In 1942 the Japanese invasion of Australia seemed imminent and inevitable. Scorched Earth plans to deny the Japanese invaders were drawn up across Australia and Sue Rosen uncovered the very detailed New South Wales Scorched Earth plans that had been forgotten and misfiled at the end of the Second World War.

The plans drawn up included everything from starting aggressive bush fires to hinder the Japanese and using sharpened Ironbark as improvised bayonets to making sure no soldier of Japan ever captures your tennis shoes.