Vietnam War

To support our US allies, Australia sent almost 60,000 service personnel to South Vietnam from 1962 to 1975 to fight the spread of communism. Conscription forced many of these troops to serve.

Topics

A topic is a collection of records with interpretation and inquiry questions. Each topic is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and focuses on an aspect of Australian history.

Topic

The Vietnam War

From 1962 to 1973, more than 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War as part of an allied force led by the United States.

Records

Each record focuses on a single item from the National Archives' collection. Some records contain extra information to help you interpret them.

Record

American President Lyndon B Johnson on official visit to Australia

This photograph shows United States President Lyndon Baines Johnson among a crowd of people during an official visit to Australia in October 1966.
Record

ASIO message on Vietnam War 'teach-in' protest

This is an 'inward message' prepared by an unidentified agent of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), dated 27 April 1970.
Record

Australia to supply sugar to free world forces in South Vietnam – Letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to Prime Minister John Gorton

Letter to Prime Minister John Gorton from Lyndon B Johnson, President of the USA, on the supply of sugar to free world forces during the Vietnam war.
Record

Australian soldiers in Vietnam providing civilian food aid

A photograph of 2 Australian soldiers providing civilian food aid to a Vietnamese woman and her three children in Phuoc Tuy province during the Vietnam War.
Record

Australian troops marching in ‘welcome home’ parade in Brisbane after returning from Vietnam

This photograph shows a 'welcome home' parade for Australian soldiers who had returned from service in South Vietnam.
Record

Australia–USA talks about Vietnam and nuclear weapons

This is a 5-page record of high-level talks held in Canberra on 9 May 1962, between Australia and the United States.
Record

Cabinet decision to withdraw Australian forces from Vietnam, 1971

This is the record of a top secret federal Cabinet decision on 26 July 1971 to withdraw Australian forces from Vietnam.
Record

Cabinet proposing a national service scheme – secret memorandum

This secret memorandum for Cabinet proposes an accelerated compulsory national service scheme to build up the strength of the Australian Regular Army.

Vietnam War

Topics

The Vietnam War

Records

American President Lyndon B Johnson on official visit to Australia

ASIO message on Vietnam War 'teach-in' protest

Australia to supply sugar to free world forces in South Vietnam – Letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to Prime Minister John Gorton

Australian soldiers in Vietnam providing civilian food aid

Australian troops marching in ‘welcome home’ parade in Brisbane after returning from Vietnam

Australia–USA talks about Vietnam and nuclear weapons

Cabinet decision to withdraw Australian forces from Vietnam, 1971

Cabinet proposing a national service scheme – secret memorandum

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