Rethinking Australia’s international past: identity, foreign policy and India in the Australian colonial imagination

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which Australia's global connections during the colonial period have shaped its contemporary international political identity and the implications of such an approach for the study of Australian foreign policy and international relations (IR). This is particularly pertinent due to recent historiographical reconceptualization of nineteenth century colonial networks, which suggest Australia's connections to India are far more important than previously considered. These issues are explored through a case study of Australia's links with India prior to Federation, employing a discursive analysis of public debate on utilizing Indian indentured laborers in tropical Northern Australia.