| Place | Oceania: Australia, Queensland, North Queensland, Rockhampton |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ARTV00151 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 19 x 44 cm |
| Object type | Poster |
| Physical description | chromolithograph on paper |
| Maker |
Pike, B E Recruiting Officer, Rockhampton Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: Queensland |
| Date made | c.1914-1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
To the men of Rockhampton and Central Queensland, hesitate no longer...
Description
Black and white Australian Commonwealth Military Forces First World War enlistment poster issued by the Recruiting Officer, Rockhampton, Qld. The poster features a centre image flanked on both sides with text. The image is of a soldier standing ready for action, holding his rifle across his body. The soldier is surrounded by a striped border filled with children's faces. The text urges the reader to remember the sacrifice of the ANZACS and to enlist in the spirit of mateship.
Recruitment posters were in prolific supply in Australia throughout the First World War. Australia relied solely on voluntary recruits to serve in the AIF. Compulsory military service, or conscription, for eligible men was in force in Australia from 1911, however, these forces were for home defence and could not be used to serve in a war overseas. Following the initial rush of men to recruit in 1914, enrolments dropped, leaving federal and state governments to devise sophisticated campaigns to boost numbers.