A more powerful Curtain Call - The Australasian Federation and World War 2

johnboy

johnboy

16 June 1983 Domain Palace, Melbourne

Bob Hawke, was the new Prime Minister, the immensely popular former ACTU Trade Union Leader having swept to power in a landslide election on 2nd June.

The Muldoon government, wracked by high unemployment and a series of drunken scandals by their own leader had delivered the coalition's worst ever electoral result, a result that had also witnessed a sharp increase in vote for the Democratic Party, trying to establish itself as the countries third party, that had returned it seven senate seats and a close result in the Melbourne seat of St Kilda.

For Alice, both of her sisters had died within 8 months or each other in 1982, her second sister eventually resettling in Melbourne after Greece was to vote for a republic in 1976.
 
johnboy

johnboy

25 July 1987 Domain Palace, Melbourne

The first few years of the Hawke government had brought many changes, floating the Australasian dollar, the final abolition of the death penalty in 1984, an end to National Service in 1984. Perhaps the biggest changes had been to levels of government at the State and local level. In a bitter battle at local level, the Federal Government, with the support of the mainly State Labor governments, had pushed through reforms to local government that had resulted in mass amalgamations of local government areas in Australia, with a minimum mandated local government area requiring a population of at least 40,000, subject to certain clauses in regards to area and geography. It had been both revolutionary, controversial and bitterly fought in some areas. It had also been proposed and ratified in 1985 to create an office of Governor-General and to abolish the expense of individual state governors, instead using the Governor-General as the Queen's representative for selected ceremonial events at a state level and as an advisor to the Queen and as someone who would function as regent in the event of the accession of a minor. With modern communications it was seen as a cheaper and easier alternative to having the expense of a Governor in each state.

One movement that had grown greatly in support was the anti nuclear movement, fueled by the 3 mile island nuclear incident and then magnified by the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. It had resulted in the government announcing the closing of the Port Vincent Reactor and the plans to phase out nuclear weapons in the defence forces.

Australasia's nuclear bomb stocks would be the first to be looked out for disposal, followed by a review of the 66 Blue Streak MRBM sites in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

For Alice, it was her 90th birthday. Thankfully she had retained her marbles long enough and her grandson was now only 8 months away from turning 18 and being able to assume the role that she had been grooming him for for the last year. She had seven grandchildren. In Sarawak, her son in law was still King and him and her daughter Maree had five children, James Brooke, Asia Alice, Joshua Alexander, Iona Heloise and Rebecca Alexandra. Here in Australasia her granddaughter Alexandra Alice was 19 and her grandson and heir John Christian was 17.
 
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johnboy

johnboy

20 March 1990 Domain Palace, Melbourne

It was the biggest funeral ever seen in Australasia, more than one million people were estimated to line the streets to pay their last respects to the women who had been Queen for 52 years. She had died in her sleep aged 92 after a short illness in the 12 March.

Eulogies had been given by all three living Prime Ministers, two past and one present. Bob Hawke, had, of course, cried profusely.

For the new King John I, aged 20 as of only two weeks ago, it was going to be a huge learning curve. He remembered not only her contribution to World War 2 and the changes of her reign, but his own memories, particularly the time spent during her Golden Jubilee in 1987 and during the bicentennial celebrations, which had also been held to celebrate Australasia's 30 millionth citizen.
 
johnboy

johnboy

12 March 2015 St Kilda, Melbourne(flash Forward)

For 27 year old RAAF Flying Officer Mark Viney it had been a whirlwind few months and the idea of dating the girl who would be one day Queen was still a bit mind blowing. He was still a bit spun out every time he pulled up to Domain Palace. It had been a nice wedding they had both went to, for his sister, and the arrival of Maree, even though guests had been previously aware, had caused somewhat of talking point. It was still a weird feeling being the centre of attention wherever one went. He was now a little buzzed and thinking about the beach tomorrow.

Crown Princess Maree was thinking about the changes the country had gone through, the development. It came from her recently completed Political Science assignment and she had been unable to get it out of her head. Australasia was the world largest coal and iron ore exporter, the largest wool and meat, the second largest of gold, titanium, uranium, lead, copper and alumina, it's population now estimated at 42 million, Melbourne alone having 6.4 million and Sydney 5.6 million.

