The fall of Saigon, 1975

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Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell on 30 April 1975 when forces of the North Vietnamese Army invaded the city and captured the presidential palace. This ended a campaign begun in January that saw the North Vietnamese Army overrun the central highlands of South Vietnam and then the coastal cities of Hue (where Australian journalist Peter Whitlock was detained), Da Nang and Qui Nhon.

Australia's military commitment to the Vietnam War – in which over 50,000 personnel saw service – ended with the withdrawal of all combat forces by December 1971. By 1975 the only Australian government presence in Vietnam was diplomatic.

By March 1975 the concern was for the safety of Australians in Vietnam (such as journalists) and those Vietnamese who might be at risk under the new regime. The plight of Vietnamese infants came to particular attention and on 4 and 17 April, when RAAF flights evacuated some 270 of them to Bangkok (for transfer to Australia by Qantas) as part of 'Operation Babylift'. Arrangements were also made to assist adult Vietnamese in fear of the new government, including over 400 who were students in Australia. The last Australians from the Australian Embassy in Saigon – including Ambassador Geoffrey Price – were evacuated by the RAAF on 25 April 1975.

A selection of records relating to the fall of Saigon held by the National Archives is listed below. Unless otherwise indicated records are held in Canberra.

Records of the Department of Foreign Affairs (CA 1382)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
South Vietnam – political – general 1971–81 A1838, TS3014/2/1 part 15A
South Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance 1971–75 A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 1
South Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance 1971–75 A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 2
South Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance 1971–75 A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 3
South Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance 1971–75 A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 4
North Vietnam – political – general 1971–75 A1838, 3020/2/1 part 24
South Vietnam – foreign representation 1972–75 A1838, 3014/8/2B
Policy towards countries – South Vietnam 1973–75 A1838, 2020/2/14 part 11
South Vietnam – proposals for international conference 1973–75 A1838, 3014/9/7/1 part 2
South Vietnam – relations with Australia 1973–76 A1838, 3014/10/1 part 26
South Vietnam – relations with Australia 1973–76 A1838, 3014/10/1 part 27
Vietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic 1973–75 A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 1
Vietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic 1973–75 A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 2
Vietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic 1973–75 A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 3
Vietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic 1973–75 A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 4
Australian representation abroad – Democratic Republic of Vietnam – Wilson, David – Ambassador 1974–76 A1838, 1500/2/93/3
South Vietnam – resettlement of refugees 1974–75 A1838, 3014/2/8 part 5
North Vietnam – foreign policy – the war 1974–75 A1838, 3020/7/1/1 part 8
North Vietnam – relations with Australia – general 1974–75 A1838, 3020/10/1 part 6
Post liaison – Crisis Task Force – Vietnam orphans – second uplift 1975 A1838, 626/2/9/2/2 part 1
Post liaison – Crisis Task Force – Vietnam orphans – second uplift 1975 A1838, 626/2/9/2/2 part 2
Asian political subjects of UN concern – North Vietnam 1975 A1838, 915/7/1A part 2
Legal enquiries – Australian legislation – airlifts of orphans from Vietnam 1975–79 A1838, 1490/5/94 part 3
Diplomatic representatives in Australia – Republic of Vietnam – closure of embassy in Canberra 1975–76 A1838, 1500/1/65/17 part 1
Australian immigration policy and relations with other countries – South Vietnam political refugees – general 1975 A1838, 1634/70/2 part 2
Indo-Chinese refugees – policies and programs – staff at Republic of Vietnam embassies 1975 A1838, 1634/75/16 part 1
South Vietnam – relations with North Vietnam – military developments 1975–76 A1838, 3006/8/1 part 30
South Vietnam – political – general 1975 A1838, 3014/2/1 part 77
South Vietnam – political – general 1975 A1838, 3014/2/1 part 79
South Vietnam – political – military situation 1975 A1838, 3014/2/7 part 40
South Vietnam – political – military situation 1975 A1838, 3014/2/7 part 41
Australian representation in South Vietnam 1975 A1838, 3014/10/6 part 10
South Vietnam – Australian representation – evacuation of Australian personnel 1975 A1838, 3014/10/6/1 part 2
South Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees 1975 A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 2
South Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees 1975 A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 4
South Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees 1975 A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 10
Republic of South Vietnam – Vietnamese refugees 1975 A1838, 3015/7/3 part 1
Vietnam – relations with Australia – Provisional Revolutionary Government – general 1975 A1838, 3015/10/1 part 7
Provisional Revolutionary Government – Vietnam – relations with Australia – general 1975–77 A1838, 3015/10/1 part 12
North Vietnam – relations with Australia – representation 1975 A1838, 3020/10/6 part 4

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (CA 1401)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Vietnam – situation reports 1974–75 A1209, 1974/7556
Adoption of Vietnamese orphans 1975 A1209, 1975/546
Adoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight 1975 A1209, 1975/656
Adoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight 1975 A1209, 1975/657
Adoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight 1975 A1209, 1975/658
Mr Whitlock – Australian journalist missing in Vietnam 1975 A1209, 1975/852

Australian Embassy, Republic of Vietnam (Saigon) (CA 2773)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Saigon – Evacuation of orphans 1957–75 A4531, 221/4/8 part 1
Saigon – RAAF evacuation of Vietnamese refugees and airlift of supplies 1975 A4531, 8/2/4
Saigon – Vietnam political and economic reports by bag telegrams 1975 A4531, 201/1 part 3
Saigon – Vietnam ceasefire negotiations and violations 1975 A4531, 201/2/8 part 34
Saigon – other international organisations 1975 A4531, 221/3/3 part 2

Personal papers of EG Whitlam (CP 99) – Records held in Sydney
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Foreign affairs – Senator Willesee 1975 M519, 29
Vietnam – general 1975 M522, V.2
Vietnam – collapse of Saigon Government 1975 M522, V.4
Vietnam – orphans 1975 M522, V.5

Department of Labor and Immigration, Victoria (CA 1812) – Records held in Melbourne
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60194
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60195
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60196
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60197
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60198
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60199
Vietnamese orphans 1975 B925, V1978/60200

Administrator, Northern Territory (CA 1070) – Records held in Darwin
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Vietnamese orphans and refugees 1975–78 F1076, 1975/71