Chapter 5: Academic Freedom and the Australian Story

By 1950 Crawford had grown disenchanted by the public and political mood. After a series of devastating controversies culminating in the refusal of an entry visa to the United States, Crawford succumbed to the pressures of the Cold War and fell silent, withdrawing from public engagement. The chapter charts the fragility of Crawford's progressive liberalism and the Cold War in action. Despite the High Court decision against the Communist Party Dissolution Act and the subsequent failure of the Referendum, ASIO intensified its gaze. The vetting of 'suspect' staff and the collusion between ASIO and universities, inhibited open criticism of the government ands self-censorship became more commonplace. The Referendum on the Communist Party Dissolution Act, the Petrov affair and the fixation of ASIO on 'suspect' intellectuals constantly intruded on Crawford's life and destroyed his equanimity. The chapter also documents Crawford's attempts to evade the political platform and concentrate on other facets of his career. It considers his colleagues and students - the contribution of Kathleen Fitzpatrick, the tensions with Manning Clark, the academic difficulties of Brian Fitzpatrick caused by his political sympathies, the issue of gender and the patronage of young historians including Laurie Baragwanath, John Legge, Jim Main, Creighton Burns, Geoff Serle, Frank Crowley, George Yule and Geoffrey Blainey. The post-war years, would also herald the beginning of a significant interest in the study of Australian history that served a growing nationalism.