Australian Media Archive

Iran & Mossadegh Articles | Editorials | Humor


The Mossadegh Project     
[Updated October 10, 2024]                                                  


“There is no part of the world, outside our immediate neighborhood, in which Australia has a deeper or more abiding interest than the Middle East.”




“The Middle East today has more significance for Australia than ever before. Hence the movements of mobs in Tehran assume importance in Canberra.”



Compiled, transcribed and introduced by Arash Norouzi



As a member of the British Commonwealth, Australia followed the Iranian oil nationalization saga with keen interest. This 1950’s media archive on Iran features Australian newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, columns, letters, political cartoons and Aussie humor from the Mossadegh era.





Australian Newspapers

The Advertiser

Adelaide, Australia


April 17, 1951 — Persian Crisis

May 17, 1951 — Grave Anxiety Over Persia

June 19, 1951 — Grim Tug-of-War In Persia

June 22, 1951 — Crucial Stage In Persia

June 27, 1951 — The Choice Before Persia

July 31, 1951 — Race Against Time In Persia

August 24, 1951 — Another Failure In Persia

September 13, 1951 — New Turn In Oil Dispute

October 1, 1951 — Tense Days In Persia

October 3, 1951 — On Suicide Bent

October 10, 1951 — Firmness Needed With Egypt

October 15, 1951 — Australia and the Middle East

November 1, 1951 — Scotch and Oil

November 22, 1951 — A Bad Example To Follow

December 11, 1951 — When Nationalism Is Not Enough

May 15, 1952 — No Whipping Boy

July 8, 1952 — Dr. Mossadeq Carries On

July 22, 1952 — Trial of Strength In Persia

August 25, 1952 — Juggler On A Tight Rope

September 17, 1952 — Dealing With Dr. Mossadeq

September 26, 1952 — Dr. Mossadeq’s ‘Last Offer’

March 3, 1953 — Persian Counter-stroke

March 12, 1953 — In Step On Middle East

August 17, 1953 — The Persian Enigma

August 18, 1953 — Self-Determination In Practice

August 21, 1953 — The Revolt In Persia

September 10, 1953 — New Hope In Persia

December 7, 1953 — Persia’s Sad Story

December 22, 1953 — Seeking Agreement On Oil

The Advocate

Northwestern and Western Tasmania, Australia


January 2, 1951 — Persia A Danger Spot

March 13, 1951 — Persian Oil and Nationalism

May 1, 1951 — What Will Happen In Persia

May 3, 1951 — Our Defensive Strength

May 16, 1951 — The Problem Of Persian Oil

July 17, 1951 — Persia More Conciliatory

July 26, 1951 — Persia Will Drive Hard Bargain

September 27, 1951 — Persia Is Adamant

October 5, 1951 — Britain Humiliated

November 23, 1951 — Persian Oil Suggestion

January 11, 1952 — Accord In the Middle East

July 24, 1952 — Hopes Wrecked In Persia

November 25, 1953 — Persia Sees The Light

January 18, 1954 — Dictators Not Happy

Letters to the Editor

April 27, 1953 — Asian Goodwill

December 26, 1953 — Oil In Australia


The Age

Melbourne, Australia


May 17, 1951 — Britain’s Rights & Duties In Persia

June 22, 1951 — Persian Oil Crisis A Serious Threat

October 1, 1951 — Time For Firmness With Persians

October 3, 1951 — British Retreat From Persia

Articles

June 23, 1951 — A Confused Leader: Persia’s Future at the Cross Roads


The Argus

Melbourne, Australia


May 18, 1951 — Flash Point In Persia

June 22, 1951 — Nationalism And Oil

October 2, 1951 — Persia Is Our Problem

August 21, 1953 — End Of A Fuhrer

London Calling by Trevor Williams

December 5, 1953 — Grim Facts on Persia Crisis

Behind the News by Peter Russo

June 5, 1951 — Be wise and help to nationalise!

January 19, 1952 — Political strategy of sobbing or swooning

December 5, 1953 — Wrangle it out on mat


The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia


August 24, 1951 — The Persian Problem

January 21, 1952 — Crime In Egypt

November 25, 1953 — Taking The Wrinkles Out Of The Persian Carpet

The Barrier Daily Truth

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia


October 6, 1951 — Persia

October 29, 1951 — Churchill

December 12, 1951 — Mossadeq’s Mistiming

The Barrier Miner

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia


June 1, 1951 — Russia Lies In Wait

June 19, 1951 — Hoist With Own Petard

June 23, 1951 — Faith Of Nations

July 16, 1951 — Mediation In Persia

July 26, 1951 — Trouble In Persia

August 31, 1951 — Problems For Persians

October 31, 1951 — Churchill In Command

November 16, 1951 — Truman Intervenes

November 19, 1951 — Mossadeq, Failure

November 24, 1951 — Persia Fears Churchill

December 3, 1951 — Dilemma of Persia

December 11, 1951 — Persia Gets New Lesson

February 15, 1952 — Persian Tribes Revolt

The Bulletin

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (weekly newspaper)


July 2, 1952 — Oil for Australia.

The Cairns Post

Cairns, Queensland, Australia


March 26, 1951 — Crisis In Persia

July 19, 1951 — U.S. Interest In Persia

September 1, 1951 — Fishing In Troubled Waters

October 3, 1951 — Persian Developments

October 9, 1951 — Serious Fuel Loss.

December 14, 1951 — Persia Reaping Whirlwind

September 12, 1953 — Persia and the West

November 6, 1953 — Overtures To Persia

Correspondence

October 17, 1951 — World Government


The Canberra Times

Canberra, Australia


August 21, 1953 — The Persian Coup

The Courier-Mail

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


October 15, 1951 — Our Stake In Egypt

July 24, 1952 — Has Persia Won?

August 18, 1953 — Persia’s Master

July 21, 1954 — Persia’s Lesson

The Daily Examiner

Grafton, New South Wales, Australia


October 1, 1951 — British Politics And Persia

October 20, 1951 — Firmness In Egypt

January 10, 1952 — The Road To Ruin

January 12, 1952 — Oil For The West

July 25, 1952 — Middle East Holocaust

September 2, 1952 — Grim Turn In Oil Dispute

October 18, 1952 — Mossadeq’s Mission

August 27, 1953 — Persian Position Much Brighter

The Daily Mercury

Mackay, Queensland, Australia


October 2, 1951 — Dangerous Oil

August 19, 1953 — The New Dictator

The Daily News

Perth, Australia


May 23, 1951 — The Nervous System

The Daily Telegraph and Daily News

Sydney, Australia


October 9, 1951 — Britain Played Her Trump Cards Very Badly

December 12, 1951 — U.K. Entitled To Pay-off For Persia’s Grab

The Geraldton Guardian

Geraldton, Western Australia


July 14, 1951 — The Persian Dispute

September 1, 1951 — Persian Oil

The Goulburn Evening Post

Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia


May 23, 1951 — Mossadeq’s Dream

June 22, 1951 — Persian Oil Blaze

June 29, 1951 — Situation In Persia

October 1, 1951 — Will the Evil Be Removed?

November 20, 1951 — What’s Next In Persia?

April 1, 1952 — A Little, But Not Enough

Illawarra Daily Mercury

Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia


July 31, 1952 — Tense Days In the Middle East

The Kalgoorlie Miner

Kalgoorlie, Australia


March 20, 1951 — Grave Setback To Persia’s Progress

April 19, 1951 — Persian Oilfields Situation

June 7, 1951 — Persian Crisis Easier?

September 1, 1951 — Persian Oil Outlook

October 27, 1951 — Persian Oil Developments

November 6, 1951 — Egypt’s Bluff Called

July 9, 1952 — Mossadeq’s Political Triumph

August 19, 1953 — The Unquenchable Mossadeq

The Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder

Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia


May 16, 1952 — Persian Oil

The Launceton Examiner

Launceton, Tasmania, Australia


June 25, 1951 — Persian Crisis

August 24, 1951 — Need For Backbone

September 19, 1951 — Persian Tactics

October 9, 1951 — Persia and Politics

October 10, 1951 — Another Blow

October 17, 1951 — International Anxiety

October 22, 1951 — British Elections

December 11, 1951 — Persian Oil

December 14, 1951 — National Dilemmas

August 15, 1952 — Schemes and Plans

August 11, 1953 — Russia-Persia

August 21, 1953 — Who Will Shape Peace?

August 24, 1953 — Persia and Oil

November 25, 1953 — Persia and the West

The Maritime Journal

Sydney, New South Australia (supplement to The Daily Commercial News and Shipping List)


