According to David Bird , whose book '' The Tame Tasmanian '' examined the Lyons Government 's foreign policy , there was a growing realisation in the 1930s that Australian interests would not be aligned with British interests in all cases . In order to differentiate the two , Lyons authorised three " Pacific initiatives " . The first was the Australian Eastern Mission of 1934 led by Deputy Prime Minister John Latham , which visited seven Asian countries . The second was the 1935 appointment of Australian government representatives in China , the Dutch East Indies , Japan , and United States – albeit below the rank of ambassador – where previously Australia 's interests had been represented solely by British officials . The third was Lyons ' " Pacific Pact " proposal , which envisioned a non-aggression pact between the major powers in the Pacific . Although he championed the pact at the 1937 Imperial Conference , discussions failed to progress . In Bird 's opinion , " the Lyons years should thus be seen as a part of the evolution of Australian external policy from dependency towards autonomy … it is perhaps the continuation and acceleration of the process of transition for which Lyons as Prime Minister ought to be best remembered "
1937 Imperial Conference
1937 Imperial Conference
Joseph Lyons