Conclusion: The Reckoning

The concluding chapter summarises Australian journalism’s engagement with the Holocaust. Despite reporting constraints and the suggestions of disbelief or denial of the stories that emerged from Europe, some Australian news organisations provided comprehensive and ongoing coverage of the Holocaust. Yet, Australia’s response to Jewish suffering was always qualified and its welcome to Jewish refugees far from absolute. This closing chapter confirms these points by discussing the coverage of the political response to suspected Nazi criminals and sympathisers who evaded justice after World War Two and found sanctuary in Australia. After a 20-year amnesty, the Jewish community and a ground-breaking radio broadcast galvanised political action and prompted an investigation of over 800 cases of alleged Nazi war criminals who had emigrated to Australia. Ultimately, Australia’s will to prosecute these remnants of Nazi criminality was not merely belated, but weak and ineffective. The chapter further reflects on the rise of race-based violence driven by the ideology of white supremacy, and the resurgence of antisemitic crimes in Australia, Europe and the United States.