The fear of Japanese espionage in wartime Australia

About this episode

The episode discusses Japanese espionage in Australia before Pearl Harbour with guest Nick Hordern.

In the years before Pearl Harbour, Australian authorities were convinced that members of the Japanese diplomatic and business community were spying, and that some of their Australian associates were helping them. But how much espionage and theft of secrets really occurred? Guest: Nick Hordern, author, former diplomat and policy advisor with the Australian Government, and former senior journalist with the Australian Financial Review. New book ‘Loyalty: Australians, Japanese and Espionage, on the eve of the Pacific War’ (Australian Scholarly Publishing) Producer: Ann Arnold

People in this episode

Guest: Nick Hordern

Topics covered

• espionage
• Australia
• Japan
• diplomacy
• World War II
• history

Keywords

• Japanese espionage
• Australia
• Pearl Harbour
• diplomatic community
• Nick Hordern

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australian Government, Australian Financial Review, Australian Scholarly Publishing

Books & works: Loyalty: Australians, Japanese and Espionage, on the eve of the Pacific War

More episodes of Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

• Why do we fixate on the human face? · June 11, 2026 · 26 min
• Madam War Criminal: 'Serbia's Iron lady' unrepentant at 95 · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
• Soweto: the uprising that changed South Africa · June 10, 2026 · 25 min
• The campaign to save PNG's Sepik river from an Australian mining company · June 10, 2026 · 26 min
• Ian Dunt's UK: Henry Nowak's murder sparks immigration backlash · June 9, 2026 · 14 min
• Will Switzerland vote to cap its population? · June 9, 2026 · 15 min