Sir Walter Crocker (1902-2002)
Papers 1922-2002

MSS 327 C938p

Series 1 : Journals

1.1 Journals, 1952-1970 (with index) 21v.

p.1-498 India,1952-55
p.500-116 Indonesia,1955-56
p.1162-1651 Canada, 1957-58
p.1651-2675 India and Nepal,1958-62
p.2676-3405 Netherlands and Belgium,1962-65
p.3406-3930 East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia),1965-67
p.3931-4584 Italy,1967,1967-70
p.4584-4613 Index (v.21)

Extracts of notes by Sir Walter Crocker included with the Journals:
"...Begun when I went to India in 1952 as a record, made for professional purposes, of the significant points said to me when I had talks with other diplomats or with government officials.  Later the scope widened.
...These journals throw light on certain persons such as Nehru, Sukarno, Menzies and Casey, important at the time, and on certain situations such as the West New Guinea affair, Colombo Plan and Vietnam, and certain factors such as American and Australian policies, espionage, diplomatic practice, and national traits.
But their main interest is likely to be clues they could suggest to researchers into the period 1950-70".

The index, prepared by Sir Walter Crocker, is divided into 3 parts - (1) by countries served in:  (2) persons, situations and factors of main importance: (3) remaining  persons and matters.

Microfilm copy also held.

1.2 Journals, 1970-92

These journals cover his return to South Australia and particularly his time as Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.

v.22 June 1970 -November 1974
v.23 October 1976 - August 1977
(no journal kept in 1975)
v.24 August 1977-March 1978.
v.25 April 1978-May 1979.
v.26 May 1979-January 1980
v.27 February - October 1980
v.28 October 1980-July 1981
v.29 July 1981-August 1982
v.30 August 1982-March 1984
v.31 March 1984 -February 1986
v.32 February 1986-February 1987
v.33 February 1987-July 1988
v.34 July 1988-Dec1990
v.35 Jan 1991-Dec 1992

[Note by Sir Walter Crocker on the Journals (Series 1) in his Papers]

"In order that researchers do not waste their time in looking for secrets in my journals and other papers, I should warn them that they will find few if any secrets.

To the end of helping them, I would make the following points: -

First, more and more since World War II, diplomats of small and medium-sized powers, such as Australia, normally do not have access to the really "hot" information, such as, for example, whether India has, or is trying to have, thermonuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or precisely, or even roughly, what policy is behind the U.S. Fleet in the Pacific, or what is the CIA or the White House or the Pentagon up to in this or that move, or what is the Kremlin or the Beijing policy or potentialities on this or that point.

Second, Australian Ambassadors in "sensitive" areas could not escape some fears that their reports would be circulated in Canberra, or leaked, and that they would become misunderstood or garbled.  Official reports from them would therefore often give only a part of what they knew or guessed.

Third, in my case, I communicated "hot" information by word of mouth to the Ministers I was close enough to (as I was to Lord Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir G. Barwick, and Sir Robert Menzies), as also to heads of, or very senior officials in, the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Fourth, the increase of electronic communication and (thanks to air travel facilities) of visits of Ministers from Canberra, or of Ambassadors to Canberra, and, can be added, the new importance of Secret Services, diminished the traditional role and authority of Ambassadors.  How many days in a year is Gareth Evans in Canberra?  In an Aeroplane?  How much do Ambassadors count for him?

The value of my journals, etc., if any, is the atmosphere, and for certain leads they might conjure up."     WRC