Singapore is the better forward position for protecting the imperial route between India and Australia and controlling access to the Indian Ocean. Sydney offers depth and industrial potential, but it lies far behind the likely theater of operations. Darwin would require even more construction from scratch, while three fully developed bases would impose an implausible interwar cost. Geography, existing infrastructure, and an affordable concentration of resources set the boundaries of the counterfactual.
Chapter · 7:27-18:28
Why Singapore outperformed Sydney as a forward base
The opening comparison separates Sydney's industrial advantages from Singapore's stronger geography, logistics, and control of communications between India and Australia.