1918 Bertie

A young boy stands confidently, dressed in a striped shirt and suspenders, paired with knee-length shorts. He wears a cap and has brown shoes, along with knee-high socks. He holds a small bag close to his chest, exuding a vintage charm.

Bertie is determined to buy a pair of brogue shoes to welcome his brother Eddie home from World War I. As he scrambles to earn the final shilling, Bertie performs magic tricks, visits the repatriation hospital, and shares moments with returned soldiers. Amid grief, loss, and the announcement of Armistice, Bertie’s story explores resilience, generosity, and the quiet ways communities honour those who return, and those who don’t.

The 1910s were marked by war, sacrifice, and social change. The ANZAC legend emerged at Gallipoli, while conscription debates divided the nation. Women took on new civic roles, and First Nations Australians served despite exclusion. The Spanish flu deepened national grief, as scientific advances like CSIRO and wireless communication began connecting Australians across vast distances.

1921: Edith Cowan becomes the first woman elected to an Australian parliament (Western Australia).
1911: Margaret Fisher, wife of Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, leads the Australian delegation in support of British women’s suffrage in London.
1912: Aya-I-G, a First Nations man, receives Australia’s first gallantry medal for saving Constable W. F. Johns from drowning.
1913: Australia’s first navy is established with seven ships, enhancing national defence capabilities.
1914: The Australian Red Cross is formed, providing humanitarian aid during World War I.
1915: ANZAC troops land at Gallipoli in April and retreat in December, marking a defining moment in Australian military history. First female police officers are appointed in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales.
1916 & 1917: Two national plebiscites on conscription fail, revealing deep divisions in wartime Australia.
1917: CSIRO is founded, laying the groundwork for scientific research and innovation in Australia. The Trans-Australian Railway opens, connecting the east and west coasts and transforming travel and trade.
1918: The first direct wireless telegram using radio waves is transmitted from Britain to Australia, revolutionising communication.
1919: The Spanish flu pandemic reaches Australia, causing widespread illness and social disruption.

First Nations Focus:

While not foregrounded in this episode, students can explore how First Nations Australians served in World War I despite facing exclusion from rights, recognition, and enlistment policies.

Many enlisted unofficially, showing courage and loyalty in the face of systemic discrimination. Aya-I-G’s 1912 gallantry medal offers a powerful example of civic contribution. Students can also investigate how First Nations families experienced similar economic pressures and maintained cultural traditions through kinship, storytelling, and resilience, often without the support afforded to non-Indigenous veterans. These stories deepen understanding of service, injustice, and cultural continuity.

Inquiry Sprint

Provocation Questions

How do we honour those who serve, and what helps us carry their stories forward?

Tuning In

Watch Clip 1: On Tick Part 1 (0:00 - 1:42)

In this clip, Bertie is trying to pay off the final shilling for a gift for his brother Eddie, who is returning from war.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

What does Bertie’s gift reveal about his values and hopes?
How did families welcome soldiers home after WWI?
What does “on tick” mean, and what does it tell us about life in 1918?
Student Task:

Create a class mind map of post-war family life and community support. Include concepts like rationing, repatriation, and emotional recovery.

Finding Out

Watch Clip 2: Impact of War

In this clip, Bertie reflects on the loss of his father and Freddie Miller. He speaks with Sid, an Aboriginal soldier, about Eddie’s return.

Student Tasks:

Discuss the role of the ‘telegram man’ and Bertie’s comment in the opening scene.
Research Indigenous soldiers in WWI and their treatment post-war
Interview a grandparent or elder about any family stories from the war era

Historical Inquiry Integration:

Analyse sources: Letters, enlistment records, and oral accounts
Identify relevant evidence, such as wartime telegrams: What do these sources reveal about grief, service, and recognition?

Sorting Out

Watch Clip 3: On Tick Part 2 (1:24 - 2:27)

In this clip, Bertie brings goat’s milk to his mother at the Repatriation Hospital and chats with returned soldiers.

Complete one of the following tasks:

Option 1: In pairs, create a newspaper front page: “Welcoming Soldiers Home in 1918

Option 2: Hold a class debate: “Should all soldiers receive equal recognition?”

Option 3: Create a vendiagram to compare • Compare Bertie’s community care with modern support for veterans.

Going Further

Watch Clip 4: Armistice Part 1 (0:53 - 2:56)

In this clip, Jen sees her mother’s engagement ring, realises her mother’s decision to marry Wal and begins to accept the change.

