In September 1939 Australia joined Britain in declaring war on Germany. In the six years of World War II life in Australia went from 'business as usual' to an 'all in' war effort.

Leadership of the country passed between five men. It fell to the newly instated Robert Menzies to inform the Australian people that their country was at war. Arthur Fadden, who had acted as Prime Minister when Menzies was overseas, took over the position for a short time after Menzies resigned. John Curtin, heading a Labor government, took power in October 1941.

The bombing of Pearl Harbour, the fall of Singapore and continued Japanese aggression in south-east Asia, brought the war to our doorstep. Australia became the base for Allied command in the south-west Pacific. The whole economy was directed to the war effort, involving civilians as never before.

The strain of office eventually took its toll, and Curtin died just a few months before Allied victory in the Pacific. His loyal deputy, Frank Forde, acted briefly as Prime Minister before Ben Chifley, the architect of Labor's post-war reconstruction plans, was elected to the position.