About this record

This is a black-and-white poster showing a map of Australia and text urging Australians to 'Fight! Fight! Fight!'. The text calls for men and women to join in the fight against the enemy on the front line or the home front to defend freedom.

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.
• Reveals national pride in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops who fought together in the First World War.
• Refers to the bombing of Darwin, placing the date of this poster after 19 February 1942 when Japanese planes first bombed Darwin, killing 233 people – Australians who knew about the bombing were shocked, as this was the first direct attack on Australian soil.
• Is an example of the government's call to all Australians, including women, to participate in the war effort and to see themselves as soldiers, whether they were on the front line, at the factory, on the farm or at home.
• Promotes a national spirit by appealing to the values of freedom and democracy through the expression of sentiments such as 'the last hope of the free peoples of the World' and 'Liberty cries to you'.
• Reveals, through the reference to 'the last bastion of the Empire', that links to the British Empire were still important to Australia – this was despite the fact that Australian troops had returned home in 1941 to fight the Japanese against the orders of the British and that Australia was increasingly turning to a new relationship with the USA.
• Is an example of the work of the Commonwealth Advertising Division, set up in 1941 within the Department of Information to produce posters and advertising to promote government messages throughout World War II.
• Presents the map of Australia as a symbol of nationhood and unity.
• Provides an example of rhetorical writing being used with the aim of persuading the reader to fight the enemy on all fronts.