The country had a strong human rights record, and, in light of the external threats presented by countries such as North Korea and Manchuria, a strong military, it's main fighter the Hornet, which had finally replaced the Avro Arrow on 1998 and was due to be replaced in 2016 by the first F-35's, both within the RAAF and aboard the navy's only aircraft carrier, the ex USS America, now HMAS Melbourne and also the three smaller amphibious carriers of the Adelaide Class.

She stopped herself from daydreaming. Looking across at Mark, like most 20 years old girls at a wedding, she started daydreaming again. Both her and Australasia would be alright.
 
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johnboy

johnboy

Crown Princess Maree at a wedding, 2015

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johnboy

johnboy

SORRY FOR THE DELAY AND FAST FORWARD OF THE LAST 57 YEARS, BUT I PROMISED I WOULD TAKE THIS TO THE END AND WE GOT THERE.

THANKS FOR READING.

END OF TIMELINE
 
johnboy

johnboy

Forthcoming-one last Addendum

Commonwealth of Australasia Military Forces-summaries, strengths, equipment and bases as of 1.1.2016.
 
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johnboy

johnboy

RAAF equipment and bases as of 1.1.2016.

Queensland
RAAF Amberley
No 1 Squadron F/A 18-F fighter/bombers
No 6 Squadron F/A 18-F fighter/bombers
No 5 Squadron MQ-9 Reaper Drones
No 33 Squadron KC-30A tankers
No 36 Squadron C-17 Globemaster transport

RAAF Scherger
Bare Base

RAAF Townsville
No 27 Squadron Reserve unit
No 38 Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport/recon

New South Wales
RAAF Richmond
No 7 Squadron F-35 fighter/bomber
No 35 Squadron CJ37 Spartan light transport
No 22 Squadron Reserve unit
No 37 Squadron C130 Hercules

RAAF Williamstown
No 2 Squadron 737AEW AWACS
No 4 Squadron PC-9 trainer
No 76 Squadron BAE Hawk
No 26 Squadron Reserve unit

Northern Territory
RAAF Darwin
No 10 Squadron C3 Orion
No 8 Squadron F/A -18 fighter

RAAF Tindal
No 75 Squadron F-22 Raptor fighter
No 77 Squadron F-22 Raptor fighter
No 73 Squadron EA-18G Hornet

Western Australia
RAAF Pearce
No 2 Flying Training School
No 25 Squadron Reserve Unit
No 79 Squadron BAE Hawk
No 3 Squadron F/A-18 fighter

RAAF Learmouth
No 13 Squadron 1A1 Huron and M-Q 4C Drones
No 30 Squadron C-17 Globemaster transport
No 34 Squadron C3 Orion

RAAF Curtin
Bare Base

Victoria
RAAF East Sale
No 1 Flight Training School
No 32 Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport/recon
No 23 Squadron BAE Hawk

RAAF Point Cook
RAAF HQ
No 24 Squadron 737/Learjet VIP travel and RAAF historical flight
No 21 Squadron Reserve unit

South Australia
RAAF Edinburgh
No 10 Squadron C3 Orion
No 9 Squadron P-8 Poseidon

RAAF Woomera
Testing ground and live fire range

RAAF Oonadatta
No 100 Squadron - Air Force boneyard

North New Zealand
RAAF Auckland
No 11 Squadron F/A-18 fighter
No 12 Squadron C3 Orion
No 19 Squadron C130 Hercules
No 28 Squadron BAE Hawk

RAAF Ohakea
No 3 Flying Training School
No 29 Squadron Reserve unit

South New Zealand
RAAF Wigram
No 20 Squadron FA/18 fighter
No 15 Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport/recon

Tasmania
Nil

Bougainville
Nil

New Caledonia
RAAF Magenta
No 14 Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport/recon
No 16 Squadron F/A 18 fighter

Fiji
RAAF Nandi
No 17 Squadron Squadron CJ37 Spartan light transport

C-35 to replace all F/A 18 squadrons by 2019

 
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