Years of crisis followed the attack in 2001 on the Twin Towers in New York and major terrorist activity in London, Bali, Paris, Moscow, Iraq and Syria. The powers of ASIO and Border Protection were steadily increased to detect and prevent any terrorist activity in Australia. Political instability in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka all affected areas with which many Australians were familiar, either as immigrants or tourists. The Bali tourist deaths of 2002 were the largest loss of Australian life through terrorism in 15 years. Nothing comparable has struck Australia itself. The Australian dilemma is living securely and comfortably among dangerous regional neighbours about whom they know little. Australian terror attacks have been very rare and committed by individuals, usually young, locally born and mentally deranged. Three were shot.

Australian troops were engaged in Afghanistan, a country that has never been conquered. Yugoslav immigrants watched the breakup of their Titoist state and the resulting chaos and ethnic cleansing. Arab and Egyptian Christians were conscious of the likely impact of the ‘Arab Spring’, unlike Western observers. However, the majority of Australians only slowly came to grips with the long-term prospects these disparate events might have on their secure, comfortable and prosperous lives. There was more concern, but limited progress, in Indigenous advance and wellbeing, which few knew much about.

A limited media, based mainly in the ABC, SBS and even the Australian, kept those informed who wanted to be. However, there was plenty of information, public and secret, for the élite who studied population and immigration policy as well as defence, security and foreign trade. Public servants, military officers, public intellectuals, business executives and even a few politicians were very interested in the rise of China, the nuclear aims of North Korea and Iran, the movement of manufacturing industry to Asia (causing local unemployment), and the need to protect the Australian economy from international crises. One of the benefits of multiculturalism was the growing number of educated and expert immigrants from Asia who understood these issues and had relevant overseas connections. These skilled international settlers were not usually consulted by locally born Australians, of whom few are familiar with Asian languages or cultures. Schools and universities moved rather slowly towards the changing world. Arabic, the fourth language of Australia, was hardly taught at all and most of those studying Chinese were Chinese.