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Australian men rushed to enlist while loved ones tried to support them any way they could.
Soldiers prepared for the new style trench warfare while mothers, daughters and wives at home supported them by sending woollen clothing, care-packages and encouraging words.
When Australia joined the war in August 1914, the reaction was one of excitement, especially among young men.
Australian men answered the call to war with a sense of adventure, duty and enthusiasm.
As Australian armed forces grew from 3,000 to 50,000, some soldiers struggled with the discipline of military life.
As World War I dragged on and the casualty list grew, Australia struggled to maintain troop numbers.
From supporting the ‘mother country’, to the mythic status of Gallipoli, journalists and artists saw World War I as the birth of a nation.
Separated by 20,000 kilometres, Australians at home were encouraged to support the troops in any way they could.
