FAMILY HISTORY TALK: Stories of Australians at War

Discover Australia’s wartime past through personal and historical perspectives. Join Jo Callaghan and Prof. Peter Stanley, as they share their expert knowledge of military and historical records to bring Australia's wartime experience to life.

Jo Callaghan, family historian and author, will demonstrate how military service records can reveal deeply personal family stories from wartime. As Convenor of the Writers Special Interest Group at Family History ACT, Jo will guide you through ways to uncover your own family’s military history and connect it to Australia’s broader wartime legacy.

Prof. Peter Stanley, one of Australia’s foremost military social historians and Patron of Family History ACT, will present 'The Texture of Life in Australia, 1939–45'. His talk explores how the Second World War shaped the lives of everyday Australians—from the calm before the storm, through the dramatic events of 1942, to the hopes for peace in 1945.