
A Nation Divided: The Great War and Conscription
The debate over conscription during the darkest years of WWI has been described by some historians as the most bitter, divisive and violent ever to consume the nation.
From 1916 to 1917, thousands of impassioned speeches were made, endless newspaper columns were written, and mass meetings and huge rallies were held throughout Australia. As families, communities and organisations divided in bitter recrimination, it seemed as if the soul of the grieving nation would tear itself apart.
This exhibition from the Old Treasury Building tells the story of this extraordinary period in our history. It is a tale of political intrigue, industrial turmoil, civil unrest and a lurid propaganda war. But it is also a story of passionate idealists, who faced down government repression in pursuit of their beliefs.
Hours 
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Fri 2 Jun |
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Sun 4 Jun |
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Mon 5 Jun |
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Tue 6 Jun |
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Wed 7 Jun |
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Thu 8 Jun |
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Fri 9 Jun |
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Sun 11 Jun |
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Mon 12 Jun |
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Tue 13 Jun |
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Wed 14 Jun |
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Thu 15 Jun |
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Fri 16 Jun |
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Sun 18 Jun |
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Mon 19 Jun |
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Tue 20 Jun |
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Wed 21 Jun |
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Thu 22 Jun |
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Fri 23 Jun |
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Sun 25 Jun |
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Mon 26 Jun |
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Tue 27 Jun |
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Wed 28 Jun |
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Thu 29 Jun |
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Fri 30 Jun |
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Sun 2 Jul |
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Mon 3 Jul |
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Tue 4 Jul |
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Wed 5 Jul |
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Thu 6 Jul |
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Fri 7 Jul |
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Sun 9 Jul |
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Mon 10 Jul |
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Tue 11 Jul |
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Wed 12 Jul |
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Thu 13 Jul |
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Fri 14 Jul |
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Sun 16 Jul |
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Mon 17 Jul |
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Tue 18 Jul |
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Wed 19 Jul |
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Thu 20 Jul |
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Fri 21 Jul |
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Sun 23 Jul |
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Mon 24 Jul |
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Tue 25 Jul |
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Wed 26 Jul |
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Thu 27 Jul |
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Fri 28 Jul |
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Sun 30 Jul |
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Mon 31 Jul |
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Tue 1 Aug |
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Wed 2 Aug |
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Thu 3 Aug |
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Fri 4 Aug |
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Sun 6 Aug |
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Mon 7 Aug |
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Tue 8 Aug |
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Wed 9 Aug |
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Thu 10 Aug |
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Fri 11 Aug |
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Sun 13 Aug |
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Mon 14 Aug |
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Tue 15 Aug |
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Wed 16 Aug |
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Thu 17 Aug |
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Fri 18 Aug |
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Sun 20 Aug |
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Mon 21 Aug |
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Tue 22 Aug |
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Wed 23 Aug |
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Thu 24 Aug |
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Fri 25 Aug |
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Sun 27 Aug |
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Mon 28 Aug |
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Tue 29 Aug |
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Wed 30 Aug |
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Thu 31 Aug |
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Fri 1 Sep |
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Sun 3 Sep |
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Mon 4 Sep |
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Tue 5 Sep |
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Wed 6 Sep |
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Thu 7 Sep |
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Fri 8 Sep |
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Sun 10 Sep |
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Mon 11 Sep |
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Tue 12 Sep |
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Wed 13 Sep |
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Thu 14 Sep |
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Fri 15 Sep |
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Sun 17 Sep |
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Mon 18 Sep |
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Tue 19 Sep |
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Wed 20 Sep |
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Thu 21 Sep |
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Fri 22 Sep |
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Sun 24 Sep |
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Mon 25 Sep |
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Tue 26 Sep |
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Wed 27 Sep |
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Thu 28 Sep |
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Fri 29 Sep |
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Sun 1 Oct |
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Mon 2 Oct |
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Tue 3 Oct |
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Wed 4 Oct |
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Thu 5 Oct |
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Fri 6 Oct |
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Sun 8 Oct |
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Mon 9 Oct |
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Tue 10 Oct |
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Wed 11 Oct |
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Thu 12 Oct |
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Fri 13 Oct |
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Sun 15 Oct |
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Mon 16 Oct |
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Tue 17 Oct |
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Wed 18 Oct |
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Sun 22 Oct |
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Mon 23 Oct |
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Tue 24 Oct |
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Wed 25 Oct |
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Thu 26 Oct |
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Fri 27 Oct |
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Sun 29 Oct |
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Mon 30 Oct |
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Tue 31 Oct |
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Wed 1 Nov |
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Thu 2 Nov |
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Fri 3 Nov |
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Sun 5 Nov |
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Mon 6 Nov |
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Tue 7 Nov |
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Wed 8 Nov |
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Thu 9 Nov |
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Fri 10 Nov |
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Sun 12 Nov |
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Mon 13 Nov |
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Tue 14 Nov |
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Wed 15 Nov |
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Thu 16 Nov |
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Fri 17 Nov |
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Sun 19 Nov |
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Mon 20 Nov |
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Tue 21 Nov |
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Wed 22 Nov |
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Thu 23 Nov |
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Fri 24 Nov |
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Sun 26 Nov |
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Mon 27 Nov |
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Tue 28 Nov |
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Wed 29 Nov |
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Thu 30 Nov |
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Fri 1 Dec |
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Sun 3 Dec |
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Mon 4 Dec |
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Tue 5 Dec |
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Wed 6 Dec |
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Thu 7 Dec |
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Fri 8 Dec |
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Sun 10 Dec |
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Mon 11 Dec |
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Tue 12 Dec |
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Wed 13 Dec |
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Thu 14 Dec |
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Fri 15 Dec |
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Sun 17 Dec |
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Mon 18 Dec |
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Tue 19 Dec |
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Wed 20 Dec |
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Thu 21 Dec |
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Fri 22 Dec |
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Sun 24 Dec |
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Mon 25 Dec |
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Tue 26 Dec |
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Wed 27 Dec |
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Thu 28 Dec |
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Fri 29 Dec |
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Sun 31 Dec |
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Location 
Old Treasury Building
20 Spring Street
East Melbourne 3002
Price and bookings
This is a free event
Booking not required

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