LibGuides: World War II: Effects of WWII

Australians at War: Episode 4

Here we go again is episode 4 of the television series Australians at War. The series examines the effects of war on the lives of Australians and how this nation has been shaped by those experiences. It was commissioned by the Australian Government through the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs, in co-operation with the Australian War Memorial, as part of the commemorations to mark the Centenary of Federation in 2001.

Australians at War: Here we go again, recreates the experience of war - from the heroism of Tobruk to the calamity of the fall of Singapore. These first-hand accounts are blended with archival footage of campaigns from North Africa to Malaya. The episode climaxes with the sinking of HMAS Perth, as the Japanese push relentlessly towards Australia at the start of 1942.

Post-War migration

From British Pathé.

Title reads 'New Citizens Learn our Mode of Living'. Bonegilla, Australia. Displaced persons from Baltic countries at a camp where they learn English and the Australian way of life.

From the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The first in a series of four UK television advertisements promoting passage to Australia for 10 pounds. This wave of British migrants became known as 'Ten pound poms'. The slogan for the commercials is 'Australia - brings out the best in you'.

From The Film Australia Collection. Made by The Commonwealth Film Unit 1963. Designed to assist immigrants on their day of arrival in Australia - medical examinations, registration, customs, passports, banking and baggage are among items discussed. The newcomers are also told how to avail themselves of the assistance offered by the Good Neighbour Council.

Internment

Refugee internment
Before World War II, many Jewish citizens of Germany and Austria were driven out of their countries by the rise of the Nazis. They sought refuge in various countries, including England and Australia. When the war began, the British and Australian governments wondered if they could trust these recent arrivals from what were now enemy countries.
Prisoner of War and Internment Camps
There were 7 camps in the Tatura, Victoria area during World War II which held about 4,000-8,000 people at any one time.
Enemy aliens and prisoners of war
As the apparent threat of invasion grew, Australians were gripped by an irrational panic about the potential for the tens of thousands of foreign nationals resident in Australia to become saboteurs or spies. As early as 1939 this fear had led to the introduction of National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations.