History of the AAA

Australians of the 1930´s knew little about America or Americans.There was little recognition of our shared heritage, much less our common interests. In the looming shadow of the Second World War, only a few far-sighted individuals recognised the need to bring our countries closer together.

It was in a coffee shop that Brigadier-General Goddard and Captain White formulated a plan to bring together like-minded individuals to form a movement dedicated to building a relationship between these two great Pacific democracies. Together with a remarkably influential group of citizens, the British and America Co-operation Movement for World Peace was formed.

One of the most significant Australians at the time was Sir Keith´s Murdoch. It was Sir Keith dispatches from the battlefields of Gallipoli during the Great War which helped Australia gain a more mature outlook on its place in the world. Sir Keith was also mainly responsible for redifining the public perception of America in the minds of Australians.

General Douglas MacArthur, in command of all Allied forces in the Pacific, set up his first headquarters in Melbourne. It was the place from which the crucial battles of the Pacific theatre were overseen, the most crucial of all being the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.

It was that moment in history when the imminent Japanese advance towards Australia was halted. In short, it was a turning point in the war and in the history of our two nations.

In 1941, Sir Keith, Director-General of Information for the Australian Government during the war, helped found the Australian American Co-operative Movement which changed its name in 1947 to the Australian-American Association.

The intervening years have seen further conflicts, in Korea, Vietnam and, more recently, the Persian Gulf, drawing Australia and America even closer together. And, of course, the ANZUS Treaty has, since 1951, been a pillar of the foreign policy of both nations.

The achievements of the AAA throughout these periods have been many and varied. We have welcomed Presidents to our shores. We have provided hospitality to American sailors who, to this day, help defend our trade routes and sea lanes. It has helped to build memorials to our heroes and stimulated informed debate in many forums over many years. Not least, it has promoted friendship, good-will and peace.