Fact sheet 243 – The fall of Saigon, 1975

Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell on 30 April 1975 when forces of the North Vietnamese Army invaded the city and captured the presidential palace. This ended a campaign begun in January that saw the North Vietnamese Army overrun the central highlands of South Vietnam and then the coastal cities of Hue (where Australian journalist Peter Whitlock was detained), Da Nang and Qui Nhon.

Australia’s military commitment to the Vietnam War – in which over 46,000 personnel saw service – ended with the withdrawal of all combat forces by December 1971. By 1975 the only Australian government presence in Vietnam was diplomatic.

By March 1975 the concern was for the safety of Australians in Vietnam (such as journalists) and those Vietnamese who might be at risk under the new regime. The plight of Vietnamese infants came to particular attention and on 4 and 17 April, RAAF flights evacuated some 270 of them to Bangkok (for transfer to Australia by Qantas) as part of ‘Operation Babylift’. Arrangements were also made to assist adult Vietnamese in fear of the new government, including over 400 who were students in Australia. The last Australians from the Australian Embassy in Saigon – including Ambassador Geoffrey Price – were evacuated by the RAAF on 25 April 1975.

Records relating to the fall of Saigon

A selection of records relating to the fall of Saigon held by the National Archives is listed below. Unless otherwise indicated records are held in Canberra.
Records of the Department of Foreign Affairs (CA 1382)
ItemSouth Vietnam – political – general1971–81A1838, TS3014/2/1 part 15A 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance1971–75A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 1 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance1971–75A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 2 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance1971–75A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 3 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Vietnamese orphans – assistance1971–75A1838, 3014/10/15/6 part 4 
ItemNorth Vietnam – political – general1971–75A1838, 3020/2/1 part 24 
ItemSouth Vietnam – foreign representation1972–75A1838, 3014/8/2B 
ItemPolicy towards countries – South Vietnam1973–75A1838, 2020/2/14 part 11 
ItemSouth Vietnam – proposals for international conference1973–75A1838, 3014/9/7/1 part 2 
ItemSouth Vietnam – relations with Australia1973–76A1838, 3014/10/1 part 26 
ItemSouth Vietnam – relations with Australia1973–76A1838, 3014/10/1 part 27 
ItemVietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic1973–75A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 1 
ItemVietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic1973–75A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 2 
ItemVietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic1973–75A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 3 
ItemVietnam – foreign representation – diplomatic1973–75A1838, 3015/10/11/1 part 4 
ItemAustralian representation abroad – Democratic Republic of Vietnam – Wilson, David – Ambassador1974–76A1838, 1500/2/93/3 
ItemSouth Vietnam – resettlement of refugees1974–75A1838, 3014/2/8 part 5 
ItemNorth Vietnam – foreign policy – the war1974–75A1838, 3020/7/1/1 part 8 
ItemNorth Vietnam – relations with Australia – general1974–75A1838, 3020/10/1 part 6 
ItemPost liaison – Crisis Task Force – Vietnam orphans – second uplift1975A1838, 626/2/9/2/2 part 1 
ItemPost liaison – Crisis Task Force – Vietnam orphans – second uplift1975A1838, 626/2/9/2/2 part 2 
ItemAsian political subjects of UN concern – North Vietnam1975A1838, 915/7/1A part 2 
ItemLegal enquiries – Australian legislation – airlifts of orphans from Vietnam1975–79A1838, 1490/5/94 part 3 
ItemDiplomatic representatives in Australia – Republic of Vietnam – closure of embassy in Canberra1975–76A1838, 1500/1/65/17 part 1 
ItemAustralian immigration policy and relations with other countries – South Vietnam political refugees – general1975A1838, 1634/70/2 part 2 
ItemIndo-Chinese refugees – policies and programs – staff at Republic of Vietnam embassies1975A1838, 1634/75/16 part 1 
ItemSouth Vietnam – relations with North Vietnam – military developments1975–76A1838, 3006/8/1 part 30 
ItemSouth Vietnam – political – general1975A1838, 3014/2/1 part 77 
ItemSouth Vietnam – political – general1975A1838, 3014/2/1 part 79 
ItemSouth Vietnam – political – military situation1975A1838, 3014/2/7 part 40 
ItemSouth Vietnam – political – military situation1975A1838, 3014/2/7 part 41 
ItemAustralian representation in South Vietnam1975A1838, 3014/10/6 part 10 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Australian representation – evacuation of Australian personnel1975A1838, 3014/10/6/1 part 2 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees1975A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 2 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees1975A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 4 
ItemSouth Vietnam – Australian aid – political refugees1975A1838, 3014/10/15/4 part 10 
ItemRepublic of South Vietnam – Vietnamese refugees1975A1838, 3015/7/3 part 1 
ItemVietnam – relations with Australia – Provisional Revolutionary Government – general1975A1838, 3015/10/1 part 7 
ItemProvisional Revolutionary Government – Vietnam – relations with Australia – general1975–77A1838, 3015/10/1 part 12 
ItemNorth Vietnam – relations with Australia – representation1975A1838, 3020/10/6 part 4 
Records of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (CA 1401)
ItemVietnam – situation reports1974–75A1209, 1974/7556 
ItemAdoption of Vietnamese orphans1975A1209, 1975/546 
ItemAdoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight1975A1209, 1975/656 
ItemAdoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight1975A1209, 1975/657 
ItemAdoption of Vietnamese orphans – uplift flight1975A1209, 1975/658 
ItemMr Whitlock – Australian journalist missing in Vietnam1975A1209, 1975/852 
Records of the Australian Embassy, Republic of Vietnam (Saigon) (CA 2773)
ItemSaigon – Evacuation of orphans1957–75A4531, 221/4/8 part 1 
ItemSaigon – RAAF evacuation of Vietnamese refugees and airlift of supplies1975A4531, 8/2/4 
ItemSaigon – Vietnam political and economic reports by bag telegrams1975A4531, 201/1 part 3 
ItemSaigon – Vietnam ceasefire negotiations and violations1975A4531, 201/2/8 part 34 
ItemSaigon – other international organisations1975A4531, 221/3/3 part 2 
Personal papers of EG Whitlam (CP 99) – Records held in Sydney
ItemForeign affairs – Senator Willesee1975M519, 29 
ItemVietnam – general1975M522, V.2 
ItemVietnam – collapse of Saigon Government1975M522, V.4 
ItemVietnam – orphans1975M522, V.5 
Records of the Department of Labor and Immigration, Victoria (CA 1812) – Records held in Melbourne
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60194 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60195 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60196 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60197 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60198 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60199 
ItemVietnamese orphans1975B925, V1978/60200 
Records of the Administrator, Northern Territory (CA 1070) – Records held in Darwin
ItemVietnamese orphans and refugees1975–78F1076, 1975/71 

 

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