Sir Arthur Tange

 
Component identifier:
Series 3
Content Summary:
Woodard worked directly to Sir Arthur Tange in his last two years as Secretary of the Department of External Affairs and, more tangentially, in his first three years as Secretary of the Department of Defence. He met and corresponded with Tange from 1989 until 2000, the year before Tange's death. They cooperated in securing publication of an article by Tange in the Australian Journal of International Affairs, in obtaining a grant from the Pratt Foundation for secretarial support for Tange's Defence memoir, ultimately published in 2008, and in arranging an honorary visiting professorship for Tange at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Much of the correspondence and conversations were related to Woodard's publications about Australian foreign policy and provided the basis for his Memoir on Tange, with Notes and Annexes, which are supported by a significant number of documents, mainly from the National Archives of Australia, and some provided by Dr Bill Hudson and officers of the Historical Documents section of DFAT with the support of the Secretary. These documents help to trace the history of Australian foreign policy from 1945-1986 and support what might otherwise seem to be unconventional judgments about Tange's part in policy-making and public administration. During the period of their conversations and reminiscences, Tange provided some of his papers, particularly relating to drafts of an oral history. By letter and in his will he gave Woodard privileged access to his papers, now lodged in the National Library of Australia (MS9847). Major subjects of discussion were Tange's Ministers and his relations with them, Dr. John Burton, and relations between the Departments of External Affairs and Defence. Tange's memoir published in 2008 shows that the discussions were of mutual benefit.

Contents

Access and use

Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: