The relationship between war and Australian society has been shaped by two of the more enduring themes of Australian strategic culture : bandwagoning with a powerful ally and expeditionary warfare . Indeed , Australian defence policy was closely linked to Britain until the Japanese crisis of 1942 , while since then an alliance with the United States has underwritten its security . Arguably , this pattern of bandwagoning — both for cultural reasons such as shared values and beliefs , as well as for more pragmatic security concerns — has ensured that Australian strategic policy has often been defined by relations with its allies . Regardless , a tendency towards strategic complacency has also been evident , with Australians often reluctant to think about defence issues or to allocate resources until a crisis arises ; a trait which has historically resulted in unpreparedness for major military challenges .