Attack On Darwin

On Febuary 19th, 1942, Japanese forces launched two air raids on the city of Darwin. The attack was lead by the same commander who was responsible for the Pearl Harbour catastrophe, which occurred only 10 weeks earlier. The Japanese were planning to invade Timor, therefore they bombed Darwin in an effort to frighten Australia and its allies and prevent any of their forces leaving the country. Over 260 enemy planes attacked the city, destroying twenty military aircraft, eight ships and the majority of civil facilities, including the local hospital.

The history wars of Australia is an area of great controversial debate. Throughout the course of Australian history, the public has been mainly subjected to one perspective that focused on the glorifying moments of European settlement and its progress such as its involvement in world wars and the transition of the nation into a globalised continent. As a result, there is a rigid dichotomy between the perceptions of white Australians and the indigenous population on subjects such as the colonisation or invasion of Australia. History told from the perspective of Aboriginal people greatly contrasts what is written in the history books and also what is exposed or encouraged towards the public. It focuses on the dispossession of indigenous people, the massacres and the attempted eradication of culture. This view of Australian history has been labeled as 'black armband history', which was first used during an interview by a historian, Geoffrey Blainey.

In this essay I will be talking about the impact of the fall of Singapore on Australia’s immediate security, and also be giving a brief background of important events during that time.

Not long before 10:00am, on February 19, 1942 the Japanese forces commenced air raids on Darwin. Over 260 enemy planes attacked Australian and US shipping, the harbour of the town, military and civil aerodromes and the local hospital. There were two waves of attacks which were part of Japan's efforts to harm Australia's confidence, hold back the use of Darwin's military base, and at last secure neighbouring Timor. At least 243 people were killed in the attack and up to 400 people were injured. Eight ships in the harbour were sunk and twenty military aircraft were destroyed. Over a space of almost two years the air attacks continued and about half of Darwin's population ended up moving south.

Australia entered the war in 1939 and it became at their doorstep on the 19th February 1942, Nazi Germany and Japan were major enemies to Australia during the war. Australia’s foreign policy and changing alliance during 1942 impacted our national identity because Australia developed a new relationship with America, while it weakened the strong connection with Britain, which demonstrates that Australia was starting to become its own independent country. At the beginning of war, Australia had a strong relationship and alliance with Britain, making Britain their leaders when entering the war. Secondly, as the war progressed Australia began to look to America as an opportunity for protection from the Japanese, while Britain was fighting their own

This was also the first campaign the Australia basically manned by them self, proving the Australia need to be taken serious in the world war. At the start of the war Australia was not taken as a threat more as a giant island that has good post position in Asia. As Japan was concurring Asia the last piece of the puzzle was Australia which they japan was going to concur by using papa new Guinea as a vantage point which would have gave them easy access to Australia. This lead Australia to deploy its troops in Port Mosby. As most of the better trained had already been deployed this lead Australia to deploy the “backups”. This ultimately lead Australia becoming a major power in Asia, also providing to Australia overall strength as a

The significance of Kokoda for Australian’s can be seen in many different ways. In a strategic sense and also in a symbolic sense. Firstly, the Kokoda Campaign saved Australia from possible invasion, or more precisely from being isolated from the United States of America . Secondly, Kokoda was the battle that lead to victory in the Second World War, as well as to improvement of Australia’s post-war practices and military operations. Symbolically, the Kokoda Track will be remembered when Australia’s think of the Second World War, just like when you think of the First World War, the landing at Gallipoli looms large, both have captured the Australian imagination. Each year five thousand Australians take up the mentally and physically

Also the population rapidly decreased because of “indiscriminate slaughter… and punitive expeditions” (Encyclopaedia of Australia, 1973)

Importantly for Australia has been the take over of land by the British under the doctrine of

On February 19, 1942, Darwin was bombed by Japanese aircraft, wiping out military infrastructure and vehicles, as well as killing soldiers and civilians.

Politically the great depression hit Australia hard, as many Australians lost confidence in their government representatives. A number of radical or extremist organizations gather strength and popularity as a result of the large scale public dissatisfaction. In Australia the developing of the new capital Canberra was put to a stop leaving a population of 7,000 in limbo, workers were laid off and the federal capital commission was abolished. The Sydney harbor bridge was a great way of bringing employment back into Australia during the depression. At the time of the war and after the great depression it was Australian best interest to have an alliance with Great Britain. Australia needed to form an alliance with Great Britain during World War II, because if the war ended up near or in Australia, we would need the help from Great Britain and their allies. Having Great Britain as its ally at that time was the right thing to do as it protected its colonies from the imperil japan and other foreign invaders. During the period of 1942 Australia was extremely worried as the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and had the threat of a possibility of a Japanese

The bombings of Darwin was the most catastrophic events in the Australian war history. Darwin and Australia was shocked at the time knowing that they were being targeted by the Japanese. The coming of Darwin was extraordinarily significant within Australian History. Some of the short term effects were that the buildings were turned into rubble and long term many of the families lost members and suffered.

Concerns about the Japanese-Australians as well as Aboriginals had an impact on Australians as they

Australians have contributed in defense of the country and for allied countries in World War 2, displaying the significance of the fall of Singapore and Kokoda. The fall of Kokoda and Singapore were all related to a series of attacks from the Japanese and were counteracted by various campaigns Australia has formed. The intentions of the Japanese from both battles were distinctive, as throughout the second world war Japan was allied with Germany, who fought against Australia’s allied forces. From Kokoda and Singapore, the position of which alliances take part in are illustrated and the contributions to the various campaigns that are proposed. Thus, the role Australia plays can be distinguished and able to indicate the significance between both

The events of World War Two such as the failed Malaya campaign, the fall of Singapore, the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the stretched resources of Britain, led to Australia developing a more independent foreign policy however, independent of Britain. The changing of alliance between Britain, Australia and the United States of America has led to a substantial impact on shaping Australian society and where Australia are today. The fall of Singapore and the Malaya campaign brought the war extremely close to Australia even reaching Australian soil for the first time and generated new opinions and perspectives on the war for all Australians. Furthermore, with its greatest military defeat of all time, Britain had to recover and Australia had to