Balikpapan, Borneo. July 1945.
Sappers of the 2/4th Field Company
preparing to blow up pipelines
obstructing the movement of tanks
supporting the advance of 2/10th
Infantry Battalion in the oil refinery area.

[AWM 128776]

In 1945, the Australian servicemen and women fought their final actions of World War II in now almost forgotten campaigns in New Guinea, New Britain, Bougainville, the Philippines and Borneo. 'Last Battles' explores the experience of fighting at places such as Wewak, Leyte, Jacquinot Bay and many other locations. Two significant image galleries deal with General Douglas MacArthur in Australia and with the sending of a contingent of the Australian Women's Army Service overseas to Lae, New Guinea.

Bibliography

G Hermon Gill, Australia in the War of 1939 - 1945; Series Two, Navy, Vol II - Royal Australian Navy 1942 - 1945, Canberra, 1968.

Gavin Long, Australia in the War of 1939-1945; Series One, Army, Vol VII - The Final Campaigns, Canberra, 1963.

George Odgers, Australian in the War of 1939-1945; Series Three, Air, Vol II - Air war against Japan, Canberra, 1957.

Peter Stanley, Tarakan: an Australian tragedy, St Leonards, 1997.

Operation CLICK: Anzac to Kokoda

is a classroom resource which draws on and encourages the use of the following Veterans' Affairs websites:
• Australia’s War 1939–1945 – www.ww2australia.gov.au
• Visit Gallipoli – www.anzacsite.gov.au

You may download Work sheets - provided in PDF file format.

The resource book and CD-ROM package contains lessons that can be used in many contexts in History and Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) classrooms. They were written by experienced history teachers with three aims in mind:

• to provide both beginning and experienced teachers with lessons using the two websites as core resources
• to invite teachers to explore more effective ways of encouraging their students to incorporate ICT skills into their classroom learning activities
• to provide exciting and original lessons that will encourage young Australians to learn more about Australia’s wartime heritage through the stories and images provided on the two websites.