User:MargaretRDonald/sandbox/DORCA

DORCA, the Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs was a mysterious and difficult to categorise think tank and possibly intelligence organisation within the Australian Army in WWII.

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 (ASOPA).

DORCA has been described as mysterious, odd ball, bohemian and as difficult if not impossible to categorise, having clearly involved at least in some sense in intelligence work. That it morphed into Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA) after the war gives no real insight into its wartime activities. However, it grew from the knowledge that the result of war in the Pacific would be "chaos", and a recognition of the need to rebuild and set up administrations in territories won back from the Japanese. Hence, from its earliest days as a brainchild, it recognised the need to use anthropologists, sociologists, and to train administrators, establish a rule of law. Hence, the interesting list of alumni and their distinguished post-war careers, with the exception of Alfred Conlon's who never served his country again in such an important way, having made important enemies, who were eager to minimise his contribution

"Alumni"

 * Commander Alf Conlon
 * 2IC John Kerr (18th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia)
 * James McAuley
 * Harold Stewart
 * James Plimsoll (a Governor of Tasmania)
 * Peter Ryan
 * Bill Stanner (anthropologist)
 * Camilla Wedgwood (anthropologist)
 * Ida Leeson (Mitchell Librarian)
 * Colonel J.K. Murray
 * Julius Stone
 * Ian Hogbin