In their Time of Need
Australia's Overseas Emergency Relief Operations 1918–2006

In their Time of Need recounts the activities of Australia's military forces in response to overseas natural disasters.

Steven Bullard (Author)

9781107026346, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 4 August 2017

600 pages, 2 b/w illus. 111 colour illus. 43 tables
25.2 x 17.9 x 4 cm, 1.38 kg

This volume of The Official History of Australian Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations recounts the activities of Australia's military forces in response to overseas natural disasters. The military's involvement in overseas emergency management is focused primarily on the period immediately after disaster strikes: transporting relief supplies, providing medical assistance, restoring basic services and communications and other logistical support. Beginning with the 1917–18 influenza epidemic that ravaged the Pacific and culminating with the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, this book covers Australia's response to some of the most catastrophic natural events of the twentieth century. In their Time of Need is richly detailed, as Steven Bullard weaves together official government records and archival images with the personal narratives and photographs of those who served. This volume is an authoritative and compelling history of Australia's efforts to help their neighbours.

Part I. Australia's Disaster Policies: 1. From arbitrary assistance to organised chaos: the history of international disaster relief
2. Capable, available and willing to respond: Australia's overseas disaster policies
3. 'A plurality of mandates': the context of overseas disaster policy
Part II. Australia's Disaster Relief Operations: 4. Combatting the Spanish lady: Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji influenza pandemic, 1918–19
5. A tale of two mountains: volcanoes at Rabaul in 1937 and Mount Lamington in 1951
6. A sustained relief effort: new Hebrides cyclone, 1959–60
7. Goodwill in a time of tension: Indonesia, 1960–63
8. Help for the highlands: influenza and famine relief, 1969–72
9. Back to Bali: earthquakes in Irian Jaya and Bali, 1976
10. Regional assistance: disasters in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, 1977–82
11. Disaster relief in post-independence PNG, 1975–94: earthquakes, famine, floods, cyclones and volcanoes
12. 'The unleashed fury of Mother Nature': cyclones in Fiji and Vanuatu, 1979–88
13. 'An outstanding overall effort': Cyclone Namu in the Solomon Islands, 1986
14. Cyclone relief in the Pacific, 1990–93: Cyclones Ofa, Betsy and Kina
15. El Niño drought relief: Operation Sierra/Ples Drai, Papua New Guinea, 1997-98
16. Famine relief in the midst of chaos: Operation AusIndo Jaya, Indonesia, 1998
17. Ples bagarap: Operation Shaddock, Papua New Guinea, 1998
18. 'The worst in living memory': Operation Niue Assist and disasters in the Pacific, 1998–2004
19. Waves of destruction: Indian Ocean tsunami and the international response, 2004-05
20. The road to Banda Aceh: ADF planning, deployment and airlift mission
21. 'We saw the worst of it': medical and engineering support in Operation Sumatra Assist
22. Getting the job done: enabling Operation Sumatra Assist, threats and withdrawal
23. 'Here is your loved one back and this is their name': Operation Cawdor and Operation Thai Assist, Thailand, 2004–06
24. 'In their time of need': Operation Sumatra Assist II, 2005
25. The 'Day of Judgement': deploying on Operation Pakistan Assist, 2005–06
26. 'They have won our hearts forever': operation Pakistan Assist, 2005–06
27. Conclusion: Australia's overseas emergency relief operations, 1918–2006.

Subject Areas: Military history: post WW2 conflicts [HBWS], Second World War [HBWQ], First World War [HBWN], Military history [HBW], Australasian & Pacific history [HBJM]