User:MargaretRDonald/sandbox/DORCA
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2013) |
DORCA, the Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs was a mysterious and difficult to categorise think tank and possibly intelligence organisation within the Australian Army in WWII.[1]
Set up and headed by the charismatic Alf Conlon, the Directorate's alumni had a huge influence over Australia and the Pacific region post-WWII, especially through the Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA).
DORCA has been described as mysterious, odd ball, bohemian and as difficult if not impossible to categorise, having clearly involved at least in some sense in intelligence work. That it morphed into Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA) after the war gives no real insight into its wartime activities.[1][2] However, it grew from the knowledge that the result of war in the Pacific would be "chaos"[3], and a recognition of the need to rebuild and set up administrations in territories won back from the Japanese.[4] Hence, from its earliest days as a brainchild, it recognised the need to use anthropologists, sociologists, and to train administrators, establish a rule of law.[4] Hence, the interesting list of alumni and their distinguished post-war careers, with the exception of Alfred Conlon's who never served his country again in such an important way, having made important enemies, who were eager to minimise his contribution[4]
"Alumni"[3][edit]
- Commander Alf Conlon
- 2IC John Kerr (18th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia)
- James McAuley
- Harold Stewart
- James Plimsoll (a Governor of Tasmania)
- Peter Ryan
- Bill Stanner (anthropologist)
- Camilla Wedgwood (anthropologist)
- Ida Leeson (Mitchell Librarian)
- Colonel J.K. Murray
- Julius Stone
- Ian Hogbin
References[edit]
- ^ a b Charlton, Peter. "Shadowy organisation had undue influence". The Peace Generation. The Courier Mail. Retrieved 2006-12-24.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Charlton, Peter. "Shadowy organisation had undue influence". The Peace Generation. The Courier Mail. Retrieved 2006-12-24.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Pybus, Cassandra 2012. Conlon’s Remarkable Circus,in Gray, G.; Munro, D.; Winter, C. (2012). Scholars at War. ANU e-press. pp. 55–72. doi:10.26530/OAPEN_459517. ISBN 9781921862502.
- ^ a b c Sligo, Graeme. 2012. The Backroom Boys: Conlon and Army's Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs, 1942–46, Big Sky Publishing.
- ^ Long, Gavin (1963). The Final Campaigns. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. Volume VII. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1297619.
{{cite book}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ Campbell, I C (June 2000). "The ASOPA Controversy: a pivot of Australian policy for Papua and New Guinea, 1945–49". Journal of Pacific History. 35 (11): 83–99. doi:10.1080/713682830. Archived from the original on August 19, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-24.