Indonesian president Suharto made his first visit to Australia on this day in 1972. He arrived at Fairbairn RAAF base where he was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a crowd of about 300 people.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Australia's relations with Indonesia predate European settlement with hundreds of fishermen sailing each year from Makassar on the island of Sulawesi to the Arnhem Land coast to trade trepang with Aboriginal people. Australia's more recent relations with Indonesia include the time when in 1945 Australian prime minister Ben Chifley advocated Indonesia's independence struggle against the Dutch through the promotion of the policy of self-determination.
But in 1972, dressed in a blue suit and black petji (the distinctive round, black Indonesian cap) president Suharto, closely followed by Mrs Suharto, stepped from his Garuda Airways DCS aircraft, to be welcomed by the governor-general, Sir Paul Hasluck.
The Canberra Times reported a full agenda for official talks was underway between Australian prime minister William McMahon and President Suharto of Indonesia.
"Mr McMahon, has been briefed to discuss the more specific topics of the neutralisation proposal of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), aid, trade and investment and the future development of Australian Indonesian defence co-operation when he meets president Suharto," The Canberra Times reported.