Censorship during WW2

1. Censorship during WW2 In regard of Japanese attacks on Australia

2.  Censorship in Australia  • Media censorship imposed during 1940-1945 • Menzies Government established the Department of Information to control reporting of wartime news. • Done so for the purposes of: • preventing valuable information getting into enemy hands • preventing false impressions of Australia overseas • and maintaining high morale on the home front

3. Japanese attacks on Australia • February 1942-November 1943 • Series of Air and Boat attacks on the Australian mainland, most notably Darwin, as well as North QLD & WA. • Primarily targeting infrastructure, including Airfields and Harbours.

4.  Censorship of Attacks  • Department of Information, led by Sir Keithy Murdoch • Best example of Censorship was a article in the Melbourne Argus on 21st February 1941 • “17 killed in raids on Darwin, 6 enemy planes shot down… In 2 air raids on Darwin yesterday it is believed that the total casualties were 17 killed and 24 wounded. Nine of the civilian fatalities were members of the Darwin Post Office staff, including the postmaster, his wife, and daughter. Latest information received at RAAF headquarters indicates that in yesterday's raids no vital damage was done to RAAF installations…” • When in reality 243 people died in the raids, and there were 300-400 casualties, a clear example of censorship.

5.  Reaction to being Censored  • Australian public was well aware of Government censorship • Yet penalties were imposed upon those who breached censorship • Public were highly critical of the programme, it was even compared to the Nazi Department of Propaganda and Enlightenment, run by Joseph Goebbels