This collection of official documents from the National Archives of Australia and Australian War Memorial will show the events unfolding on the Assyrian issue during the years 1914–1947. The Assyrian question is an obscure and even unknown event for many people of the western world. These documents will highlight the Assyrian issue from an Australian and international perspective.

During the period 1914–1947, Great Britain was responsible for the foreign policy of its Empire which included its Dominions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa) and Colonies. Australia was responsible for its own internal affairs with the Colonial Office (later the Dominions Office) in London providing information on Imperial foreign policy. This information was channeled through Governor General’s Office who, in turn, forwarded it to the Prime Minister's Department. After 1919, Australia exhibited a more ‘independent’ foreign policy within a British Imperial framework.

Although Australia did not have any direct political or economic links with the Middle East, her troops played an important part in the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. Assyrians in Australia rejoiced with the news of the Allied victory in the Middle East.

Australian diplomats at the League of Nations in Geneva and Australian High Commission in London kept their government informed on events unfolding in Iraq and also on the fate of the Assyrians. Their dispatches helped to shape Australian attitudes towards this volatile region during the inter-war years and beyond.