gorton in his electorate, which was making noises about Gorton’s preselection: ibid., p. 712.

  ‘The prospects of the McMahon government’, 5 April 1971, NAA: M1767, 3. Peter Howson records that Hasluck told him the Liberals would have trouble in the electorate. See Howson, 1984, p. 711.

  Bunting to Garner, 26 June 1971, NAA: M321, 11.

  Peter Samuel interviewed by Mel Pratt, NLA Oral History, TRC 121/47, p. 73.

  Horne, 2000, pp. 152–53.

  Fadden to Ulrich Ellis, 17 March 1971, NLA MS1006, Box 30.

  Fadden to Bunting, 16 March 1971, NAA: M321, 11.

  Morrice James, ‘Mr McMahon in Britain’, 8 December 1971, British National Archives, Kew, London, PREM 15/744.

  Menzies to McMahon, 11 March 1971, NLA MS4936, 1/132.

  Author’s correspondence with Doug Anthony, 15 August 2016.

  Alan Reid diary, 31 March 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Snedden and Schedvin, 1990, p. 130.

  Howson, 1984, p. 714.

  ‘New-look deal’, CT, 11 March 1971, p. 10.

  ‘Premiers take hopeful view’, CT, 5 April 1971, p. 1.

  ‘Premiers’ conference: agreement reached’, CT, 6 April 1971, p. 8.

  ‘Leaders go home happier’, CT, 6 April 1971, p. 8.

  David Solomon, ‘Oh, what a change for the States’, CT, 6 April 1971, p. 2.

  Turner, CPD HoR, vol. 72, 4 May 1971, pp. 2484–86.

  Killen, ibid., pp. 2480–81.

  ‘Keeping the House at work’, Aus., 6 May 1971, p. 13.

  Alan Reid diary, 6 May 1971, NLA MS7796.

  In July, McMahon told Peter Howson that the chaos of the session’s end was one of his failures as prime minister. See Howson, 1984, p. 751.

  Hasluck, ‘Appointment of new minister, May 1971’, NAA: M1767, 3.

  Cabinet decision no. 145, ‘Australian Membership of OECD’, 4 May 1971, NAA: A5908, 80; Cabinet decision no. 168, ‘The National Gallery and High Court, Australian National Gallery’, 11 May 1971, NAA: A5908, 79; Cabinet decision no. 115, ‘Rural reconstruction programme’, 27 April 1971, NAA: A5908, 21; Cabinet decision no. 89, ‘Papua and New Guinea — constitutional development’, 20 April 1971, NAA: A5908, 45.

  Following this meeting on 25 May, Hasluck discovered that McMahon had not followed the proper procedures to have the Department created. See Hasluck, ‘Appointment of new minister, May 1971’, NAA: M1767, 3.

  ibid.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 723–24.

  ibid., p. 726.

  ibid., p. 728.

  ibid., p. 729.

  Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (1971), 17 FLR 141, pp. 266–67.

  Bunting, note for file, 7 May 1971, NAA: M319, 27.

  Coombs, 1981, p. 278.

  Dexter, 2015, p. 179.

  Barrie Dexter noted this in a letter. See Dexter to Bunting, 15 March 1971, NAA: M321, 11.

  Coombs, 1981, p. 280.

  ‘Aboriginal affairs policy: statement by the prime minister’, 23 April 1971, Cairns, APMC transcripts.

  Coombs, 1981, p. 282. See also Cabinet decision no. 150, 4 May 1971, NAA: A5908, 76.

  Cabinet committee, 3 August 1971, ‘PH Bailey’, NAA: A11099, 336.

  This section draws on: Heenan and Dunstan, 2015, pp. 1110–31; Murray, 2003, pp. 162–71; Nick Scott, 2015, pp. 145–63.

  Australian Cricket Yearbook, 1970, Modern Magazines, Rushcutter’s Bay, New South Wales, pp. 6–7. See also Menzies, 1970, pp. 276–85.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 71, 6 April 1971, pp. 1455–56.

  Bunting, 5 April 1971, NAA: M319, 26.

  Cabinet minute no. 70, 6 April 1971, NAA: A5909, 90.

  See Waller to Australian high commissioner in Lagos, 23 April 1971, ‘South Africa — relations with Australian sporting teams’, NAA: A1838, 201/10/10/3 Part 1.

  Australian mission to the UN, New York, 14 April 1971, ibid.

  Cabinet minute no. 524, 9 November 1971, NAA: A5909, 524.

  Fred Wells, ‘More unions in ban on Sth Africans’, SMH, 28 April 1971, p. 2.

  ‘ACTU certain to boycott South African tours’, CT, 14 May 1971, p. 3.

  ‘ACTU executive minutes, 13 May 1971’, in Hagan (ed.), 1986, pp. 208–10.

