- Joining up
- Government propaganda

The enthusiastic support for war was matched by the huge response to the call for a fighting force. By the end of 1914, more than 52 000 Australians had joined up. These were the first of more than 416 000 Australians to volunteer for the First World War, of which 330 000 saw active service overseas. Keep in mind that the Australian population was only 4.9 million at the time. Isaac Betteridge’s ‘sacrifice’ in 1916 was indicative of the mood early in the war. A deformed finger stopped his first attempt to enlist. Unconcerned he had the finger amputated and was later accepted. Depiction of Germany. Public domain. | Lord Kitchener First World War recruitment poster 1914. Public domain

Image gallery

Given the overwhelmingly positive attitude of the Australian public, it is perhaps surprising that any recruitment drive was necessary.

Images such as these were a regular sight throughout the war. While they echoed the ‘We want you’ message of the well-known Lord Kitchener image, these posters were aimed at different sectors of society, and were designed to stir a variety of motivations in the young Australians who were expected to join up.

Explore the recruitment posters above. Choose one poster and complete the propaganda poster guided analysis (.pdf 49kB).

Those people who did not join up were encouraged to buy war bonds between 1914 and 1918. This meant greater revenue for the government who in turn repaid the bonds, with interest, at a later date.