AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA / AMERICAN ALLIANCE DURING SECOND WORLD WAR

 

Evidence of the close relationship between America  and Australia under the  Labor Prime  Minister John Curtin is portrayed in  the   above   extraordinary  (worn)   book  which  recently  came   Little Darwin's  way .

The 256pp  volume ,copyrighted  1945 , designed to  make the young nation better known to the world , especially  America it would seem , was  engraved  and  printed in  the  USA  by  the  Manz Corporation, Chicago, for  the  Australian  Story  Trust , Pitt Street , Sydney  ,NSW.

After tracing the British colonial history of Australia,  the  profusely illustrated book, in alphabetical  order, covers " stone age  Aborigines" , in a chapter   contributed  by  Dr  A.P. Elkin, Professor of Anthropology ,Sydney University, in which the  Northern Territory  is mentioned. 

The very next chapter deals with Canberra , pointing out it had been designed by Walter Burley Griffin, of Chicago. It  includes a large photo of PM John Curtin who it says  guided the  nation during the most critical  years of  the Second  World  War

Scattered  through out  are  photographs of  American Servicemen  in various parts of the  nation,  US  tank  crews   shown  below during  training .

 Each state is  the subject  of a chapter . In the one dealing with  Queensland  there is  a view of  Townsville, the post office clock  visible . . 

Billed as  A  Place of  Paradox  and  Promise ,the Northern Territory section  contains  photos of Katherine, Wave Hill Cattle Station, the Ord River Crossing, Auvergne Station homestead  and a military convoy , below,  between  Banka  Banka  and  Helen Springs.

The world's largest "cattle ranch " , Victoria River Downs, 12,686 square miles, it points out , is  much  bigger  than  Maryland  and  New Hampshire, in the USA, can pasture  150,000  head . 

The introductory text for the  Territory states the Territory capital  Darwin is now the outstanding bastion of  the  Allies in the Pacific. Though rich in mineral wealth,the Territory was the Cinderella of the Australian states.

It goes on to say that  maybe the God of War  will drop from his chariot the Fairy Prince from  beyond  the  seas  to wake  the Centre  to astonishing life.  

The well illustrated  New Guinea chapter in  the  book  contains several photographs  of   American  and   Australian soldiers, village scenes ,   a busy landing , Jeeps, evacuation  of   wounded . The  following photo shows  woman  holding  the  treasured  skulls  of  their  dead  husbands .