"World War II changed Sydney and its people forever. For most Sydneysiders life during the war was a strange combination of fear, excitement, opportunity, love and grief".
On September 3, 1939 the then Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced to the nation that Britain, and therefore Australia were at War with Germany.
Yesterday, I visited the Home Front 1939-1945 War exhibition held at the Museum of Sydney. It was a beautiful Sunday, the sun was shinning and the weather certainly had cooled down as I could feel a slight winter chill on my face.
The exhibition was very good, it gave a wonderful summary of the events of World War II, and in particular how the War affected Australian’s and the impact it had on people living in Sydney. Over the past year I have dwelled into as many history books as I can, and watched a number of documentaries to learn all about World War II. Yet, after seeing the exhibition I couldn’t help to think how much I wish it was on when I first started to write this book. Instead of what took me months to learn, I could have learnt it all in just a few hours ! Was a bit frustrating, but not much I can do but look at the bright side... that all the history and dates have definitely being cemented in my mind now.
The most interesting parts of the exhibition for me was to see all the propaganda posters as I haven't seen any Australian ones before (the internet unfortunately doesn’t hold everything) and, too also learn more about the enormous role women played in the War. In no way am I disrespecting any soldier that fought. However, I think the tremendous amount of work, courage, and strength women did and performed during the War has never being recognised as much as the men who fought. Most of the documentaries and Hollywood movies are all about the men fighting and battling in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, or the Pacific. Yet, I don’t think or know of any films that have solely being based on or around women in the War and, gone into the depths of the roles they played. Perhaps I should write this to Steven Speilberg !
It was also fascinating to see such a different landscape in Sydney, which during the War had observation posts and artillery guns manned all along the coast. It was certainly hard to imagine with what Sydney is today, as when your looking at all the photographs from that period it’s like your watching a movie, it dosn't seem real. Yet our ancestors, lived through it, and was apart of it...
Just a few pictures x
