In the decade before the Great War, the newly federated Australian nation created a large force of volunteer citizen soldiers, a modern navy and, in 1909, inaugurated a ‘Universal Service Scheme’ under which teenaged boys were conscripted to train for home defence. By 1911 about 175,000 boys were being trained – about half of those eligible (many families objected or lived in rural areas, making training difficult).

Many trainees became old enough to volunteer for the Australian Imperial Force, but the scheme continued during the Great War. It was seen as a way to prepare boys for the duty of defending the nation (at a time when many Australians feared invasion by Japan) and to encourage physical fitness and inculcate discipline.

The text book for Junior Cadet Training specified the syllabus to be followed by junior cadets aged from 12 to 14. They were required to perform physical training exercises every school day, to drill and were able to learn to shoot, swim, play games, practise first aid and learn signalling. Boredom with monotonous drill, parental and community opposition to what was often seen as a militarist imposition (especially in a society bitterly divided by two referenda over conscription) diminished the number of boys participating.

The Universal Service Scheme reflected concerns both over the likelihood of invasion and the physical deterioration caused by what the book called ‘the conditions of modern civilization’, and it remained in being until 1929.

Professor Peter Stanley, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra

This item is held in UNSW Canberra Special Collections. Make an appointment to view the original print resource using the Special Collections Make an Enquiry form.