ABSTRACT
Though of course sharing a common cultural origin with the preceding donors, Australia’s geographical isolation and much smaller population and economy have been defining factors in its overall foreign policy and in its aid program. Following Smith et al. (1996), three aspects of this bear a brief review before a more specific discussion of the role of human rights in Australian foreign policy:
1 Australian isolation, which has led it to seek ‘great and powerful friends’ (Menzies, cited in Smith et al. 1996: 25), and which has exacerbated;
2 its sense of constraint as a middle-power; and 3 the sometimes conflicting pull toward regionalism in its foreign policy.
