Unfit to Command (ATOM Study Guide)

When the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sliced the destroyer HMAS Voyager in half during night manoeuvres off the coast of NSW on 10 February 1964, a shocked nation looked to its government for answers. Eighty-two men had died, making the disaster the largest loss of life in Australian peacetime history.

At the time of the collision, the Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies had been in power for fifteen years. To many Australians, he embodied the political stability, rapid economic growth and traditional family values that characterised Australia in the post-war period. Menzies' dominance on the political scene seemed to provide a comforting sense of national security and economic prosperity. However the era of Robert Menzies as Prime Minister was nearing its end. In 1966, he retired to be replaced by his nominated Liberal successor, Harold Holt. The Voyager incident itself and the initial investigations took place in 1964 during Menzies' administration but by the time the second Royal Commission reported its findings, John Gorton was Prime Minister.

Using Unfit to Command in the Classroom

The nature of the relationships between government, the armed forces and the media are central issues in Unfit to Command. The documentary examines themes of loyalty, justice and responsibility and raises questions about the reliability of evidence. It is of specific interest and relevance to teachers and students of:

• Studies of Society & Environment (SOSE/HSIE)
• English
• History
• Politics
• Media Studies