Commemorating World War Two
Tom Connors and his daughter, 1945
Through childhood eyes
"Through childhood eyes: hidden stories of World War Two" audio program explores what life was like growing up during the tumultuous years of World War Two.
Listen to the real-life memories of current and former Port Phillip residents during World War Two with a 17-minute auditory experience. The stories have been brought to life by the students of Middle Park Primary School and Albert Park Secondary College.
The archival recordings are extracts from Prime Minister Menzies' declaration of war speech 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Curtin’s announcement that Australia is at war with Japan 8 December 1941, and Prime Minister Ben Chiefly announcing the end of the war against Japan 15 August 1945. All files are from the National Film and Sound Archive collection.
You can also download the audio transcript (PDF 50 KB).
The people and their stories
Read personal experiences of sixteen residents and former residents of the City of Port Phillip and what their childhood was like growing up during the war years.
World War Two significant dates
A timeline of key dates and events.
Acknowledgements and credits
Through Childhood Eyes: hidden stories of World War Two was supported by the Victorian Government through the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two Grants Program.
This project was shortlisted for the 2021 Victorian Community History Awards.
We would like to thank all of the voluntary participants in this project.
Supported by the Victorian State Government