The Australian government
Why did Australia enter WW2?
To support Britain, because we were a member of the British Empire
What were Australians given to control their spending?
Ration coupons/ration books
What is censorship?
Control or restriction of information
What was an "enemy alien"?
People living in Australia who had connections to countries that were fighting against Australia
What year did Australia enter WW2?
1939
Who was the prime minister who moved Australia's alliances away from Britain to the USA?
John Curtin
Why was rationing introduced?
Why was censorship introduced?
Reveal military secrets
Tell the enemy where Australian troops were located
Reveal information about ships or military movements
Reduce public morale
Reveal the extent of Australian losses
Provide useful information to enemy forces
What were three main ethnicities that were targeted?
German, Italian, Japanese
What year did Australia open its first internment camp?
1939
Name three of Australia's WW2 prime ministers
Robert Menzies, Arthur Fadden, John Curtin
What is one other thing Australians were encouraged to do in order to be careful about resource use?
Avoid wasting food, avoid unnecessary purchases, grow vegetables
What were two mediums that were censored?
Newspapers, radio
Why were people interned?
The government was concerned that people with connections to enemy countries could act as spies or saboteurs
What year did the Australian government introduce food and clothing rationing regulations?
1942
Why was the prime minister replaced in 1941?
His party lost support in parliament
One rationing propaganda poster described "_____ as a munition of war"
Food
Why was censorship controversial?
It restricted people's knowledge about the war, it was seen as restriction on freedoms
Why is internment now controversial?
There was not much evidence that people had committed a crime or was actually working for the enemy. Some people had lived in Australia for many years. Some were Australian citizens or had Australian-born family members.
What year did the Australian government receive powers to control information?
1939 in the National Security Act
How did Australians find out that their country had gone to war?
The prime minister announced it on the radio
List five items that were rationed
Sugar, tea, butter, meat, clothing, petrol
What was the law that gave the government emergency powers to control information?
The National Security Act
How were prisoners of war (POW) camps different to internment camps?
Prisoners of war camps housed people who had ACTUALLY fought against Australia e.g. Japanese soldiers who had been taken prisoner
1941