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  5. Australia under attack: Australia bombed, strafed ...
  6. Australia under attack: Curtin’s call to action

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Australia under attack: Curtin’s call to action

  • Introduction
  • Under attack
  • Mobilisation
  • The End in sight

 

The Australian Labor Party under Prime Minister John Curtin took government in October 1941. Soon after Japan entered the Pacific war, the Curtin government declared that Australians faced “the gravest hour of our history”. Curtin asked “every Australian, man and woman, to go about their allotted task with full vigor and courage.”

As Japanese forces attacked northern Australia, the government encouraged the belief that the country was in imminent danger of invasion, as a means of encouraging all Australians, even those in the cities of the south, to embrace civil defence. But even while encouraging the threat of invasion, the government imposed strict censorship on the details of the attacks, as they felt the public might panic if they knew the truth.

Collection Item C276246

Accession Number: SUK12097

Prime Minister John Curtin

Collection Item C167149

Accession Number: ART22195

Barbed wire entanglements

Under attack

  • Darwin, 19 February 1942
    • Citations for bravery
    • A family tragedy
  • Australia reacts
  • Broome, 3 March 1942
  • Sydney, June 1942
    • Midget submarines on tour
  • Townsville, July 1942
  • Attacks in Australian waters
  • Internees and prisoners of war

Last updated: 2 December 2019

Explore the Collection

Explore the Collection

Our collection contains a wealth of material to help you research and find your connection with the wartime experiences of the brave men and women who served in Australia’s military forces.

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The Donations and bequests

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Your generous donation will be used to ensure the memory of our Defence Forces and what they have done for us, and what they continue to do for our freedom remains – today and into the future.

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The placesofpride

Places of Pride

Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials, is a new initiative designed to record the locations and photographs of every publicly accessible memorial across Australia.

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Visit the Australian War Memorial

Visit the Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is open for visitors as we work to expand our galleries. All visitors require a free timed ticket to enter the Memorial Galleries and attend the Last Post Ceremony.

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Canberra Highlands in Grayscale

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TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS

The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. We pay our respects to elders past and present.
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The Australian War Memorial

Treloar Crescent
Campbell ACT 2612
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The Australian War Memorial

Treloar Crescent

Campbell ACT 2612

Australia

 

Opening Hours

10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day)

 

In preparation for the daily Last Post Ceremony,

galleries are progressively closed from 4 pm.

 

Public entrance via Fairbairn Avenue, Campbell ACT 2612

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