About this record

This is a black-and-white poster showing a map of Australia with arrows and planes coming down from Papua New Guinea and the headline 'The Enemy thunders at Our Gates'. There is a photo of Prime Minister John Curtin and a message from him, calling on Australians to play their part in the war effort.

Educational value

• Is an example of a poster being used to deliver war messages from the Australian Government to its citizens during the Second World War (1939–45) – in 1939 Australia entered the war, declaring war on Germany, and then in 1941 declared war on Japan.
• Illustrates the Japanese threat to Australia, indicated by the arrows and planes pointing down from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands – in 1941 Japan launched a campaign to conquer the Pacific region, invading Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore and New Guinea, and from 1942 bombing Darwin and other Australian towns, killing 243 people.
• Refers to the second phase of Australia's participation in the Second World War – in the first phase, Australia joined British troops in the fight against Germany, which was identified as the primary enemy; in the second phase of the war, Australia's main efforts went to fighting the Japanese.
• Quotes John Curtin, who served as Prime Minister of Australia from 7 October 1941 to 6 July 1945 – in 1942 he brought Australian troops back to defend Australia despite British orders to send them elsewhere, an act that was seen as a move away from Britain; Curtin then increasingly looked to the USA for help to defend Australia.
• Indicates that the war dominated and regulated everyday life in Australia – messages such as 'YOU MUST OBEY THESE RULES' and 'Everyone must Fight or Work!' show that Australians were being asked to make personal sacrifices for the war effort; this personal endeavour was known as 'All in'.
• Indicates that ordinary Australians were expected to support Australia's war effort by working harder and not 'shirking' or taking industrial action – during the war the Australian Government took control of the labour force, fixing wages and conditions.
• Reveals an atmosphere of fear and distrust on the home front – Australians are urged to 'keep a quiet tongue', meaning that they should be wary of communicating information that might be useful to the enemy, in case spies are listening.
• Is an example of the work of the Commonwealth Advertising Division, set up in 1941 within the Department of Information to assist in the war effort – in this case, the poster is delivering the Prime Minister's message to the people of Australia.
• Urges Australians to help the ARP in every way – Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was the civil defence organisation in Australia during World War II – both women and men served as ARP wardens.
• Is an example of historical context giving meaning to a graphic image – because of the events of 1941, when Japan's plans to attack Australia were well known, most Australians would immediately recognise the arrows and planes heading for Sydney as symbols of a Japanese invasion.