Australia – All at Sea?

The Australia Day celebrations in Sydney Harbour and the appearance of many square rigged sailing ships in our ports and harbours this year have brought to public attention the importance of maritime affairs in the development of our nation. Many important fields of national endeavour which contributed to the making of our nation were dependent on our mastery of the sea – early settlement, transportation and immigration, trade both overseas and interstate, whaling, communications and of course defence.These recent events, while stressing the heritage aspects of our maritime achievements, suggest that it is also timely to assess our position today as a maritime nation. This article attempts to identify those interests and suggests how as a nation we should address the many emerging challenges. Looked at in their totality Australia’s maritime interests have never been more vital to our national well-being than the present and have the potential for creating great wealth.