The Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs (DORCA) was a mysterious and difficult-to-categorise think tank and possibly intelligence organisation within the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

during World War II. Set up and headed by the charismatic Alf Conlon, the Directorate's alumni had a huge influence over Australia and the Pacific region post-WWII, especially through the

Australian School of Pacific Administration The Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA) was a tertiary institution established by the Australian Government to train administrators and later school teachers to work in Papua New Guinea. It became the International Training Insti ...

(ASOPA). DORCA has been described as mysterious, odd ball,

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

. It is difficult, if not impossible to categorise, having clearly involved at least in some sense in intelligence work. That it morphed into ASOPA after the war gives no real insight into its wartime activities. When formed in February 1943, the Directorate was made part of Military Intelligence, with Conlon reporting directly to General Blamey, commander-in-chief of the Australian Military Forces.Pybus, Cassandra 2012
''Conlon’s Remarkable Circus''
in Some of the work achieved during its short, wartime life included: making good the shortfall of no adequate military maps for the Northern Territory; finding substitute sources for

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cr ...

when Australia’s quinine suppliers came under Japanese control; preparing reports on Army health and nutrition, battlefield terrain, dietary standards for Papuan carriers and trends in international relations., but its most important role was in developing policy advice on the post-war governance of Pacific territories after the anticipated allied victory.Sligo, Graeme. 2012. ''The Backroom Boys: Conlon and Army's Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs, 1942–46'', Big Sky Publishing. Conlon gave himself a broad policy canvas, which included anticipating and providing for PNG’s independence. "Work of enduring value was performed."Jackson, K
The ASOPA Archives
Australian School of Pacific Administration) However, DORCA's planning for post-war Borneo was duplicated and in conflict with other Australian War cabinet plans. The wartime involvement of DORCA in training people to be administrators in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

led directly to the advocacy for, and creation of, the

(ASOPA) with John Kerr (Conlon's 2IC at DORCA) becoming its principal.

Alumni

* Commander Alf Conlon * 2IC John Kerr (later, 18th Governor-General of Australia) *

James McAuley James Phillip McAuley (12 October 1917 – 15 October 1976) was an Australian academic, poet, journalist, literary critic and a prominent convert to Roman Catholicism. He was involved in the Ern Malley poetry hoax. Life and career McAuley wa ...

Harold Stewart Harold Frederick Stewart (14 December 19167 August 1995) was an Australian poet and oriental scholar. He is chiefly remembered alongside fellow poet James McAuley as a co-creator of the Ern Malley literary hoax. Stewart's work has been asso ...

James Plimsoll Sir James Plimsoll, (25 April 1917 – 8 May 1987) was an Australian diplomat and public servant. He served variously as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1959–1963), High Commissioner to India (1963–1965), Secretary of the De ...

(later, a Governor of Tasmania) * Peter Ryan *

Bill Stanner William Edward Hanley Stanner Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (24 November 19058 October 1981), often cited as W.E.H. Stanner, was an Australian anthropology, anthropologist who worked extensively with Indigenous Australi ...

(anthropologist) commander North Australia Observer Unit *

Camilla Wedgwood Camilla Hildegarde Wedgwood (25 March 1901 – 17 May 1955) was a British anthropologist and academic administrator. She is best known for her research in the Pacific and her pioneering role as one of the British Commonwealth's first female an ...

(anthropologist) *

Ida Leeson Ida Emily Leeson (11 February 1885 – 22 January 1964) was the Mitchell Librarian at the State Library of New South Wales from December 1932 – April 1946. She was the first woman to achieve a senior management position in an Australian ...

( Mitchell Librarian) * Colonel J. K. Murray (Professor of Agriculture, University of Queensland 1927–1945, Administrator of Papua and New Guinea 1945–52) * Professor

Julius Stone Julius Stone (7 July 1907 – 1985) was Challis Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Sydney from 1942 to 1972, and thereafter a visiting Professor of Law at the University of New South Wales and concurrently Dist ...

, chair of international law and jurisprudence at Sydney *

Ian Hogbin Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...

(anthropologist)

References

* *{{cite book , last=Long , first=Gavin , title=The Final Campaigns , url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070206/, series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army, volume=VII, year=1963 , publisher=Australian War Memorial , location=Canberra, oclc=1297619 Australian Army