Fear of the Dark: Indonesia and the Australian National Imagination

Beyond an energy deal: Impacts of the Sino-Australia uranium agreement

“…Since emerging as a nation some 200 years ago, Australia has rarely felt safe (Philpott, 2001). This is because it has so many cultural, social, political and historical differences with its Asian neighbours and is so far away from the powerful or large countries with which it shares a similar culture.…”

Indonesia-Australia Relations in the Era of Democracy: The View from the Indonesian Side

“…It is an immigrant nation with humble beginnings and a dark history in the treatment of its Indigenous population, which has transformed into a prosperous and relatively progressive nation over the past hundred years. In the search for an Australian identity, Australia has some fears about its own existence and also some insecurities that stem from not 'knowing' its neighbouring countries, including Indonesia (see George and McGibbon 1998;Burke 2000;Philpott 2001). There has been a long-standing view in Australia that instability in or the collapse of Indonesia will create a regional crisis in which hundreds of thousands of Indonesians will land on Australia's northern coastlines.…”

Enduring Connections?

“…Bijdragen tot de taal-, land-en volkenkunde 175 (2019) 225-251 in ignorance and suspicion (Sobocinska 2017). As Philpott (2001) argues, this anxiety is embedded in Australian identity: the insistence on Australia's difference from Asia has historically been a core element of Australian nationhood. From the Indonesian perspective, the historical White Australia policy, and ongoing political, military, and cultural ties to the United States, have sometimes led to doubts about Australia's place in the region (Hardjono 1994).…”