ABSTRACT
The events of May 1954 in Vietnam and Geneva were reported in Australia with a sense of crisis mingled with miscomprehension. This chapter deals with the imagery of Asia in Australian political debate during the early 1950s, and in particular, the quality of understanding of an Asia emerging from colonialism. That debate pivoted on the role of nationalism and communism in decolonisation struggles. The chapter describes the ways in which the domestic political configuration of the Cold War in Australia coloured the perception of Asian events. Sir Percy Spender's overarching view was firmly within the parameters of the Cold War. Glimpses of Asia as a region of social upheaval in the postcolonial order struck chords in domestic politics. The political configuration of the Cold War was far from conducive to reasoned debate on issues of Southeast Asian decolonisation and the role of nationalist and communist movements.