  Bunting, note for file, 10 June 1971, NAA: M319, 28.

  Bunting, notes for file, 12.10pm and 1.40pm, 23 June 1971, ibid.

  McMahon had been canvassing the idea for several days. See Bunting, note for file, 19 June 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  Alan Reid diary, 23 June 1971, NLA MS7796.

  ‘PM offers RAAF’, CT, 26 June 1971, p. 1.

  Harris, 1972, p. 81.

  ibid., p. 63.

  ‘Mr Hawke postpones his departure’, CT, 26 June 1971, p. 1.

  Harris, 1972, p. 62.

  ‘Violence racks the city’, Age, 2 July 1971, p. 1.

  David Solomon, ‘Snap election: PM weighs chances’, CT, 6 July 1971, p. 2; Howson, 1984, p. 746; ‘Interview given by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon, on TVW Channel 7 — Perth’, 3 July 1971, APMC Transcripts.

  Harris, 1972, p. 54.

  Bunting, notes for file, August 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 2.

  Cabinet meeting 24 August 1971, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/120.

  Cabinet meeting 24 August 1971, ‘PJ Lawler’, NAA: A11099, 1/301.

  Cabinet meeting 24 August 1971, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/120.

  ‘Cricket tour of Australia by South African Team’, 24 August 1971, NAA: A5882, CO1274.

  Perry, 2000, p. 575.

  Murray, 2003, pp. 162–71.

  ‘PM blames minority’, SMH, 9 September 1971, p. 1.

  Chapter 36: The Crumbling Pillars (II)

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 71, 30 March 1971, pp. 1147–49.

  McMahon press statement, ‘Further Vietnam withdrawals’, 8 April 1971, PM no. 43/1971, APMC Transcripts.

  Howson, 1984, p. 719; Bunting to Tange, 10 May 1971, NAA: A5882, CO60 Part 2; Bunting to McMahon, 2 June 1971, NAA: M319, 28.

  McMahon press statement, ‘Vietnam correspondence’, 19 June 1971, PM no. 82/1971, APMC transcripts; ‘Menzies: entered war at request’, CT, 18 June 1971, p. 8.

  McMahon, ‘New York Times articles on Vietnam’, 22 June 1971, PM no. 64/1971, APMC transcripts.

  For criticisms in addition to those of Swartz, see Alan Reid diary 19 April, 26 May, 31 May 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Bunting, note for file, 12 June 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  Author’s correspondence with Tony Eggleton, 26 November 2016.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 714–15.

  ibid., pp. 722–23.

  ‘Australia: she’ll be right, Mate — maybe’, Time, 24 May 1971, pp. 24–36.

  Alan Reid diary, 10 May 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Bunting, note for file, 6 June 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  John Bunting interviewed by Ian Hamilton, 26 June 1983, NLA Oral History, TRC 1428.

  Howson, 1984, p. 735.

  Bert Kelly diary, 19 July 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Aitchison, 1974, p. 8.

  Benvenuti, 2008, pp. 153–62.

  Cabinet (ad hoc), 7 April 1971, ‘PH Bailey’, NAA: A11099, 1/335.

  Decision no. 85 (ad hoc), 7 April 1971, NAA: A5882, CO133 Part 3.

  McMahon to Yew, 7 April 1971, ibid.

  Yew to McMahon, 12 April 1971, ibid.

  Bunting, ‘Note for file’, 15 April 1971, ibid.

  Gorton to Mc
Mahon, 15 April 1971, ibid.

  Gorton to McMahon, 16 April 1971, ibid.

  McMahon to Gorton, undated, ibid.

  Bunting, note for file, 7 July 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 1.

  In the cabinet meeting where this was discussed, Gorton made his feelings clear: ‘I believe this a mistaken decision and we will lose in defence and technical expertise more than what we make up in econ[omic gain].’ See cabinet, 8 June 1971, ‘PH Bailey’, NAA: A11099, 1/335.

  Mozley Moyal, 1975, pp. 365–84.

  ‘More money is “needed for defence”’, CT, 21 June 1971, p. 7

  See Cabinet decision no. 197, 8 June 1971, NAA: A5908, 107.

  Cabinet, 8 June 1971, ‘PH Bailey’, NAA: A11099, 1/335; Edwards, 1997, p. 302; Howson, 1984, p. 735.

  Alan Reid diary, 22 June 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Howson, 1984, p. 737.

  ibid., pp. 738–39.

  Alan Reid diary, 23 June 1971, NLA MS7796.

  ibid., 26 June 1971.

  Submission to cabinet, March 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 410–12.

  McMahon, 5 May 1971, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/118.

  Cabinet decision no. 158, 5 May 1971, NAA: A1838, 158.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 2 April 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 417–18.

