On the home front : Melbourne in wartime, 1939-1945

 

Author: Kate Darian- Smith

Citation: Darian-Smith, Kate. On the home front : Melbourne in wartime, 1939-1945, Australia : Melbourne University Press, 2009.
Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press
Summary:  Melbourne during the Second World War was a city that underwent dramatic changes. This book by Kate Darian-Smith, who is a professor of Australian studies and history at the University of Melbourne, chronicles its transformation. It was a time when the people of the city were bracing for an invasion by the Japanese and the government was preparing for that accordingly (through fortifications such as trenches for instance). It was a time that would see the formation of a Security Service, paving the way for ASIO to be established in Melbourne after the war had concluded. Moreover, it was a time when Melbournian citizens were coming to grips with evolving sensibilities, the prospect of gambling and the rowdiness that only thousands of off-duty American soldiers could bring.  This all culminates in a work that the publisher Penguin Books refers to as a "classic and evocative study of Melbourne in wartime."

Time Period(s): World War II

External Links:

Publisher's page
https://www.mup.com.au/books/9780522856835-on-the-home-front

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3255011-on-the-home-front

The Sullivans

Citation: The Sullivans – Volume One, Australia : Crawfords, c2002. (7 DVDs)

Summary:  Beginning in 1939, on the eve of the Second World War and concluding in 1948, The Sullivans tells the story of the titular Melbournian family - Dave and Grace Sullivan as well as their four children (John, Tom, Terry and Kitty). Dave's younger brother Harry and the Sullivan's neighbours are also among the list of characters. Over the course of eight seasons and more than one thousand one hundred episodes (each half an hour in length), the series dealt with the trials and tribulations of the family in a time of great upheaval and change. It also depicted the family acclimatising to the situation once the war had ended. As a show The Sullivans was committed to being as authentic as possible, both through exhaustive research, period-appropriate details and a, for the time, significant budget (one million dollars). It ran for six years (1976-1982), garnering critical praise, awards and considerable success outside of Australia.

Time Period(s): World War II

External links:

Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxQqUhsNsGQ

Production company page
https://crawfordsdvd.com.au/tv-series/the-sullivans.html

Australian Screen Review
https://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/the-sullivans-the-brink-of-war/notes/