Broken Nation

The Great War is, for many Australians, the event that defined our nation. The larrikin diggers, trench warfare, and the landing at Gallipoli have become the stuff of the Anzac ‘legend’. But it was also a war fought by the families at home. Their resilience in the face of hardship, their stoic acceptance of enormous casualty lists and their belief that their cause was just, made the war effort possible.
Combining deep scholarship with powerful storytelling, Joan Beaumont brings the war years to life: from the well-known battles at Gallipoli, Pozieres, Fromelles and Villers-Bretonneux, to the lesser known battles in Europe and the Middle East; from the ferocious debates over conscription to the disillusioning Paris peace conference and the devastating ‘Spanish’ flu the soldiers brought home. Joan brings to life the fear and courage of tens of thousands of soldiers and conveys the impact on Australians at home and at the front of death on an unprecedented scale.

A century after the Great War, Joan‚Äôs talk, Broken Nation, will bring lucid insight into the dramatic events, mass grief and political turmoil that makes the memory of this terrible war central to Australia’s history.

Presenter: Professor Joan Beaumont

Date: Wednesday 30 April, 12.30pm start

Cost: FREE, gold coin donation welcome