November 1953 — Middle East Oil Problems

The Maryborough Chronicle

Maryborough, Queensland, Australia


August 31, 1951 — Persia Could Be Much More Reasonable

July 25, 1952 — Significant Turn In Persian Political Scene

The Mercury

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia


May 2, 1951 – Persian Oil Is Vital

May 18, 1951 – Crisis Developing In Persia

May 24, 1951 – Persia Courts Disaster

May 28, 1951 – Persian Oil Dispute

June 8, 1951 – Persia’s Oil Problem

June 21, 1951 – Storm Looms In Persia

June 29, 1951 – Persia Seeks Mediation

July 11, 1951 – Oil Dispute Drags On

July 25, 1951 – Obstinacy On Oil

August 6, 1951 – Persian Oil Dispute

August 27, 1951 – Crisis Looms In Persia

September 7, 1951 – Persia Feels the Pinch

September 28, 1951 — Time To Draw A Line

October 1, 1951 — Persian Oil Crisis

October 4, 1951 — Retreat From Persia

October 10, 1951 — Egypt Talks Big

October 17, 1951 — Middle East Crisis

November 21, 1951 — Britain’s Foreign Policy

December 6, 1951 – Egypt’s Dilemma

December 11, 1951 – Persia Nears 11th Hour

March 18, 1952 – From Bad To Worse

July 1, 1952 — Persia Reaping the Harvest

August 6, 1952 — Persian Time Bomb

August 29, 1952 – Trying Again In Persia

September 2, 1952 – Persian Blackmail

September 19, 1952 – Persia Plays With Fire

September 29, 1952 – Persia Imposes Terms

October 7, 1952 – Mossadeq Rebuffed

October 21, 1952 – Persia’s Last Throw

March 4, 1953 — Mossadeq Still In Saddle

April 17, 1953 — Problems Of the Middle East

August 12, 1953 — Red Grip Closing On Persia

August 24, 1953 — Persia Awaits Reform

December 7, 1953 — Realism In Persia

July 20, 1954 — Oil To Flow Again

August 9, 1954 — Persia Gets New Start

November 1, 1954 — Oil From Persia

Features

Paradoxical Mossadeq Won Over Persians (Philip Toynbee)


The Morning Bulletin

Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia


June 7, 1951 — Anglo-Persian Oil

October 5, 1951 — Abadan Evacuation

October 9, 1951 — Spanish Affairs

Columns

TOPICS OF THE DAY | Iran excerpts, 1951-1953


The Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative

Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia


June 28, 1951 — Inconsistency of Britain

The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate

Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia


May 5, 1951 — Bleak Outlook In Persia

October 4, 1951 — Retreat From Persia

October 12, 1951 — Initiative Now With Persia

December 11, 1951 — Persian Dilemma

July 29, 1952 — Persia’s Future

August 6, 1952 — A Place For The Shah

August 23, 1952 — Dilemma Over Persia

September 2, 1952 — The Shadow For The Substance

January 7, 1953 — Unsolved Dispute With Persia

Letters to the Editor

May 5, 1951 — Persian Oilfields

May 9, 1951 — Persian Oil


The News

Adelaide, Australia


June 27, 1951 — Persia Now Has Its Problem

September 28, 1951 — Crisis Looms In Persia

March 18, 1952 — Persia Is the Real Loser

August 23, 1952 — In the Grip of Fanatic’s Vice

September 1, 1952 — Mad Juggler of Persia

October 23, 1952 — On the Road to Chaos

March 2, 1953 — Turmoil In Persia

August 19, 1953 — Middle East Setback

August 21, 1953 — The Volcano of Persia

Columns

The Odd Spot (Iran excerpts, 1951-1953)


The Northern Star

Lismore, New South Wales, Australia


May 22, 1951 — Russia Exploits Danger In Persia

September 29, 1951 — Britain Cannot Afford More Concessions

August 18, 1952 — Communist Bogey as Bargaining Weapon

October 24, 1952 — What Will Persia Do Next?

August 24, 1953 — Chance For West in Persian Upheaval

The Queensland Times

Ipswich, Queensland, Australia


May 17, 1951 — Dangers In Persia

November 27, 1951 — Dr. Mossadeq’s Problems

The Recorder

Port Pirie, Australia


September 14, 1951 — Persia—Pushing Or Being Pushed?

September 3, 1952 — Will Dr. Mossadeq Budge In Time?

August 24, 1953 — Showdown In Persia

The Singleton Argus

Sydney, Australia


May 15, 1953 — Twisting the Lion’s Tale

The South Coast Bulletin

Southport, Queensland, Australia


November 18, 1953 — Mossadeq

The Sun News-Pictorial

Melbourne, Australia


December 10, 1932 — Australia’s Interest In Persia’s Oil

May 17, 1951 — Oil and Chaos

June 21, 1951 — Crisis In Persia

October 1, 1951 — Persian Peril

October 3, 1951 — Persia Scuttle

October 10, 1951 — Now It Is Egypt!

October 13, 1951 — Time For Strength

January 14, 1952 — West Looks East

January 19, 1952 — Stake In Unity

August 21, 1953 — Persian Coup Favors West

The Sunday Times

Perth, Western Australia

Columns

As I See It by Vee Cee (Iran commentary, 1951-1953)

Richard Murray (Iran quips, 1951-1954)


