A dog in the manger: White Australia and its vast empty spaces

Abstract

Between the world wars Australia was commonly characterised as a dog in the manger for failing to utilise vast tracts of its territory while refusing to relax its stringent restrictions on immigration. This article examines interwar responses to the dog-in-the manger accusation, particularly their implications for the environmental representation of the supposedly empty spaces. I argue that Australians' increasing acceptance of the aridity of their continent over this period was substantially driven by a need to project abroad an image of a nation acting responsibly in a world of escalating population pressures.