Last updated: March 28, 2015


National Breaking News

WWI cables lost in translation

a handwritten note sent in cipher R from the GG Ronald Munro Ferguson

Cables from Britain warning Australia to prepare for war in 1914 went unheeded for several days . Source: AAP

CABLES from Britain warning Australia to prepare for war in 1914 went unheeded for several days while the prime minister and many cabinet ministers were on the campaign trail.

DOCUMENTS held by the National Archives of Australia reveal both the government and opposition were campaigning ahead of the federal election in the days leading up to Britain declaring war on Germany on August 4, 1914.

That declaration of war is considered to mark the beginning of World War I.

NAA curator Anne-Marie Conde says when the first encrypted cable arrived from Britain on July 30, advising Australia to prepare military and naval forces, it was misinterpreted as a routine message.

Defence Minister Edward Millen did not immediately realise the importance of the cable and when it did become clear, he chose to contact Prime Minister Joseph Cook before taking any action.

But Mr Cook, who was in rural Victoria at the time, did not understand the message from his minister because he did not have the correct cable cypher with him.

It was only when he returned to Melbourne on August 2 that he learnt Australia's military forces were preparing for war, Ms Conde said.

"The Australian government couldn't declare war - it had no constitutional right to do that," she told AAP.

"If Britain was at war, that meant Australia was at war and couldn't refuse to join.

"The British government was hoping at the last minute that war wouldn't break out, so Australia was very tense. It's a really strange but really fascinating story."

Ms Conde said Governor-General Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson received the news that Britain had declared war on Germany at noon on August 5, local time.

He immediately alerted the prime minister, who announced the news to the Australian press within half an hour.