The meaning of the First World War in the community Camden NSW raises different questions for different people. The presentation examines the meaning behind the war effort, overseas, at home and today. The representation of the war in the contemporary world has a variety of interpretations from sacrifice to commodification. What the war represents 100 years on it still controversial. The story of Camden and the Great War is very complex. It is not black and white and has many shades of grey. Each layer means different things to different people.

1. Camden
and the Great War
Ian Willis
Camden Historical Society
10 September 2014

2. One View of War
Screaming Soldier - A Victim of War (acrylic
on paper, 1999 , Nicholas de Lacy-Brown)

3. Structure of talk
• Camden story of the Great War – effects of war
• Serving overseas
• Serving on the homefront
• Conclusions - Collective memory of Camden and the Great War

4. Effects of the war
• End of empire and Camden’s place in it
• End of human progress
• End of old militarism and disillusionment with nobility of war
• Peak of modernism – birth of Fascism
• Creation of tourist soldier
• End of old order and old class system – new fashions – lots of single
women
• Massive loss of young men

5. Reporting the war - Declaration of war
28 June 1914, Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Camden News, 6 August 1914, p.6

6. Reporting the war
Camden News put cables on the front page
 Cables from Europe
 Mobilisation of the British Army
 Appeal for a patriotic fund HJ Asher
 Call for founding of Red Cross by
Mayoress of Camden Mrs Young
 ‘England’s Duty’ report of Mr Asquith
speech.

7. Serving overseas
• Camden Remembers Website
• Janice Johnson’s Camden WW1 Diggers 1914 to 1918

8. Camden Remembers Website

9. Camden’s WW1
Diggers 1914 to 1918
• A collection of letters from men and
women who served during the First
World War
• A memorial and form of commemoration

10. Serving on the homefront
• Patriotic community organisations – Red Cross, Camden Patriotic
Fund, Australian Patriotic Funds
• Prayers, Farewells and Fundraising
• Memorial services
• Menangle Camp
• Recruiting
• Conscription
• 6 o’clock closing

11. Patriotic community
organisations
Red Cross
Camden Patriotic Fund
Australian Patriotic Funds
SLNSW

12. Prayers, Farewells and Fundraising
Camden News 13 August 1914 Camden News 20 August 1914

13. First Memorial Service at St Johns Church
Capt AW Macarthur Onslow KIA at Ypres
CN, 12 November 1914
CN, 19 November 1914

14. Menangle ALH Camp 1916
alh.com smh.com

15. Recruiting
Kangaroo March January 1916 Camden
Kangaroo Recruiting March at Mittagong
http://media.wsc.nsw.gov.au/tag/kangaroo-march/
CN 22 June 1915

16. Conscription
CN 5 October 1916
CN 19 October 1916

17. Conscription Referendums
28 October 1916 & 1917
CN 19 October 1916
http://billyhughes.moadoph.gov.au/conscription_debate
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/homefront/conscription.html

18. 6 o’clock closing
CN 18 May 1916
CN 1 June 1916
CN 8 June 1916

19. Camden collective memory and the Great War
Commemorative sites around Camden
• School history curriculum
• commemorative rituals – Anzac Day; Remembrance Day; Dawn
Service;
• Buildings and local facilities
• installation of memorials – Macarthur Park; Bicentennial Park;
• the organisations of pilgrimages – school children going to Gallipoli
• the production of cultural media – books; DVDs; Back Then History
Page on The District Reporter; History Week; stories in the Camden
press;

20. School Curriculum - Posters

21. Camden commemorative sites
Macarthur Park

22. Camden commemorative sites
Bicentennial Park

23. Camden commemorative sites
Camden RSL

24. Camden commemorative sites
Camden War Cemetery

25. Camden commemorative sites
49 Broughton St

26. Camden Commemorative sites

27. Camden Commemorative sites

28. Camden commemorative sites
Camden Airfield

29. Camden commemorative sites
Macarthur Chronicle