Introduction

The Place Now Called Victoria

Rural Victoria

Ned Kelly

A Jewel in the Crown

Marvellous Melbourne

Victorians at War

Victorian Stories

Victorians at War

Victorians have regularly served in international conflicts, whether as soldiers and peacekeepers overseas, or by supporting the nation's war efforts as civilians on the homefront. The State Library of Victoria houses photographs, letters and diaries that record the experiences of many Victorians at war, in particular during World Wars I and II. The largest individual collection is the Argus Newspaper Collection of photographs relating to World War II. Donated to the Library by The Age newspaper in 1976, the Argus Newspaper Collection comprises 60,000 photographs of which 16,000 deal with Australians at war. The Argus was one of Melbourne's major daily newspapers and was published between 1846 and 1957.

      

The Argus photographs document many aspects of the lives of Victorians throughout the course of World War II. They trace the journeys of many Victorian men and women who enlisted, served, lived and died as soldiers and nurses in the Australian forces. They also depict the wide range of experiences of those on Victoria’s homefront, from being a member of the Women’s Land Army to digging an air-raid shelter in the backyard. When the end of the war was declared, huge crowds of Victorians gathered in Melbourne to celebrate.


Illustrations
Left: Commonwealth Department of Information photographer, Soldiers leaning out of train windows, 1940
Centre: Argus photographer, 'Got a light, Dig?' Embarkation scene Port Melbourne, 1940
Right: Argus photographer, Members of Womens's Auxiliary Transport Service receiving instruction, c1942