Brisbane Line

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A map showing Australian defensive concentrations in 1942 from General MacArthur's official report. The 'Brisbane line' is shown as a short line to the north of Brisbane

The Brisbane Line was a controversial defence proposal allegedly formulated by the Menzies government during World War II to concede the northern portion of the Australian continent in the event of an invasion. The actual location of the "line" demarcating this territory is unclear. When the proposal was originally revealed to the public in 1942, it was claimed that the "northern part of the country" was to be surrendered. Douglas MacArthur subsequently claimed that the line was to run from Brisbane to Perth.[2,3,4,5]. A few months after his initial statement of the 'Brisbane Line' MacArthur attempted to distance himself from his earlier remarks as it was coming to light that his time lines and assertions were in fact incorrect.

There remains popular belief of a 'Brisbane Line' amongst many Australian Academia based upon a string of events and Australian Defence planning preceding the Second World War. Defence of the entirety of Australia's vast and sparsely populated interior would not have been possible with the military resources then available, it seems equally unlikely that any Australian government would have been prepared to concede so much Australian territory without a fight. The situation was clarified to American General George Brett who posed the question to Australian General Rowell "What would Australians do if the Japenese were to land at Broome and head for Alice Springs?" Rowell replied, "We would send out the Salvage Corps and pick up the bones of the Japanese who died in the desert." Australians did not believe that an attack would be made on certain parts of the continent. Government planning determined that ports, airfields and the industrial areas to the south were most vulnerable.

The 'Brisbane Line' proposal first came to light when Labour politician Eddie Ward received confidential information about a plan to abandon northern Australia from a public servant Major H.V. Howe who was working in the Secretary for Defence Office. Howe's information is at best confused as it appears to be a confused mixture of a proposal prepared by a defence sub-committee report from February 1936 known as the 'Maryborough Plan' and a secret briefing from 1942 that had been prepared by the GOC in C Home Forces General Sir Iven Mackay. Mackay's February 1942 brief stated that Australia's limited forces available (5 divisions in Australia, 3 of which were battle ready) was barely sufficient to defend the vital stategic areas of the South East of the continent. Compounded to this Australia had substantial Naval, Military and Air Force numbers committed in North Africa and Europe. Mackay stated that Militia units should remain in place to defend local regions and that civil populations should not be encouraged to be evacuated in masse as this would hamper military operations. Mackay's plan was presented in February 1942 to the Labor Cabinet and was immediately rejected. It was partially this document that was later to become the basis of Wards charges of the mythical 'Brisbane Line'. firm in his belief that there was in fact a Brisbane Line, Ward then publicised this information at a public meeting at Prahran Town Hall in Melbourne. The quality of this evidence remains in dispute, with critics using it in turn as evidence of Menzies' alleged treasonous sympathies.

A royal commission was held into the alleged absence of documents from official archives pertaining to the Brisbane Line, however the commission found that no such documents were in fact missing. The royal commission and the Brisbane Line controversy played a central role in the 1943 federal election, resulting in John Curtin's Labor government returning to power in a landslide victory.

Proponents of the existence of the Brisbane Line proposal often refer to the existence of concrete tank traps in places such as Tenterfield as evidence [1].

1 Time Line
2 Sources
3 External Links
4 Reading

[edit] Time Line

[edit] March, 1942

Whilst a public meeting at Preston Town Hall in Melbourne Mr Eddie Ward (Minister for labour and national service and member of the ALP) made his first allegation alleging that the Brisbane Line ran from Brisbane to Adelaide. It was later suggested that the line ran from Brisbane to Perth. [18]

[edit] October 27, 1942

Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Robert Menzies replies to Mr Ward’s allegations by suggesting it is a ‘figment of his imagination’.

[edit] December 11, 1942

Eddie Ward made the following statement in parliament: ‘Honourable members know too well that when the labor party took office the position was desperate. No honourable member will deny that. This country was practically defenceless despite being at war for two years. The opposition parties were then in power. We were defenceless to such a degree that there was a plan in existence, which if put into effect, would have meant the abandonment of the entire northern part of Australia.’ [6]

[edit] March, 1943

General Douglas MacArthur at a press conference makes comments suggesting that the Brisbane Line did actually exist as a defence strategy. [17]

[edit] June 29, 1943

A royal commission is ordered to investigate allegations made by Eddie Ward that there was a missing document from the official files in relation to the Brisbane Line. Justice C J Lowe is selected as commissioner. [12]

[edit] July 27, 1943

Eddie Ward again reiterates his Brisbane Line allegations during the opening of his re-election in Sydney.

[edit] August 9, 1943

Prime Minister John Curtin makes the following statement in reply to a member of his audience at a Horsham meeting in support of the retiring Labour member Mr McLeod: ‘I don’’t think there ever was a Brisbane Line. The appreciation of the military situation was made to my Government, and I know of no other. It was not for the evacuation of any area, but how to concentrate our strength on vital defence.’ [10,11]

[edit] August 21, 1943

Australian Labor Party win the 1943 federal election in a landslide victory which is often suggested to be attributable to Mr Ward’s Brisbane Line allegations by political commentators of the time. [1,13]

[edit] September, 1943

Eddie Ward is moved from his portfolio as minister for labour and national service to the portfolios of transport and External Territories. This move is largely seen as a demotion because “the Army had the Transport and the Japs [Japanese] had the external territories”. Further to this Mr Ward is suspended from Ministerial duty pending the findings of the royal commission.

[edit] September 28, 1943

The findings of the Royal Commission are that there is no missing document and that if Mr Ward did have an informant then that informant was unreliable. The Royal Commissioner (Justice Lowe) stated in his findings that the person who leaked this information may be subject to criminal prosecution under either section 73A of the Defence Act 1903-1939 or section 70 of the Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914. Prime Minister Curtin writes to Eddie Ward explaining that due to the findings his suspension from ministerial duties is to continue and that the matter cannot be resolved until a submission has been made to parliament. [15]

[edit] October 1954

US General, Charles Andrew Willoughby, releases his book entitled “MacArthur 1941-1951” in which fresh allegations are made regarding the existence of the Brisbane Line strategy. [16]

[edit] August 31, 1955

Eddie Ward repeats the charges in the following question to the Prime Minister Robert Menzies.

Is it a fact that in a book written by Major-General Whitney, an American who was closely associated with General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander in this theatre of operations during the last war, it is stated that there had existed a defeatist plan referred to as the “Brisbane Line” strategy?
Does this information confirm disclosures of a similar character contained in an earlier book written by Major-General Willoughby who had also served under General MacArthur?
Is it a fact that the Prime Minister and other members of the Government parties have publicly denied that such a plan ever existed and have frequently referred to it as “The Brisbane Lie”?
Does he regard Major-General Whitney and Major-General Willoughby as being qualified to speak on such a subject?
If so, in view of the disclosures from such an unimpeachable source, does he propose to take any action to correct the unjustified attacks made upon the honourable member for East Sydney since the honourable member first revealed the existence of the “Brisbane Line” plan some years ago? [16]