The Shedden Papers are a collection of research papers by students undertaking the Defence and Strategic Studies course (DSSC).

The student papers are submitted as coursework and are chosen for publication based on their scholarly attributes and the timeliness of their topic.

Background

The Shedden Papers are named after Sir Frederick Shedden KCMG OBE, who was the Secretary of the Department of Defence from 1937 to 1956, and served in the Second World War, the onset of the Cold War and Australia’s commitment to the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency.

The Shedden Papers were previously published from 2008-2013. The paper series was renamed the Indo-Pacific Papers/Digest in 2015 and produced under that name until 2017. The Shedden Papers were reinvigorated in 2025.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this publication are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Australian Government or Defence.

While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication, the Commonwealth of Australia and the author disclaim all liability howsoever caused arising from the use of, or reliance on, this publication. By accessing this publication users are deemed to have consented to this condition and agree that this publication is used entirely at their own risk.

Copyright

© Commonwealth of Australia 2026

This publication – excluding the Defence logo, Australian Defence College crest and images – is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international licence. All images in this publication are copyright Commonwealth of Australia. Full terms and conditions of use are available through the Defence Image Library. Any reproduction of material in this publication must be attributed to its source.