▁How e ' s ▁visit , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁agreement ▁on ▁nuclear ▁co operation , ▁her ald ed ▁a ▁slow ▁but ▁steady ▁stream ▁of ▁Canadian ▁visitors ▁that ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁when ▁John ▁Die fen b aker ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Canadian ▁prime ▁minister ▁to ▁visit ▁Australia . ▁A ▁good ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁visitors ▁were ▁struck ▁by ▁Australia ' s ▁potential ▁as ▁a ▁market ▁for ▁Canadian ▁products . ▁Canadian ▁exports ▁had ▁remained ▁st agn ant ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁const rained ▁by ▁the ▁import ▁restrictions ▁that ▁Australia ▁im posed ▁to ▁protect ▁ster ling ' s ▁weak ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁position . ▁This ▁hi atus ▁gave ▁the ▁bo oming ▁Australian ▁economy ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁red ress ▁its ▁perpet ual ▁trade ▁def ic it ▁with ▁Canada ▁and ▁exports ▁to ▁Canada ▁double d ▁during ▁the ▁de cade . 3 8 ▁As ▁Australia ▁gradually ▁liberal ized ▁its ▁import ▁reg ulations ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁grounds ▁to ▁hope ▁that ▁the ▁warm ▁political ▁partners hip ▁might ▁secure ▁prefer ential ▁access ▁for ▁Canad ians ▁to ▁this ▁strong ▁economy . ▁After ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁discuss ions , ▁which ▁were ▁complicated ▁by ▁Canadian ▁efforts ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁da iry ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁indust ries , ▁a ▁new ▁trade ▁agreement ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁substant ive ▁prov isions ▁found ▁in ▁its ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁prede cess or , ▁came ▁into ▁effect ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 6