Research by Melbourne’s homelessness support organisation, Homeground, has found that almost one in ten people who sleep rough in Melbourne each night are Australian war veterans.
Homeground claims that most have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Continue reading Study finds nearly 10% of rough-sleepers in Melbourne are veterans
The ABC radio series ‘The Great War: Memory, Perceptions and 10 Contested Questions’, first broadcast on 28 and 29 June, will be repeated on Radio National from Monday 22 December to Friday 2 January, 12.00pm – 1.00pm. Continue reading ABC RN: The Great War: 10 Contested Questions
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards were announced in Melbourne on 8th December. Controversy surrounded the Australian History prize, in particular, when this was jointly awarded to Professor Joan Beaumont for her acclaimed Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War and to Hal G. P. Colebatch for his anti-union Australia’s Secret War: How Unionists Sabotaged Our Troops in World War II. Some critics have suggested that Colebatch’s late entry should have been submitted to the Australian Fiction category, given its alleged hearsay and historical fantasies. Continue reading Joan Beaumont and Richard Flanagan – winners of controversial PM’s Literary Awards
An attempt to stop a public debate on Anzac going ahead during Marrickville’s Gallipoli commemorative program in April 2015 was defeated at Marrickville Council’s meeting on 25 November 2014.
Previously, on 15 July, Council had agreed to “provide in-kind assistance to the Gallipoli Centenary Peace Campaign for the use of the Petersham Town Hall on 21 or 22 April 2015 to host a debate relating to Anzac Day activities”. The vote in favour of this Mayoral Minute was unanimous. Continue reading Marrickville Council: Free speech triumphant
In an interview with Ashley Hall on the ABC’s AM program, Geoff Evans, the younger veterans’ advisor with RSL LifeCare, reveals that an accommodation service for young veterans in the Northern Beaches was over-subscribed even before it had been widely advertised.
Geoff is familiar with the difficulties war veterans can face when they return home. Continue reading Veterans facing homelessness epidemic
Prof Joan Beaumont has been awarded the 2014 NSW Premier’s Australian History Prize for her book Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War published by Allen & Unwin. More information about the book and the judges’ comments can be accessed here. Continue reading Joan Beaumont awarded NSW Premier’s Australian History Prize
Dissent and opposition to the war, and to preparations for war, are highlighted in a World War 1 centenary exhibition at the Quaker Meeting House, 119 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney.
Quakers are presenting the exhibition, entitled ‘World War 1: Quaker witness to peace and non-violence’, as part of NSW History Week, 6-14 September. Continue reading Quakers’ Exhibition on WW1
On 5th August, the Gallipoli Centenary Peace Campaign held a public forum at Sydney University on the topic ‘Anzac – why does it last?’
John Butcher (Convenor, GCPC) spoke briefly at the start of the forum about GCPC’s origins and objectives. This was followed by Dr Wendy Lambourne (Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies) who summarised the teaching and work carried out by CPACS.
The main speaker, Prof Joan Beaumont (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, ANU) and author of the acclaimed Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War, was introduced by Prof. Mark McKenna (Department of History, Sydney University).
The forum marked the official launch of the Gallipoli Centenary Peace Campaign.
John Butcher’s opening remarks can be heard here.
The text of Joan Beaumont’s address can be read here.
Audio recordings of Mark McKenna’s introductory remarks and Joan Beaumont’s address can be found here.
GCPC’s program of activities can be accessed here.
Peter Underwood, Governor of Tasmania, died on Monday 7th July, a month after having a tumour removed from his kidney. Aged 76, he was appointed Tasmanian Governor in 2008, after serving as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania between 2004 and 2008.
In his Anzac Day speech this year, he called for Australia to drop the “sentimental myths that Anzac Day has attracted” and called for this centennial year to be declared the Year of Peace. Continue reading Peter Underwood – Governor of Tasmania – dies
ABC Radio National marks the centenary of World War One with 10 hours of special broadcasting on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June (12.00pm to 5.00pm each day). The Great War: Memory, Perceptions and 10 Contested Questions places the conflict within its global context and focuses on ten critical questions about the war. Listen to each of the ten episodes here.