Oct. 7, 1951 political cartoon in The Sydney Morning Herald


The Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney, Australia


April 30, 1951 — Forcing The Pace On Persian Oil

May 16, 1951 — Britain Must Act Firmly On Persian Oil

May 28, 1951 — Britain Must Protect Her Rights In Persia

June 5, 1951 — Persia Cannot Dictate Oil Settlement Terms

June 23, 1951 — The Persian Crisis And Middle East Defense

June 28, 1951 — The Road To Disaster In Persia

July 7, 1951 — Firmness Need In Oil Crisis

July 17, 1951 — Persia Is Playing Into Communist Hands

August 24, 1951 — Persian Oil Supply Must Be Maintained

September 11, 1951 — Persia Faces Unpleasant Realities

October 1, 1951 — Eleventh-Hour Resort To U.N. In Oil Crisis

October 4, 1951 — Abadan and Mr. Bevan As U.K. Election Issues

October 31, 1951 — Eden’s Task In The Oil Deadlock

December 29, 1951 — Mussadiq Digs In His Toes

May 15, 1952 — Persia Faces Hard Realities

May 18, 1952 — Dr. Mussadiq Spurns A Lifeline

May 29, 1952 — Some Signs Of Sanity In Persia

July 21, 1952 — Persia Stands At The Crossroads

September 19, 1952 — Deadlock Continues In Persia

October 20, 1952 — West Must Resist Oil Blackmail

August 18, 1953 — Dr. Mussadiq Plays Into Communist Hands

September 7, 1953 — Western Interest Lies In Aiding Persia

November 3, 1953 — Persia Looks To The West

November 14, 1953 — Fighting Words

December 7, 1953 — Politics And Oil in Persia

July 21, 1954 — Hopeful Signs In Two Danger Areas

Features

October 4, 1951 | Loss of Abadan Is Big Blow To Britain


Candid Comment By Onlooker

Candid Comment | The Sunday Herald | 1950’s Iran excerpts

Rubaiyat Revised | The Sunday Herald (May 20, 1951)


Letters to the Editor

October 8, 1951 — Abadan And Australia


Alan Eyre, Jr. cartoon in The Sydney Morning Herald (Oct. 1951)

The Townsville Daily Bulletin

Townsville, Queensland, Australia


May 23, 1951 — Mediation Could Still Be Employed To Settle Anglo-Persian Oil Crisis

June 1, 1951 — Persian Patchwork

October 18, 1952 — Persia Likely To Rue Severing Relations With United Kingdom

TRIBUNE

Sydney, Australia (Weekly newspaper)


August 26, 1953 — US hand in Iran and Morocco

October 28, 1953 — Terror In Persia

The Uralla Times

Uralla, New South Wales, Australia


Columns

Quips and Quizzes | (Iran quips, 1951-1954)


An Australian newspaper’s bizarre plagiarism of Mossadegh column (Jan. 1952)
An Australian paper’s bizarre plagiarism of Mossadegh column


The Voice

Hobart Tasmania, Australia (weekly)


December 6, 1952 — World Haggling

The Warwick Daily News

Warwick, Queensland, Australia


December 15, 1951 — How To Win An Election

January 26, 1952 — The Importance of Being Tearful

August 1, 1952 — Military Coups

December 12, 1953 — On Athletism

March 23, 1954 — Persia Counts Cost

The Weekly Times

Melbourne, Australia


September 2, 1953 — No Tears For Tearful Mossadeq

The West Australian

Perth, Australia


June 5, 1951 — Less Hurry In Persia

August 28, 1951 — Persian Oil

September 29, 1951 — The Persian Threat

October 3, 1951 — Out of Abadan

July 22, 1952 — Change In Persia

August 30, 1952 — Persia And The Oil

October 10, 1952 — Persian Oil

August 21, 1953 — Somersault In Persia

August 25, 1953 — Persian Reform

December 8, 1953 — Britain and Persia

February 11, 1954 — Persian Oil

April 13, 1954 — Persian Oil

July 21, 1954 — Persian Oil

The World’s News

Melbourne, Australia


December 12, 1953 — Shah Makes It Hot For His Prisoners




Wire Services

Australian Associated Press (AAP)

Melbourne, Australia (Wire News Service)


August 27, 1951 — Press Attack on Mossadeq

Australian Magazines

Signs of the Times

Melbourne, Australia (Magazine)


November 12, 1951 — Government By Assassination

Syndicated Columns

As I See It by Douglas Wilkie

May 16, 1951 — “If British paratroops move into Persia...”

October 21, 1952 — “Some oil experts are playing with a fascinating possibility.”

As the Earth Turns

July 19, 1951 — The Desperate Situation In Persia

August 29, 1952 — The Miseries of Mossadeq

September 3, 1953 — Reflections on the Persian Coup

August 19, 1954 — The Persian Oil Agreement


Oil Discovered In Western Australia’s Exmouth Gulf (1953)
Oil Discovered In Western Australia's Exmouth Gulf 'Rough Range' (1953)

Search MohammadMossadegh.com



Related links:

United States of America | media archive

President Harry Truman | media and editorial archive

“Australia is vitally interested in Persia” (1951 House debates)



MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”

Facebook  Twitter  YouTube  Tumblr   Instagram