France and Australia in the Imperial Globalisation Process (Nineteenth–Twentieth Centuries): Tracing French-Australian Trade Relations through the Holdings of the French National Archives

Historically, the central role of trade in French-Australian relations has made it a key source of reporting by French diplomats and other agents based in Australia. Identifying documentary resources on this topic within the French National Archives is, however, a challenge as they are dispersed among various collections. This article provides some insights into these resources, and their location, focusing on consular correspondence and reports preserved in the holdings of central administrative bodies in France. The data and observations they contain regarding Australia’s economic position, market shifts and political circumstances bear witness to the complexities of French-Australian trade relations and thus constitute an important resource for historians. The particular case of the archives resulting from World War I will be examined.