South Australia on the eve of War
In August 1914 South Australians - much like their fellow Australians around the country - enthusiastically displayed their patriotism when war was announced. It's a story we know well, but what do we know of South Australia in the lead up to the First World War? What was it like to live there at the time? What were South Australians talking about?
South Australia on the Eve of War considers unique aspects of the state in this pre-war period, including the political reverberations of Federation, the town planning of what was then Australia's third-largest capital, Adelaide, and the shifting social positions of women, Indigenous Australians and minority groups.
These insights help us understand South Australia's response to the war that would consume the state and its people for the next four years.
With contributions from Melanie Oppenheimer and Margrette Kleinig, John Bannon, Margaret Anderson and Alison Mackinnon, Mandy Paul, Elspeth Grant, Jill Roe, Christine Garnaut, Margaret Allen, Peter Monteath, and Stephanie James.
Praise for South Australia on the Eve of War:
'Interesting issues which occurred during the years leading up to 1914.' - Nic Klaassen, Flinders Ranges Research
'This book presents well researched and considered points of view on varied aspects of South Australian life by contributors who are clearly knowledgeable in their field.' - Rob Welsh, ReadPlus
'This book is not just relevant to South Australians, it demonstrates the varied nature of Australian history and the need to pay attention to the history of each colony/state when thinking of Australian history. It is easy to read and with its discrete chapters and is a good book for the busy reader who needs something that they can pick up and put down.' - Yvonne Perkins, Stumbling Through the Past
'A broad range of topics, each well-written with meticulous research, provides the history buff and the casual reader with a detailed and fascinating picture of our state on the eve of the Great War.' - Jan Kershaw, Glam Adelaide
