At first, the war in Europe and the Middle East seemed distant to Australians. The bombing of Darwin in 1942 brought the conflict to our homeland. The government asked for an 'all-in' effort from its citizens. Australians experienced unprecedented government controls. Compulsory military training turned into conscription in the South-West Pacific Zone. Many First Nations Australians and women found new work opportunities. But Australians of German, Italian or Japanese descent faced loss of freedoms. Cultural and political impacts included government censorship of the media and the presence of United States military personnel.
War closer to home
During the first 2 years of World War II, little changed for Australians at home. Unlike people in Europe, Australians faced no direct attacks until 1942. Families worried about loved ones serving overseas. But, for the most part, the war was something happening thousands of kilometres away.
That changed when Japan entered the war in December 1941. In February 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin. This was the first of many Japanese air raids on Australia. Japan's advance through Asia and the Pacific brought home the realities of war.
'All-in' community effort
War meant different things to different people on the Australian home front.
There were mixed experiences of excitement, fear, frugality and hardship. The Australian Government introduced many unprecedented controls during World War II. The laws and policies aimed to protect, defend and fund Australia's war effort. Men, women and children were called to provide an 'all-in' effort for the war.
National service
From January 1940, the Australian Government ran compulsory military training as national service. Young men had to do 3 months of training with the militia or Citizen Military Forces (CMF). The CMF was similar to the present-day Australian Army Reserve.
As in World War I, members of the CMF weren't able to serve outside Australia and its territories. However, by late 1942, it was becoming difficult to recruit volunteers for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the volunteer army that served overseas. From February 1943, the government introduced conscription for overseas service. CMF conscripts could be sent to fight in the South-West Pacific Zone, including places outside of Australian territory.
Wartime opportunities
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men joined the military and served with distinction, despite suffering significant discrimination. Of the 1 million Australians who served in Australia and overseas, around 3,000 were First Nations people. Some were killed in action, while others became prisoners of war (POWs).
But from 1940, as part of the White Australia Policy, government rules prevented 'Australians of non-European origin or descent' from joining the Royal Australian Navy or the AIF, although this did not apply to the Royal Australian Air Force.
First Nations Australians also contributed to the war effort as civilians, especially in the Northern Territory.
Many women, including First Nations women, benefited from new opportunities as a result of the war effort.
Women entered the workforce in huge numbers, often taking jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight.
Women also served in the military through the:
- Australian Army Nursing Service
- Women's Auxiliary Air Force
- Australian Women's Army Service
- Women's Royal Australian Naval Service.
Many women, especially nurses, served overseas.
Thirty-four First Nations women are known to have served in auxiliary services, although the number is likely higher.
Women also served in the Australian Women's Land Army to make up a shortfall in farm labour.
For many women, these were very different roles from their lives before the war.
Loss of freedoms
Other people had a less-positive experience in Australia during the war.
Some Australians of German, Italian or Japanese descent lost their freedoms and livelihoods. Classed as 'enemy aliens', some were detained in camps around the country. Many were singled out as the enemy in their local communities. Some people felt compelled to adopt an Anglicised family name, effectively denying their origin.
At the peak of the war, there were more than 12,000 people in internment camps, including enemy POWs captured on merchant ships or overseas.
On 5 August 1944, around 1,000 Japanese men escaped from the 12th Australian Prisoner of War and Internees Camp in Cowra, New South Wales, in what became known as the Cowra Breakout.
Other internees included people who opposed the war on political grounds, such as members of the far-right Australia First Movement.
Some religious and political groups were banned, such as the Communist Party.
Influence of American culture
Around 1 million US troops passed through Australia during World War II. Their presence had a significant impact on the Australian home front. They influenced Australia's:
- culture
- economy
- food
- language
- and foreign policy.
During the Battle of Brisbane riot in November 1942, Australian and US troops clashed violently over 2 days, leaving one Australian dead and hundreds of people injured. To protect the Australian–US alliance, authorities tried to limit information about the riot. This led to rumours and exaggerated accounts.
News and censorship
Radio, newspapers and cinema newsreels were the main sources of news for Australians. But censorship of broadcast and print media occurred throughout the war.
The National Security Act 1939 (Cth), passed in August 1939, allowed the government to control radio and cable services.
In September 1939, the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) aired commentary that was critical of Britain's policy response to Germany's invasion of Poland. In response, the Australian Government told the ABC that its programs could contain only factual observations with no commentary.
From February 1941, the government-imposed controls on newspaper production and the importation of newsprint. Newsprint rationing began on 1 July that year. This restricted how much newspapers could print.
In December 1941, 4 radio stations in Melbourne and Sydney were ordered to stop broadcasting after they breached a ban on reporting about the presumed sinking of HMAS Sydney. The logic was that broadcasting about the ship's loss too soon could give the enemy a tactical advantage.
Images of the war came from official war artists and photographers, who served with the troops and documented the war through their art. In all theatres of the war, both men and women served as official war artists. Many of their works can be viewed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
