Function and purpose
The Australia First Movement existed for five months until its leaders and some of its members were secretly interned in March 1942. Their internment was based on the suspicion that the movement might attempt to provide help to Japanese invaders. This lead to a Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry headed by Mr Justice Clyne (CP 265) which sat between 19 June 1944 and 17 May 1945 in both Sydney and Melbourne. This series contains transcripts of the evidence given to the Inquiry. The Judge's finding is not enclosed, and there are no notes or comments by Judge Clyne on the transcripts.
The series consists of 2514 foolscap pages. The items [1] - [67] contained within this series consist of the transcripts from each day that the Commission of Inquiry heard evidence. Items [54] (pages 1995 - 2032), assumed to be the transcript for 28 March 1945, and [66] (pages 2467 - 2479), assumed to be the transcript for 16 May 1945, are missing as at May 2001.
Series history
Originally transferred from the Attorney-General's Department in 1950 as Series 5 of SP14, the transcripts later became Series 7 of SP414 until c1965 when they were converted into CRS A1107.
Sources
National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 28 'Australia First Movement'
Series File for A1107