Bombs, “reds under the bed”, and the media: The Menzies Government’s manipulation of public opinion, 1949–1957

Abstract

It is often implied that the Menzies government influenced the Australian public for political advantage. Rarely, however, has this claim been substantiated. The objective of this paper is to add credence to this claim by arguing the Menzies government actively sought to manipulate public opinion in order to ensure the longevity of the British atomic test trials held in Australia between 1952 and 1957. The Australian government was adamant the British atomic trials should remain in Australia to guarantee what it hoped would be its eventual access to the technology, which at the time it was not privy to. Consequently, the Australian government could not risk an unfavourable press and a hostile public, which would undoubtedly put the atomic test trials in jeopardy.
The Menzies government used the image of the Australian “way of life” as the focus of its manipulation. Suggesting the fabric of Australian society was under threat from the evils of communism, the government rallied to highlight the need to defend the nation from this foreign threat. It was this need to “defend the nation” that was used to justify the testing of atomic weapons within Australia’s shores, and subsequently inflamed existing fear within the Australian community. This scheme, however, was a failure as public anxiety surrounding the tests continually rose.
This political strategy illustrates the tendency of Menzies to pursue his own agenda whether it represented the wishes of the Australian public or not. The underlying issue within this study is not the public’s understanding of the facts, but what it perceived was the truth and how that “truth” was presented to them through the media.