Strategy Amidst Indifference Australia and the Indian Ocean Islands, 1803 to 2025

Introduction                                                                                                         

1.   Before and after Federation                                                                     

 2 .  Imperial slicing and dicing and postcolonial consequences                                                                                                                                     

3.   The French continuance                                                                                                

4.  The special case of Australia in Madagascar                     

5.   Persisting indifference and its intelligence legacy                    

6.   Neutralism, regionalism and transnational issues                                                                                                                                      

7.   Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean:  circling powers and foreign strategy                                                                                             

8.   The Australian islands                                                                                        

9.  Australian disconnections, risk and prospects                                                                                                                                                

Biography

Ashton Robinson is a Visiting Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in the Coral Bell School at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia.

"Ashton Robinson's Strategy Amidst Indifference is a groundbreaking and timely work that focuses attention onto a surprising Australian blind spot - the southern Indian Ocean. This rigorously researched and eloquently written work sheds light on an important yet underappreciated part of Australia's neighbourhood. Robinson starts by exploring Australia's approach to the region in its historical and political context. Robinson unpacks the history of Australia's persistent indifference to the southern Indian Ocean and flags the consequences. Along the way, he examines the French continuance, neutralism, regionalism and transnational issues. The bottom line, he argues, is that in an era of heightened connectivity and great power competition, indifference is unsustainable and inaction can be expected to generate negative consequences for Australia. I highly recommend it for Australian policy makers, strategists and those interested in understanding more about Australia's place in the broader Indo-Pacific."

Professor John Blaxland, Colonel (Ret’d), BA (Hons), MA, PhD, psc (RT), SFHEA, FRSN, FAIIA, MSM (USA)

| Director ANU North America Liaison Office, Washington DC

| Professor of International Security & Intelligence Studies | Strategic and Defence Studies Centre

| Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs | Australian National University