People’s Diplomacy: Australian travel, tourism and relations with Asia, 1941-2009

This thesis examines the role of travel and personal experience in Australian relations with Asia, from the Pacific War to the present day. Taking a broad range of travel experiences as its subject, it traces the way in which ‘being there’ has impacted on Australian views of Asian societies. It examines the rumours that have informed conceptions of Asia before travellers’ departures, the complex negotiations between rumour and experience while in Asia, and the way in which travellers have represented Asia to a broader audience upon return. In doing so, it argues that personal travel experiences have influenced broader conceptual shifts. Whilst a national archive of personal experience of Asia has served to demystify the ‘Other,’ the structural inequalities inherent to the majority7 of Australian experiences of Asia have also led to the perpetuation of neocolonial meanings. By probing at the ways in which travel and personal experiences have influenced broader understandings of Asia, and how these have gone on to shape the sphere of diplomatic and official relations, this thesis traces the social and political ramifications of travel experiences. In doing so, it positions travel as an overtly political action, underpinning social attitudes as well as official relations

Australia-Indonesia Attitudes Impact Study – Historical.pdf

<p>The ‘Australia-Indonesia Attitudes Impact Study – Historical’ was conducted by Dr. Agnieszka Sobocinska of the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University.</p> <p>The study, funded by the Australia-Indonesia Centre, analysed data from the 1940s until the present day to determine trends in Australian attitudes towards Indonesia, and the extent to which they affect bilateral relations.</p> <p>It combines over six decades of polling data with qualitative research from the humanities and social sciences, analysis of theoretical literature examining the impact of public opinion on foreign policy, as well as interviews with key figures from government, academia and policy thinktanks.</p> <p>What resulted is a holistic analysis of what Australians think about Indonesia, why they hold these attitudes, and how popular perceptions are politically significant in Australian-Indonesian relations.</p> <p>The study was published in November 2015 and Dr Sobocinska presented the findings at the Australia-Indonesia Attitudes Seminar, hosted by Monash University in May 2016.</p