laughs two countries in the Pacific linked by routes of trade and Discovery are Australia and Indonesia the war cut off their ocean contacts but after the war one of the first ships to make the journey was the Esperance Bay you may remember the newsreel back in 1945. yeah 1400 Indonesians leave Australia by the Esperance Bay for Java with a government undertaking that they will not be landed at any port in Dutch hands an official of the Australian government goes with them to see that the guarantee is carried out friends and sweethearts crowd The Wharf to say goodbye laughs [Music] representing the combined Australian trade unions speaks to the men as Federal Secretary of the Siemens Union on behalf of the Trade union movement of Australia I present to you this flag take it with you to your young Republic as a symbol of the support of the Australian workers in your fight for in the house [Applause] friends in the name of the Indonesian Republic I thank you for this flank we will never forget the great hope Australian labor has given us invite the first stage of our Republic when we need some help most and may Australia and Indonesia be United forever Indonesia Indonesia [Applause] [Music] on that October day the Esperance Bay sailed from Australia for Indonesia foreign but the real story behind this journey is the story of ships that didn't sail let's start at the beginning here in Australia we know the Indonesians well for years they've lived in our country as friends and fellow towns the women learned the names of our vegetables and mothers found that children were much the same in any language [Music] good Fighters against the common enemy Japan [Music] as our victoryland rallies in Martin place we applauded their musicians lending their support in thousands of pounds as well as music [Music] we like that old Indonesian folk song even if we didn't understand the words but they did yet here in Australia it wasn't just the river and rice fields The Villages of their Homeland they taught about but something they didn't have before the war something they've fought for with the allies Independence the voice of Indonesia calling [Music] Indonesia the Republic of Indonesia has been proclaimed these are the sailing points in the Republic Democratic Constitution freedom of organization freedom of assembly freedom of expression and freedom of the press [Music] Indonesia in the streets of Sydney Indonesians repeated enough which was being taken by their countrymen all over the world an oath of loyalty to the new Republic Indonesia oppression we are ready to sacrifice our lives for Freedom with a pure heart we pledge our word [Music] [Applause] that night they celebrated independence with the dance of the night and the princess for even in Exile they've not forgotten their ancient culture this dance they told us was over 1500 years old before Portuguese and Dutchman came to Java [Music] [Applause] the wives and young citizens of the new Republic were there too [Music] everyone joined in these dances yes that night we celebrated but in the morning 72 million people took an oath to defend Freedom with their lives that wasn't just words look those 72 million Indonesians live in some of the richest islands of the world but for three and a half centuries Dutch Colonial rulers have taken all the profits in mines the queen Monopoly oil fields and rubber plantations it added up to about 32 million pounds or a hundred million dollars a year that's quite a bit eh now the war's over they'll want to go back to making profits and for that they'll need ships the ships are here in Australian Harbors in Brisbane Melbourne and Sydney ships to reconquer their Treasure Islands to get back their oil and rubber their quinine and Tin miles [Music] ships to break the back of the young Republic ships to carry soldiers ships to carry guns foreign [Music] we won't man your ships we won't carry arms to be used against our own people here's our answer direct action [Music] they left the ships they walked off the wharfs they quit the offices soldiers refused tips it takes courage to strike against your rulers in a strange country but they did that and the Japs didn't tell them what to do 350 years of Dutchman taught them together with Australian Wharf is right here on the docks while the big ships wait they spoke in a language workers in every country understand of bad conditions low wages and what those 350 years of Dutch colonial rule had meant to Indonesia the news spread and Waterside workers came from other wharfs to listen finally it turned into an impromptu meeting that's when Australians had their say Indonesian semen weren't allowed to form a union till they came to Australia we helped them get organized and now we can't let them down we can't scab on fellow workers what about the Atlantic Charter we're committed through the World Trade union Congress to support freedom for all nations why not Indonesia [Music] their spokesman asked for just that our support for Indonesia's struggle for freedom and self-determination well it's up to us declare Dutch ships for Indonesia black when the wolf is sat down it meant action [Music] something happened which made all the difference in the life of a young Republican the Dutch companies who had once had a great Fleet to carry wealth from Indonesia now had to beg for every ship to take them back foreign suddenly we heard that these were Mercy Ships loaded with food and medical supplies Dutch authorities said they knew nothing of Tommy guns and ammunition alleged to be found by Waterside workers but they could hardly deny the statements of Mr Chipley Australia's prime minister [Music] [Music] Yale fought for your freedom let the Indonesians have theirs arms