William Douglass Forsyth interviewed by Mel Pratt for the Mel Pratt collection [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 2287713
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Forsyth, W. D. (William Douglass), 1909-1993, interviewee
- Access Conditions:
- Access open. Pages 244-245, 283-285 and 319-321 closed.
- Description:
-
- 1972 Jan.-Feb
- 5 tape reels (ca. 1066 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, mono. ; 5 in.
- Series:
- Mel Pratt collection.
- Summary:
-
Mr Forsyth talks of his family history and early life in country Victoria; Ballarat High School; his M.A. thesis; his teaching experience; Balliol, Oxford; the Institute o f International Affairs; Munich agreement; Jewish refugees; travelling in Europe, 1939; outbreak of War; Radio Australia; Japanese attacks on Australia; Japanese codes; Dept of External Affairs; Portuguese and Dutch Timor; Australia-New Zealand conferences; London Conference; San Francisco Conference; Evatt; anti-colonial policy in the U.N.; New Guinea trusteeship; Nauru; colonialism; Portuguese Timor; occupation of Japan; Japanese peace settlement; Manus; Netherlands East Indies and Australia; conditions in Batavia; organisation of the Dept of External Affairs; Colombo Plan; South Pacific Commission; major achievements of the Commission; Australia's role in the Commission; Research Council of the South Pacific Commission and SPC conferences.
He then talks about the development of the Pacific islands; SPC work; Australia's role in the U.N.; West New Guinea; Australian and Indonesian relations; Suez; South Vietnam; Petrov affair; Laos; Mekong Valley Scheme; Diem coup; Cuban crisis; Six-Day War; getting Australians out of Lebanon; new embassy in Lebanon; vexations of diplomatic life; Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.
- Biography/History:
-
Mr. William Forsyth was Australian Ambassador to Lebanon 1967-1969, and to Vietnam 1959-1961. He was Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission from 1948-1951 and again from 1963-1966. He was also Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, 1961-1963.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded at his home in Canberra, A.C.T.
- Digital master available National Library of Australia
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Uncorrected transcript (typescript, 334 leaves)
- Subject:
- Other authors/contributors:
- Pratt, Mel, -1986, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Mel Pratt collection.
This collection contains 99 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
Contact us for information about copying. For access conditions return to the record display above.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2042 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1972
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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