VICTORIA
BARRACKS MELBOURNE
This blue stone building houses the war cabinet rooms used throughout
World War II (1939-1945). All major decisions controlling Australia's
war time operations were made here by the war cabinet.
The cabinet was composed of the
senior members of the government of the day with portfolios directly
related to the war effort. Advice to the war cabinet came from many
sources including the chiefs of staff (heads of Navy, Army and Air
Force) and the advisory war council composed of members of the
government and opposition.
The first war cabinet meeting was
held here in September 1939 with Prime Minister Robert Menzies
presiding. He was succeeded very briefly by Arthur Fadden in October
1941. A new government with John Curtin as Prime Minister controlled the
war cabinet for the rest of the war however Curtin died on 5 July, 1945,
only five weeks before peace was declared.
|
AUSTRALIA AND WORLD
WAR II
|
|
Australia's
Population
|
- 7
million |
|
Australian men &
Women who served in the Armed Forces
|
- 1
million |
| |
| |
Aust.
Navy |
Aust.
Army |
Aust.
Airforce |
Total |
| Served Overseas |
37,000 |
397,000 |
124,000 |
558,000 |
| Killed on Active Service |
1,00 |
18,713 |
6,460 |
27,073 |
|
ROBERT GORDON
MENZIES
(1894 - 1978)
PRIME MINISTER
APRIL 1939 to 28 AUGUST 1941
AND
1949 to 1966
|
|
JOHN CURTIN
(1885 - 1995)
PRIME MINISTER
3 OCTOBER to 5 JULY 1945
|