and now soldiers 1600 armed Dutch soldiers Bound for Java lining the decks of the Sterling Castle Australian diggers went out to meet you and one Dutchman who spoke for the workers of Holland supporting Indonesian freedom [Music] Indonesia Australians [Music] but the Dutch didn't want to hear the truth [Music] Indonesia calling to aesthetic of gunfather heard the voice of their Homeland asking them to keep up with fighting to hold up all duck ships carrying arms to be used against the New Republic Australia now the fight was really awesome wolf is chalked up their answer and walked off ship after ship in Brisbane Melbourne Adelaide Sydney in all the ports of Australia foreign [Music] they said to the Dutch floating ships is our livelihood we'll load ships for Indonesia anytime if we get a guarantee that the cargo isn't arms or supplies that could be used against the Indonesian people we never got that guarantee the black band spread as other unions joined the struggle one night was the transport workers who turned off their ignition keys and left Dutch Freight stranded next ship's painter stopped work duck ships were too black for them to put another coat of color on engineers and repair workers turned their torches in [Music] shipping clocks turned deaf ear to Dutch orders and Seaman had been in it right from the start soon they were joined by 11 British from the crew of the Morton Bay who jumped ship rather than carry soldiers to Java cables of support arrived from Harry Bridges president of the American longshoreman's Union and from Chinese Indian Malayan New Zealand and Canadian semen and dogwoods workers in every country supported the action of Australian labor [Music] don't be fooled by the card game don't let them try to put anything over we're awaker so are the shipwrights plumbers co-lumpers the merchant service Guild firemen and deckhand Union the storm and Packers Motors Dockers Boilermakers not to mention iron workers and electricians all along the waterfront the ships were idled [Music] foreign and now came the voices of leaders supporting the principles of the Atlantic Church Pandit neru and Jinnah of India manuelski and vashinsky of the Soviet Union and president romelo of the Philippines protested against the use of Armed Force to suppress the Indonesian people [Music] at a record meeting in the domain this return Soldier reported that Indonesians had already proved they could govern their own country in the name of my Republic I thank you said Jan willander but for your help in holding up those ships our Republic might have been destroyed the black ban on ships for Indonesia is complete in the office of the [Music] antiquely one kept check on the ships that didn't Sail black vandolin black tahoot black to sorry black Tasman black Johnson and monticle black then swole black van hurts black Swanson once Got Away an Indian crew on board all right so it's a man thinking we could stop a ship but you don't know what that one ship meant it broke the van the Dutch had sneaked it through by putting an Indian crew on Cowboys didn't have much of a cruiser to go out and do metal they didn't have any guns or ammunition but they had worse and they were talking to Indian semen Indian Brothers Indonesia's Fight For Freedom as your fight join us [Music] Damon don't take after Indonesia louder they can't hear you Brothers turn the ship back Indonesia's fight is your fight go on call again it's not too late Brothers [Music] they've gone but outside the head to the trouble of the engines the Indians were thinking Brothers Indonesia's fight is your fight stop entrance stop engines [Music] they've come back the Indians have come back they've done it they've stopped the ship come on this really calls for celebration [Music] they held their meeting of Celebration on the nearest street corner [Music] on behalf of the Indonesian Independence committee I sang Our Indian Brothers for their heroic actions in support of our struggles Indian semen woke up that ship which we're carrying arms to smash a new Republic Indian Brothers we will never forget what you have done for us [Applause] we've informed that we were to repeat a light trip and thank God to burn you but we found ourselves put an adult ship telling arms into Indonesia but we refuse to sell them the Dutch threatened us with a gun but still be refused and now we will not side with a ship this title is our struggle the victories are a victory [Applause] [Music] [Applause] there was no need to introduce the General Secretary of the Waterside workers Federation Jim Healy the principles of the Atlantic Charter were declared by Britain and America and approved of by Russia these principles must be applied in the Pacific and to the Indonesian people these people fought with us during the war against fascism in the Pacific and we people of the Pacific the Chinese the Americans the Russians the Australians the new zealanders the Indians together with the Indonesians will do everything within our power to destroy the efforts of Dutch imperialism Chinese semen have taken the hat around again which brought their contribution to the Indonesian fund up to 1 100 pounds [Applause] friends now there's no butter took the sunset the China must support all the oppressed Nations to gain their independence that is why we Chinese are supporting the Indonesian national movement long live the independence is very much [Applause] [Music] everybody it grew out of the Cherry Indonesia and her allies moving forward the people of five nations who had stuck together they marched toward other battles and Below them under the bridge lay the ships that didn't Sail ships that didn't sail so that a young Republic might live oh [Music] foreign [Music] [Music]