  Cablegram to Washington, 7 April 1971, ibid., pp. 421–22.

  Pitty, 2005, p. 445.

  Author’s interview with Richard Woolcott, 2 February 2018.

  Keith Waller interviewed by J.D.B. Miller, NLA Oral History, TRC 314, p. 35.

  Howard, 1971, pp. 97–108.

  Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 5, 12 August 1954, pp. 272–76.

  For background on the ALP delegation, see Griffths, 2012, and FitzGerald, 1972.

  Gough Whitlam to Zhou Enlai, 14 April 1971, NLA MS8725, 51/15/2.

  Alan Reid diary, 13 April 1971, NLA MS7796.

  ‘National Press Club luncheon’, 15 April 1971, APMC Transcripts.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 71, 20 April 1971, p. 1667.

  Cabinet decision no. 165, 11 May 1971, NAA: A1838, 165.

  Alan Reid diary, 12 May 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Cablegram to Washington, 13 May 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 445–46.

  Appling to McMahon, 14 July 1971, ibid., pp. 500–01.

  Cablegram to Paris, 22 May 1971, ibid., pp. 452–54.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 27 May 1971, ibid., pp. 455–58.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 1 June 1971, ibid., p. 462.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 2 July 1971, ibid., p. 485.

  Griffiths, 2012, p. 25.

  ‘No common sense by Peking, says PM’, SMH, 5 July 1971, p. 1.

  Whitlam, 1985, p. 56.

  Quotes from this meeting are drawn from the transcript recorded by AAP journalist David Barnett. See ‘China talk with Chou’, NAA: A1838, 3107/38/12/7 Part 2.

  Whitlam, 2002, p. 329.

  McMahon was also trying to find out when China had been considered during his time as minister for external/foreign affairs. See Bunting to McMahon, 27 July 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 1.

  Alan Reid diary, 7–8 July 1971, NLA MS7796.

  John O’Farrell, ‘Chou had Whitlam on a hook, says PM’, SMH, 13 July 1971, p. 1.

  Howson, 1984, p. 748.

  Whitlam, 2002, p. 330.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 15 July 1971, ibid., pp. 502–03.

  ‘President Nixon’s statement 15 July 1971’, Survival, vol. 13, iss. 9, p. 292.

  Freudenberg, 1987, p. 211.

  Author’s interview with Richard Woolcott, 2 February 2018.

  Griffiths, 2012, p. 54.

  Whitlam, 1985, p. 57.

  Oakes, 1973, p. 225.

  Curran, 2015, pp. 124–26.

  Cablegram to Washington, 18 July 1971, ibid., pp. 509–11.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 19 July 1971, ibid., pp. 513–14.

  Bunting, note for file, 18 July 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  Howson, 1984, p. 751.

  ‘PM says: it’s also our policy’, SMH, 17 July 1971, p. 1.

  Griffiths, 2012, p. 59.

  Curran, 2015, p. 126.

  Bunting, note for file, 17 July 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  Hasluck, ‘Mr Bury’s resignation’, NAA: M1767, 3.

  ibid.

  Les Bury interviewed by Mel Pratt, NLA Oral History, TRC 121/70.

  See, notably, Bunting’s note for file, 28 July 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 1.

  Current Notes, Department of Foreign Affairs, vol. XLII, no. 7, July 1971, pp. 385–88.

  ‘Gair attacks PM over China policy’, Age, 30 July 1971, p. 3.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 7 September 1971, Waller to Bowen, 9 September 1971, and submission to Bowen, 14 September 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 596–98, 601–02.

  See Bunting, notes for file, October–December 1971, NAA: M319, 30 Part 2 and 30 Part 3.

  Anderson to Waller, 30 September 1971; Cablegram to Hong Kong, 4 October 1971; Cablegram to Hong Kong, 4 October 1971; Note for file by Bailey, 8 October 1971; Record of conversation between Waller and Kibel, 13 October 1971; Cablegram to Canberra, 14 October 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 610–11, 615–19, 621–25, 626–28. See also ‘Red faces over China trade move’, NT, 18–23 October 1971, p. 6; Eric Walsh, ‘McMahon’s ‘no’ to Peking’, NT, 13–18 December 1971, p. 1; Hugh Armfield, ‘Peacock visit to China vetoed’, Age, 13 December 1971, p. 1; and Richard Zachariah, ‘The man between’, Aus., 19 December 1971, p. 11. Edmund Fung provides a narrative overview of the to-and-fro of the proposal: see Fung, 1983, pp. 39–59.

  Cablegram to Canberra, 8 November 1971, in Doran and Lee (eds), 2002, pp. 651–52.

  Hugh Armfield, ‘Peacock visit to China vetoed’, Age, 13 December 1971, p. 1.

