Australia and Indonesia's struggle for independence
Australia, and Indonesia's struggle for independence
Sir Richard Kirby presides at the signing of the Renville Agreement on board USS Renville, 17 January 1948.
On 17 August 1945, Indonesia's nationalist leaders, Sukarno and Mohammed Hatta, proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
However, it took more than four years of diplomatic negotiation and at times bitter fighting before the Indonesian Republic finally gained its independence from the Netherlands on 27 December 1949 when sovereignty was transferred to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia.
On the same day, the Australian Government recognised the new State, helping bring to fruition one of the first successes of the United Nations and of regional diplomacy: an end to the fighting in the Indonesian archipelago and the bringing into being of a new and great member of the world community.
Find out more about Australia’s involvement in Indonesia’s struggle for independence.
