Peter Grose. For Australians, wars are fought in that mysterious land called "overseas". Few Australians are aware of the bitter battles on their own soil. There were 97 Japanese air raids on Northern Australia, including Darwin, which remains the worlst single event in Australian history with as many as 300 dead. A midget submarine attack inside Sydney Harbour led to 21 Allied sailors killed. Sydney and Newcastle were shelled. Peter Grose, author of 'An Awkward Truth' and 'A Very Rude Awakening', talks about the only war that is truly ours. 

Cameron Forbes. The Korean War had a profound impact on the world and the great ideological confrontation that was the Cold War. It also gave shape to Australia's strategic alliance with the United States and set the pattern for our involvement in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Multi-award winning journalist and author Cameron Forbes will talk both about the giants of history - Mao, Stalin and Truman - and about the marvelous Diggers in an Australian force wich punched above their weight. 

Pattie Wright. 2012 marks the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the HMAS Perth I and USS Houston in the plucky Battle of the Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942. Pattie will discuss the men's attempts to survive, escape and the POW years on the Thai Burma Railway and in Japan. 

Anthony Cooper. In 1943, a small band of inexperienced Australian and British fighter pilots fought an ongoing air battle in defence of north western Australia, flying against a formidably skilled and proficient opponent. The air raids on Darwin during 1942-43 constituted the only sustained and intensive direct assault on Australian mainland territory in the whole of World War Two. Anthony Cooper, a Brisbane school teacher and author of Darwin Spitfires tells this little known story, and in so doing, recovers this important aspect of Australian History. 

Garth Pratten. The fall of Singapore is widely regarded as one of the allies' greatest military disasters of the Second World War. Central to British strategy in Asia and the Pacific, Singapre was touted as an impregnable fortress, home for a mighty fleet and yet it was conquered by the Japanese in a week. This presentation will examine the reasons for that calamitous defeat and also address some of the many myths that, 70 years later, still bedevil Australia's understanding of it. 

Rosalie Triolo. No one emerges unchanged from war and Victoria's First World War teachers were no different. For some, there was no return to the classroom. For those who did reenter the workforce, some battled, briefly or for decades, with physical or psychological challenges. Others, however, managed to salvage something positive from their experiences, finding what their director knew they must find:'some soul of goodness in things evil. Join Monash University historian, Rosalie Triolo, as she follows teachers into very different post war lives. 

Ian Pfennigwerth. This year marks the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy. Join naval historian, Ian Pfenningwerth as he discusses the important and often overlooked role of the Navy during the First World War. Hear about the significant role this new Australian fleet had in persuading the German Navy to leave the Pacific. 

Panel Discussion. The original purpose of military uniforms was identification but through the years, uniforms have evolved in response to changes in warfare, fashion and technology. Join this panel discussion on the evolution of twentieth century military uniforms, with particular reference to the uniforms featured in the Shrine's anniversary exhibitions, 'Pride of the Nation:Centenary of the Navy' and 'Greece, Crete and Syria' and also the ManStyle lexhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. 

Stephen Dando-Collins. 'Crack hardy' was a saying used in the First World War trenches. It meant 'grin and bear it, put on a brave face'. The Searle boys had to crack hardy as they fought in one gruelling campaign after another. One brother was killed at Gallipoli, another on the Western Front and one came home a decorated hero. Join award winning author Stephen Dando-Collins, the great nephew of the Searle brothers, as he shares his family's story. 

Jean McAuslan, Manager of Exhibitions and Collections at the Shrine of Remembrance, will share her insights into her recent tour of First World War (1914-18) sites of commemoration in Gallipoli, Belgium and the Somme Valley.  Jean accompanied year 9 and 10 recipients of the 2011 Spirit of ANZAC prize.  At Gallipoli they shared the chill conditions experienced by the original ANZACs on 25 April 1915 and the Dawn Service at Villers Brettoneux in France. Jean will speak about the enriching experiences of this special trip in which all learnt under the guidance of Professor Bruce Scates and through the eyes of young Australian secondary students.