  Chapter 37: The Crumbling Pillars (III)

  Alan Reid diary, 28 July 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Ross Fitzgerald and Stephen Holt provide the authoritative account of the background to Reid’s work. See Fitzgerald and Holt, 2010, pp. 242–47.

  Reid, 1971, p. 9.

  Gorton, ‘I did it my way’, Sunday Aus., 8 August 1971, p. 10.

  Howson, 1984, p. 753.

  Richard Farmer, ‘This was the chance the Prime Minister was waiting for’, Aus., 15 August 1971, p. 4.

  See Alan Reid diary, 1–10 August 1971, NLA MS7796; Hancock, 2002, pp. 349–50; Fitzgerald and Holt, 2010, pp. 246–47.

  Bunting to McMahon, ‘Points to mention to Prime Minister’, 9 August 1971, copy in possession of author. In a separate note for file, Bunting noted that Peter Howson had already asked McMahon to be absolved from obligations to secrecy in order to respond to Gorton’s statements on the VIP affair. See Bunting, note for file, 9 August 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 2.

  Bailey to Bunting, 8 August 1971, copy in possession of author.

  McMahon aide-mémoires, 8–15 August 1971, copies in possession of author.

  Griffen-Foley, 2003, pp. 1972–73; Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 17 August 1971, p. 19.

  Bert Kelly diary, 10 August 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Alan Reid diary, 12 August 1971, NLA MS7796.

  McMahon, record of conversation with Gorton, 12 August 1971, copy in author’s possession.

  Mark Uhlmann, ‘Gorton as forthright as ever’, CT, 13 February 1988, B1, B14.

  McMahon to Gorton, 12 August 1971; Gorton to McMahon, 12 August 1971, copies in author’s possession.

  Maxwell Newton, ‘Billy’s got guts’, Incentive, no. 306, 18 August 1971, pp. 4–6.

  John Gorton, ‘I did it my way’, Sunday Aus., 15 August 1971, pp. 4–5.

  Howson, 1984, p. 761.

  Hancock, 2002, pp. 352–53.<
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  Killen, 1985, p. 180.

  Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 17 August 1971, pp. 16–21.

  McMahon, ibid., pp. 21–26.

  Bert Kelly diary, 17 August 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Howson, 1984, p. 760.

  Bert Kelly diary, 16 March 1971, NLA MS7424.

  See, for example, Bunting, notes for file, 5.55pm and 5.45pm, 9 June 1971, NAA: M321, 15.

  Snedden and Schedvin, 1990, pp. 117–19.

  ibid.

  Snedden, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 17 August 1971, pp. 38–133.

  Bunting to Randall, 4 August 1971, NAA: M319, 29 Part 2.

  Bert Kelly diary, 17 August 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Author’s correspondence with John Stone, 9 January 2017.

  Snedden and Schedvin, 1990, pp. 126–28.

  ibid.

  According to Bowen, he had advised McMahon to make Malcolm Fraser minister for foreign affairs. The idea was blocked when McMahon sought Snedden’s thoughts and his treasurer threatened to resign. See Nigel Bowen interviewed by Ron Hurst, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/61.

  Jess, Turner, Kelly and Hughes, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 20 August 1971, pp. 420–7, 435–50.

  Cormack, CPD Sen., vol. 48, 12 May 1971, pp. 1751–55.

  ‘Task for a leader’, CT, 17 August 1971, p. 2.

  ‘Withdrawal of Australian forces from Vietnam’, Cabinet decision no. 319, 26 July 1971, NAA: A5909, 319.

  McMahon and Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 17 August 1971, pp. 226–32.

  Alan Reid diary, 27 August 1971, NLA MS7796.

  Whitlam and McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 73, 7 September 1971, pp. 803–04. McMahon had privately confirmed the previous year that he had not been to PNG for a decade. See Jones to McMahon, with McMahon’s annotations, 1 April 1970, NAA: M3787, 39.

  Peter Bailey interviewed by Garry Sturgess, NLA Oral History, TRC 6552.

  Author’s interview with Sir Peter Lawler, 22 November 2016.

  John Bunting interviewed by Ian Hamilton, 21 September 1983, NLA Oral History, TRC 1428/7.

  ibid.

  Alan Reid diary, 23 March 1971, NLA MS7796.

  McEwen, Barber, O’Neill, 8 July 1970, British National Archives, Kew, London, FCO: 30/802.

  Ward, in Bridge, Bongiorno, and Lee (eds), 2010, pp. 145–163.

  Davey, 2008, p. 152.

  Ward, in Bridge, Bongiorno, and Lee (eds), 2010, p. 158.

  Coombs, 1981, pp. 283–84; ‘Report of Inter-departmental Committee on Aboriginal Affairs’, Cabinet decision no. 486 (AA), 14 October 1971, NAA: A5909, 486/AA.