[3] One of the courses FitzGerald took, Asian History run by New Zealander George Wilson, helped him to develop an interest in Asia.
[5] During his studies, in 1968, he visited Quanzhou, Shanghai and several other cities on a student tour at the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution—the streets were filled with posters, loudspeakers and truck-loads of drummers broadcasting to pedestrians.
In 1980, FitzGerald established a private consultancy for Australian business dealing with government in China.
[23] Author Billy Griffiths, reviewing the book, wrote that it was thoughtful and engaging, covering a transformative period of Australian history.
[24] That same year he became a Non-Executive Director of China Matters, an Australian public policy initiative.
[26] FitzGerald was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 1984 in recognition of his services to international relations.
[2] FitzGerald was shortlisted for the 2016 National Biography Award for Comrade Ambassador: Whitlam’s Beijing Envoy.