More Anzacs (1916)
Billy Hughes’ words, appealing to the general public for a ‘yes’ vote in the 1916 referendum on conscription, are superimposed on First World War images. The typical silent film format of title card followed by image (which begins the film) ... [read more]
The issue of conscription (1962)
In this excerpt from an interview with Dr Daniel Mannix, the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Mannix describes the circumstances in which he advocated against conscription during the First World War. [read more]
Viewpoint (1965)
A woman (June Salter) who lost her husband in the Second World War worries that she will lose her son in Vietnam, after the introduction of conscription. [read more]
An honourable man (1974)
Prime Minister Billy Hughes (Martin Vaughan) and his secretary, Percy Deane (Harold Hopkins), are playing golf to unwind from the stresses of parliament. The conscription referendum has just been lost by Hughes. His golf ball disappears into the rough. Angry ... [read more]
‘Click, bang, dead’ (1988)
Phil Goddard (Nicholas Eadie) has been called up and is being trained for the war in Indo China. Meanwhile, the politicians are still pretending there are no American troops in Vietnam and that Australian conscripts will not become front line ... [read more]
‘Punch a postie’ (1991)
Vietnam veterans Rowan Marsh and Peter Stainthorpe recollect the anti-Vietnam demonstrations with ambivalence. They explain that when unions put a go-slow on mail delivery to soldiers in Vietnam as part of the protest, that was too much and the 'punch ... [read more]
The war is the news (1988)
The slowly disintegrating Goddard family are watching the news. They are painfully aware that their son, Phil (Nicholas Eadie) is in Vietnam as a conscript. The evening news shows the terrible and soon to become iconic photo of the South ... [read more]
Frankie goes to Kapooka (1969)
Frankie McCoy (Ken Shorter) enters basic training at Kapooka camp, but neither the food nor the discipline agrees with him. Sergeant Quinn (Peter Aanensen) waits for him to slip up, during harsh training on the obstacle course. [read more]
Lionel Murphy (1970)
Federal Opposition shadow minister Lionel Murphy pledges his government’s opposition to the Vietnam War. He says ‘we are here to end the war in Vietnam’. [read more]
Vietnam (1966)
This is a three-minute excerpt from a five-minute Australian Labor Party television commercial for the 1966 federal election. The commercial has a captioned title, Vietnam. In narration over illustrative footage, followed by Arthur Calwell speaking to camera, the advertisement presents ... [read more]
Cliffhanger (1918)
Jack (Snowy Baker) has pursued the German spies to the secret beach from which they will rendezvous with a German ship. Master villain Brasels (John Faulkner) has kidnapped Jack’s girl Myee (Lily Molloy) and tied her to a rock, where ... [read more]
‘I just didn’t seem to fit in’ (1991)
Vietnam veterans Peter Stainthorpe and Rowan Marsh recall returning to Melbourne after two years of active service in Vietnam. They felt that nothing had changed at home and yet they had changed. They sought out the company of fellow veterans. [read more]
National service (c1915)
This clip begins with text outlining Colonel Cameron’s suggestion on returning from the Dardanelles that Australia should introduce compulsory national service. A white outline of Australia and New Zealand is turned sideways to form the head of a caricatured Australian ... [read more]
The dismissal (2004)
Malcolm Fraser discusses events preceding the dismissal of the Whitlam government on 11 November 1975. [read more]
High school students against war in Vietnam (1970)
A pupil from Castle Hill High School delivers a speech about the support from students from the steps of Sydney’s town hall to a huge crowd of protestors against the Vietnam War at a moratorium rally. [read more]
Returned Anzacs (c1917)
This segment from an Australasian Gazette newsreel shows returned Anzacs marching through Melbourne streets as part of the 'Fill-the-Gap’ recruitment drive. A marching band leads a parade of returned Anzac servicemen holding placards that say 'Wanted – A man to ... [read more]
Friday in Brisbane (1967)
The clip shows Air Vice-Marshall Ky’s visit to Canungra Jungle Training Centre, and Mme Ky’s visit to the Queensland headquarters of the Red Cross. [read more]
Boys – lay down your lives for the empire (1990)
It’s 1914 and Australia is preparing for a war in Europe. In voice-over, Scratch (Lachlan Jeffrey) recites the reasons why Australia’s young men should fight for the King. When Sydney rabbito Ned Crocker (Nathan Croft) is asked when he is ... [read more]
‘Your help is needed’ (c1916)
This cartoon begins with a caption that reads, ‘the German monster threatens the world with bloodshed, slavery and death’. An animated King Kong-like monster wreaks havoc on the world, destroying villages, women and children. At the end of the clip, ... [read more]
A war of nerves (2002)
Australia’s 'chocolate soldiers’ were all that stood between Australia and the highly trained and jungle-prepared Japanese forces. They were called 'chocos’ or 'chocolate soldiers’ because it was thought they would melt in the heat. The aim of the 'chocos’ was ... [read more]
