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It was not long after the invention of aircraft that they became powerful weapons in the third dimension, with unrestricted ability to cross borders, over sea or land, and attack seemingly at will and with great devastation of any enemy target within its range. Aircraft are precision weapons of destruction of any battle and can be the turning point of any war. The majesty and power of these birds of war, and the claim of air power they bring, is an asset to any nation at war. Yet, on the ground these powerful machines become vulnerable, and it is in this form that they broadcast their fragility. They become thin-skinned, soft targets, lacking agility and ease of movement, in short, they become very easy targets themselves. Therefore, an enemy is more likely to recognise that the best way to gain air control is to destroy or at least harass these military machines on the ground. For any military force, especially one with expensive war machines and large areas of land that are key tactical terrain, airfield defence cannot be overlooked. This vulnerability of aircraft, and the network that surrounds them, to ground or air attack has been recognised in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from as early as 1929. It was at that time that airfield defence first became a RAAF capability.
The evolution of the history of RAAF airfield defence has never before been studied in depth through a robust academic process. An overview of the writings of Australian Air Force historians to date show that there is a focus on aviation, aircraft themselves and pilots. Apart from a few sentences, Australian RAAF histories very rarely acknowledge a key facet of airoperations; the protection of the airfields. This thesis aims to capture a significant area of Australian military history and analyse its development, influences and evolution.
This thesis will investigate all aspects of RAAF airfield defence from 1921 until 1970. This will include an examination of the evolution of security and defence policy, often challenged by global hostilities and subsequent times of peace. This study will uncover debate and inconsistency across the RAAF, since its inception, regarding the need to protect its airfields, and which arm of the Defence Force should be responsible for doing so. The views and influences of key personalities on the development of an Australian airfield defence capability will also be examined. This thesis will demonstrate the impacts of those policies on the ground, on Australian bases and overseas airfields and highlight the activities of airmen performing the role.

The relationship between rumen microbial ecology and the host is regulated by multiple factors including diet, the microbial inoculum entering the gut, and host genetics. Two hypotheses associated with this statement were developed and tested during this project. The first focused on the relationship between diet, early life microbial inoculum and rumen microbiota and the second concentrated on the association between host genetics and gut microbial ecology. Hypothesis one was that the rumen microbiome of lambs could be altered by post-natal diet and by early-life microbial intervention, to achieve differences in rumen fermentation, development and animal performance that persist beyond weaning. Secondly, it was hypothesized that sheep with different genetic merit for wool growth harbour differences in their rumen microbiome that are associated with differences in gut morphology, physiology, digesta retention time and microbial protein outflow which underpin their wool phenotypes.

This thesis examines Australia's defence preparedness when Japan threatened its northern shores in 1941-1942. Although according to historian Andrew T. Ross the local industries were producing quantities of ammunition and military equipment at this time, my thesis asks why, when on 19 February 1942 the Japanese launched their air raids on Darwin, defenders were unable to counter the enemy due to a severe lack of machine-gun fire and rifles. In this I draw attention to the massive deficiencies in transport systems, the tyranny of distance and bumpy roads which made delivery of bulk stores to the northern forces a challenge. A positive aspect of this was the emerging need to deploy and sustain forces in northern Australia, which led to a decision to upgrade overland links and infrastructure. While taking a broad view of influences and events relevant to policy development and implementation on Australia’s armed services, my thesis focuses closely on the formation, development and role of the RAAF. I also draw upon the difficulties the Air Board experienced in obtaining suitable aircraft for the RAAF at a time when the British Air Ministry was dealing with its own modernisation problems. Australia's cooperation with Britain on Imperial defence policy promoted a false sense of security based on the assumption that Britain would remain the dominant power. Until Curtin became Prime Minister, previous leaders were mostly unclear about the political and strategic path to follow in the pre-war and inter-war periods. The dramatic entry of Japan into the war in December 1941 revealed the risks of a narrowly focused response to defence matters. I argue that the Light Raid policy only delayed the RAAF being equipped with combat aircraft. Finally, from an under-prepared start, despite almost overwhelming logistic problems, bureaucratic inefficiencies and setbacks, by 1944 the RAAF was a functioning and capable body, able to work alongside the USAAF to defend Australia and the Pacific region.

"On 25th December 1940 ... the first Australians trained (either in Australia or Canada) under the Empire Air Scheme landed in England ... These [preparation] courses took an average of eight months from enlistment until individuals were ready for attachment to the Royal Air Force." (p.107) "Although anxious to meet Australia's wishes, the Air Ministry replied that it was unlikely that all RAAF bomber squadrons could be formed ... (p.113), John Herington, 'Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939-1943' (1954). The quotations from the first cited work come from the official account of the earlier Australian participation in Bomber Command, Royal Air Force, from 1941 to 1943.