Australian High Commission, London, 26 November 1972
19080. Personal For Waller Only
Immigration into Britain
There is one dimension of the situation that I feel I should report for restricted distribution, although your background and intuition have probably already grasped it.
2. I refer to what might be called the expatriate establishment in London.
I must emphasise that I write about this tentatively, because I have not yet got a full picture of the Australian community here.
However, there does seem to be a loose group of people, settled over here and well established in their professional fields, generally business, whose connection with Australian [sic] can be birth, family or family history, business or other professional interests, membership of various societies, institutions, clubs having Anglo-Australian content, and such-like.
With this group are associated British people that have or have had connections with Australia, family, business service, visits, etc.
What distinguishes this group from other groups and the general run of Britons and Australians having similar connections, is social standing, in the British class sense, and, more often than not, money.
This group is a natural point of gravitation for many visitors from Australia, providing for them not only an agreeable, and for some flattering, social milieu but useful contact with British people of substance.
3. Let me emphasise again the tentative nature of this description.
These few observations are not intended to offer a full and balanced survey of this particular group, let alone of the Anglo-Australian community here, resident and visitors.
Nor do l intend in any way to be seen as wanting to suggest anything at all derogatory or disrespectful of these people, many of whom have made or are making important contributions to Anglo-Australian relations.and whose support is valuable.
4. My reason for drawing attention to this loose grouping lies in the further observations that, by and large, its sentiments and attitudes in the Anglo-Australian context are traditional, sometimes still even ‘colonial’, and its politics are generally ‘Tory’, certainly as regards relations with Britain.
It is therefore a factor of some significance and influence in the present situation, responsive to the Aitken and Tory ‘crusade’ 1 and in some measure active in support of it, (in one or two cases that we know of, quite violently so).
This has been of importance here, and could be a factor in the situation at home, eg in certain quarters in the State capitals.
It also provides some leadership to wider opinion here and at home.
As I say, this is generally from a pretty narrow and traditionalist base, ignorant of or insensitive to many important aspects of our national development and interests, particularly in the international field, and attaching an importance to relations with Britain that is quite unrealistic in this day and age. (There is a good deal of sentiment and emotion and it is necessary to tread carefully and with full respect.)
5. A particular aspect of which you should be aware are the activities of the Agent-General for New South Wales and the former High Commissioner.
As you know, the Agent-General was largely responsible for fuelling the Daily Express campaign and there is no doubt that he has been an active lobbyer since then, although it has been possible to restrict him in some fields and he is now more careful in his presentation.
Sir Alexander Downer is living in Wiltshire (until mid-January), but visits London.
Given his wide connections in the establishment I have sketched, and beyond,-it is reasonable to expect that he has been expressing his strong personal views forcibly.
We know that he sent a telegram to Sir Bernard Braine after the Commons debate and the inference is that this was not other than congratulatory.
In writing to Carr about arrangements for his and his family’s re-entry to and residence in Britain (he has sent copies of the correspondence to this office), and he looked forward to meeting from time to time and ‘exchanging ideas on the wider issues of British immigration controls which, unhappily, are arousing such ill-feeling in Australia.’ [sic]
Such assertions of ill-feeling are in fact stimulating ill-feeling among Australians here, which will spread back home as visitors return.
6. You will appreciate the political quality in the situation here.
The Agents-General are an important element in this, particularly in the way in which their status has been allowed, by us and the British, to develop over the years.
Though all but one or two are strongly traditional in outlook, have been swept along by the ‘crusade’ and are inclined to clamour, there are no substantive difficulties with most of them and I believe that they will respond to guidance and leadership if sympathetically handled.
I have seen them once as a group and shall continue to work with them as the frequent opportunities at this time of year allow.
I am also gradually talking with others as occasion occurs, such as the Primary Produce Board people, Australian bank managers, the Australia Society Director, who called for a briefing, selected British and Australian Press and others who can be helpful in keeping things in perspective.
But this all takes time.
Perhaps I should add that you need not be alarmed at the thought of these conversations: they are all strictly informal and low-key background, directed principally to clarifying the facts and correcting misunderstandings.
They are also useful in providing us with reports and views about the actual operation on Australians of the immigration controls, an area where there clearly appears room for improvement.
7. Regarding the misrepresentation of Australia and the prejudice to our standing here, a younger Conservative MP was commenting one evening last week on the war having been over for twenty-seven years.
Why was Australia still harping on it and looking for gratitude?
Most welcome though our participation had been, it was after all in Australia’s own national interest to see Britain survive and Germany defeated.
Did we really believe that the old Commonwealth Association was a viable, realistic basis for our or Britain’s national development?
Other comment has been directed to our alleged hostility to Britain’s entry into the EEC and, fed by some very offensive cartoons, to Australian racial attitudes and policies.
I would expect reactions such as these to be fairly widespread among important opinion-shaping circles in Britain, and we emerge from them in a distinctly unfavourable light.
8. I know you will understand the situation and I trust I have your support in the approach I am taking.
1 Document 339.
[NAA: A1838,67/1/3 PART 6]