"Curtin knew nothing about military matters and most of his ministers knew even less.."

Strategy and Command in Australia’s New Guinea Campaigns - awm.gov.au (Symposium paper)

Curtin knew nothing about military matters and most of his ministers knew even less –they were suspicious and mistrustful of the Australian military.
Over the years, successive Australian governments have had to grapple with the fact that the main threat to Australian security has come from or though the archipelago to the north. These threats have been handled in many ways: by deploying forces (usually as part of a coalition force); by cooperation with our neighbours; by establishing alliances; by withdrawing into fortress Australia; by cultivating friendships; by lending a helping hand; and by maintaining surveillance. In all this, Australia has learnt to put its own interests uppermost. But the time when Australia learned its most important lessons about strategy was during the New Guinea campaigns.