ABC - The War that Changed Us (2014) Part 4 Coming Home (1918-19)

Especially commissioned by the ABC to mark the centenary of the First World War, “The War That Changed Us” is history on a grand scale. Wrought from the fine grain detail of the vivid and evocative personal testimonies of six Australians - revealed in letters, diaries, speeches and newspaper articles the events of the war unfold at home and on the frontline. Driven by human stories, rather than the detail of military history, the series offers an opportunity to get close to the actual experience of war, and to learn how it changed the lives of those involved. As a result the political becomes personal and the epic everyday. We watch the series protagonists struggle with the opposing influences of imperialism and independence, militarism and pacifism, Old World enmities and New World utopian ideals. The War That Changed Us uses dramatic reconstruction, location filming, expert analysis and colourised black and white archive to tell a gripping tale spanning three continents over four brutal years. The events of 1914-18 not only change the course of human history, but would also test the mettle of one of the worlds newest nations Australia. The six key characters Foot soldier Archie Barwick (Myles Pollard) from Tasmania; army nurse Kit McNaughton (Jane Watt) from southwest Victoria; Boer war veteran Harold 'Pompey' Elliott (Luke Hewitt) from Melbourne; English born, farm labourer's son Tom Barker (Tom Milton); peace campaigner, Vida Goldstein (Virginia Gay) and pro-war crusader Eva Hughes (Alexandra Jones).

Part 4 Coming Home (1918-19)

The war to end all wars enters its fourth year taking a terrible toll on Australian soldiers and nurses. As the war builds to a climax Australian troops are right in the thick of it while at home millions argue about whether men should be compelled to fight in it. Enlistments have fallen away to a trickle, so for a second time Prime Minister Billy Hughes tries to introduce conscription. With all of its central leaders including Tom Barker in jail, the voice of the IWW is no longer being heard. This time conscription is soundly defeated and it is clear that instead of being a unifying force war divides Australia.

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