Just before midnight on 7 December 1941, Flying Officer Peter Gibbes stepped off the train at Kota Bharu on the coast of northeast Malaya after a long, tiring journey up the peninsula from Singapore. Gibbes, an airline pilot in peacetime, had been newly posted to the Royal Australian Air Force’s 1 Squadron, which in the ensuing hours would become the first Australian military unit to see action in the Pacific War.
This video vividly tells the story of Australia’s first action of the Pacific war.
This excellent video was created by the Australian Military Aviation History Association. See more of their great videos and information here.
10 things every politician should know about history
Reading time: 5 minutes
The federal Education Minister, Alan Tudge, has announced a major edit of the draft history curriculum by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as part of an effort to lift educational standards. “Ultimately, students should leave school with a love of country and a sense of optimism and hope that we live in the greatest country on Earth and that the future is bright,” he said.
When History disappears: the modern loss of historical artifacts
Reading time: 6 minutes
Thanks to their meticulous preservation, museums and their millions of historical artefacts usually stand the test of time. Sometimes, however, it’s not time that historians and archaeologists should worry about, but human action, or occasionally even natural disasters.
Weekly History Quiz No.266
1. Which Empire operated the Manila Galleon trade?
Try the full 10 question quiz.
