R.G. Casey: Minister for External Affairs 1951-60 Edited by Melissa Conley Tyler, John Robbins and Adrian March 1 Copyright © The Australian Institute of International Affairs 2012 ISBN: 978-0-909992-95-8 This publication may be distributed on the condition that it is attributed to the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Use for educational purposes is not allowed without the prior written consent of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Any views or opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily shared by the Australian Institute of International Affairs or any of its members or affiliates. Cover Image: National Library of Australia: Portrait of Richard Gardiner Casey, Bib ID vn3158168. Australian Institute of International Affairs 32 Thesiger Court, Deakin ACT 2600, Australia Phone: 02 6282 2133 Facsimile: 02 6285 2334 Website: www.aiia.asn.au; Email: [email protected] 2 Table of Contents Foreword ................................................................................. 5 Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs Editors’ Note ........................................................................... 7 Melissa Conley Tyler, John Robbins CSC and Adrian March Welcome Remarks .................................................................. 9 Clive Hildebrand Opening Remarks.................................................................. 11 Garry Woodard FAIIA R. G. Casey’s Writings on Australia’s Place in the World ... 15 Professor James Cotton Casey and Plimsoll: a Close Working Relationship ............. 61 Jeremy Hearder The Minister and the Permanent Head: R.G. Casey and Arthur Tange .................................................................................... 81 Professor Peter Edwards AM Dick and Maie Casey in Partnership ................................... 107 Dr Diane Langmore AM The Substance and Relevance of Australia's Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in the Casey Era, 1951-60 .......................... 133 Robert Furlonger CB, former Director-General, Office of National Assessments Pierre Hutton, former Private Secretary to R.G. Casey, 1958-60 and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, The Sudan and Switzerland 3 James Ingram AO, former Director, Australian Development Assistance Bureau and former Executive Director, UN World Food Programme Alfred Parsons AO, former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia William Pritchett AO, former Secretary, Department of Defence, 1979-84 Richard Woolcott AC FAIIA, former Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 1988-92 Richard Gardner, former Private Secretary to R. G. Casey, 1955-58 Moderator: Garry Woodard FAIIA Closing Remarks ................................................................. 157 Geoff Miller AO Concluding Comments ........................................................ 163 Melissa Conley Tyler A Brief Chronological Biography of R.G. Casey ............... 167 Contributors’ Biographies ................................................... 169 Forum Program ................................................................... 173 Index ................................................................................... 177 4 Bob Carr For eword Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs It gives me great pleasure to welcome this account of the contribution to Australian diplomacy of Australia’s second longest serving foreign minister, RG Casey. This publication is the first in a proposed series that will examine the role and influence of various Australian foreign ministers to be produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The 1950s were important for the development of Australian foreign policy. Practical in approach, Casey was well suited to preside over a period that required Australia to strike a balance between the perceived exigencies of Cold War alliances and regional politics. Casey’s foreign policy legacy included Australia’s efforts at engagement with the newly-independent nations of Asia, recognition of the country’s Antarctic interests through the Antarctic Treaty, and Australia’s negotiation of critical alliance relationships. A number of significant conflicts occurred during this period, notably the Korean War and Suez crisis – on the latter, Casey advanced the unpopular view that supporting the United Kingdom in the dispute would only alienate Australia in Asia. On a personal level, Casey’s relationship with Prime Minister Robert Menzies and his other Cabinet colleagues was often problematic, not least because as 5 Foreword Minister for External Affairs he promoted new ways of understanding Australia’s foreign policy priorities. This publication presents the proceedings of the forum, entitled RG Casey as Minister for External Affairs 1951- 60: Fifty Years On , hosted by the Australia Institute of International Affairs at Government House, Canberra, on 9 February 2010 to commemorate the 50 th Anniversary of Casey’s retirement as Minister for External Affairs. Although much has been written on Australia’s approach to foreign policy during the 1950s and Casey himself has a first-class biography – written by former senior departmental historian WJ Hudson – a book focusing exclusively on Casey’s record in the External Affairs portfolio has yet to be realised. The forum and this publication are a worthy effort to fill the gap. I am pleased to acknowledge the contribution of scholarly chapters by Professor James Cotton, Mr Jeremy Hearder, Professor Peter Edwards AM and Dr Diane Langmore AM, which are supplemented with insights and reminiscences from former senior diplomats who knew and worked with Casey. I commend RG Casey: Minister for External Affairs 1951-60 to you. Bob Carr Minister for Foreign Affairs 6 Melissa Conley Tyler, John Robbins and Adrian March Editors’ Note Melissa Conley Tyler, John Robbins CSC and Adrian March This book brings together papers and discussions from the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ Forum, ‘R.G. Casey as Minister for External Affairs 1951-1960, Fifty Years On.’ It represents the AIIA’s strong commitment to publish a record of Australia’s foreign policy history. Following are the four papers presented at the event by Professor James Cotton, Jeremy Hearder, Professor Peter Edwards AM and Dr Diane Langmore. At the conclusion of each presentation, there was a short discussion of the major issues addressed by the paper. The insights and reminiscences uncovered during these discussions were deemed extremely valuable and have been reproduced after each paper. An additional panel discussion of personal reminiscences, with Robert Furlonger CB, Pierre Hutton, James Ingram AO, Alfred Parsons AO, William Pritchett AO, Richard Woolcott AO and Richard Gardner, was also presented. In editing these discussions, minor edits were made for clarity and ease of reading with all attempts made to ensure that the intent of the speaker was preserved. As such, it should be noted that the discussions do not constitute a ‘word-for-word’ transcription of proceedings. On the mechanics of these discussions, changes in the use of quotation marks have been used to denote the intention of speakers. Single quotation marks are used when the speaker is 7 Editors’ Note paraphrasing a source, presenting the essence of what has been said. Double quotation marks are used when the speaker is providing a direct quote. We would like to thank the National Archives, National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial for providing archival photographs interspersed within this publication. We would also like to thank Dr Moreen Dee from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for providing the photographs from the Department’s collection. The AIIA is delighted to be able to record in print the expert reflections on the Casey era, including first-hand reminiscences. We note with sadness the passing of Alfred Parsons, one of the participants in the discussion panel. The editors would also like to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Historical Publications and Information Section and in particular Dr David Lee for supporting the production of this permanent record. We hope you enjoy reading it. 8 Clive Hildebrand Welcome Remarks Clive Hildebrand The Australian Institute of International Affairs’ Forum ‘R.G. Casey as Minister for External Affairs 1950-1960, Fifty Years On’ reviewed the life of R. G. Casey as foreign minister. His time as Minister for External Affairs mirrors the conscience and purpose of the AIIA; both are responsible for promoting Australia and our involvement in international affairs. The following papers give a qualified opinion on the significant issues associated with R. G. Casey’s time as Minister for External Affairs. In 1960, I graduated as an engineer, and went overseas for the first time, by ship. Following the timeline of Casey’s career, mine may have been the minimum qualifying age for the Forum. However, we were pleased to find a vast spread of ages at the Forum, demonstrating the influence that R. G. Casey still holds in the study of international affairs. In attendance were a number of eminent academics and former high level policy officials, giving a spread of perspectives and encouraging rigorous debate. Several attendees had close personal contact with R. G. Casey, particularly two of his private secretaries: Pierre Hutton, private secretary from 1958-1960 and Richard Gardner, private secretary from 1955-1958. Their personal insights were invaluable both to humanise R. G. Casey,