Overview

Dr Samuel White will discuss his recent Fellowship research focused on the historical use of military call-outs and the decision-making processes behind deploying troops in Australia.

The appropriate use of the military domestically is a cornerstone of Australia's constitution. Outside of a very specific constitutional option to respond (under 119 to counter domestic violence/insurgency), not much has been written on the topic, notwithstanding extensive political considerations and directed domestic deployments. Earlier research has uncovered thirteen instances of domestic deployments through archival and oral history accounts.

Dr White's research expands upon the topic by utilising the uniquely held resources of the Library to uncover how key decision-makers arrived at the conclusion to call out the troops. The project utilises collections such as correspondence between Ministers around the call-out events and the diaries of Commanding Officers involved in keeping the peace of the realm. In cross-referencing call-out events (from earlier research) with the Library's unique resources, a definitive history of the use of military troops in Australia will illuminate historical practice and inform contemporary debates around the 'proper' use of the Australian Defence Force.

Dr Samuel White is a 2025 National Library of Australia Fellow.