Write a radio or podcast script exploring how children contributed to family wellbeing during wartime, especially reflect on the emotional significance of gift-giving in times of hardship.

Making Connections

Watch Clip 5 Armistice Part 2 (0:00 - 0:55)

In this clip, Eddie returns, missing a leg. Sid announces the end of the war. The community celebrates, but grief lingers.

As a class, hold a discussion answering the following questions:

What does Armistice mean to different people in the episode?
How do we honour those who return, and those who don’t?
What helps us carry stories of service and loss forward?

Complete one of the following tasks:

Option 1: Write a letter to a returned soldier

Option 2: Interview a veteran or elder about remembrance and resilience

Taking Action

Apply learning by designing a “Community Memorial Board” that honours service, grief, and community resilience. To support community involvement and knowledge of the Board, put out a request for artefacts, letters, and oral histories. You could also submit letter or podcast scripts to from previous activities to a local archive or community newsletter.

Australian Curriculum Links

Explore how war, remembrance, and civic identity shaped Australian communities during and after World War I.

Year	Content Description	Inquiry Sprint Link + Student Activity Prompts	CCP Integration
Year 3	AC9HS3K02 Significance of individuals, events, places and developments in the local community	Tuning In: Pose questions about Bertie’s gift and Eddie’s return. Sort and record ideas about civic rituals and remembrance using pictorial timelines or concept maps.	Explore civic rituals, ANZAC Day, and local commemorations
Year 3	AC9HS3K01 Importance of Country/Place to First Nations Australians	Finding Out: Investigate Sid’s story and First Nations service. Collect and interpret oral histories or visual sources. Share perspectives on cultural connection and civic contribution.	Compare civic service and kinship care
Year 4	AC9HS4K01 Role of individuals, events and groups in shaping communities	Sorting Out: Identify and analyse Bertie’s acts of care. Use source evidence to draw conclusions about civic identity and community support.	Explore civic resilience and shared memory
Year 4	AC9HS4K02 Changes in daily life and perspectives over time	Going Further: Compare grief and recovery across generations. Pose questions about remembrance and emotional resilience. Communicate findings through reflective writing or oral storytelling.	Reflect on emotional and cultural continuity
Year 5	AC9HS5K02 Causes and effects of change in Australian society	Finding Out: Research Indigenous soldiers and post-war grief. Interpret historical sources and discuss perspectives on recognition and exclusion.	Examine civic responsibility and recognition
Year 5	AC9HS5K01 Significance of First Nations Australians’ experiences and contributions	Making Connections: Pose questions about Sid’s legacy. Use evidence to develop interpretations of cultural resilience and civic pride. Communicate through podcasts or commemorative displays.	Honour cultural resilience and historical exclusion
Year 6	AC9HS6K02 Significance of migration and cultural diversity in Australia	Making Connections: Investigate civic rituals and shared identity. Sort and record examples of cultural contribution. Communicate findings through annotated maps or visual timelines.	Link remembrance to cultural inclusion and belonging
Year 6	AC9HS6K01 Key historical events and developments shaping Australian society	Going Further: Pose questions about Armistice and post-war recovery. Analyse sources and draw conclusions about war’s impact on civic values. Share interpretations through dramatic performance or visual storytelling.	Explore war’s impact on civic values and community care

Explore how war, loyalty, and remembrance shape character development, emotional resilience, and civic storytelling in 1910s Australia.

Year	Content Description	Inquiry Sprint Link + Student Activity Prompts	Thematic Integration
Year 3	AC9E3LE01 Respond to literary texts by sharing personal connections and reflections	Tuning In: Share a personal response to Bertie’s gift idea. Write a short reflection: “What would I give someone returning from war?”	Family Civic Identity
Year 3	AC9E3LY06 Create imaginative texts with characters and settings	Going Further: Write a short story or comic strip imagining Bertie’s magic show. Use descriptive language to show emotion and setting.	Courage Friendship
Year 4	AC9E4LE01 Analyse characters’ feelings, motivations and actions	Finding Out: Compare Bertie’s grief with Evelyn’s. Use a character map to track emotions and decisions.	Grief Family
Year 4	AC9E4LY06 Create persuasive and reflective texts	Making Connections: Write a persuasive letter to Mr Watson asking him to give Bertie credit “on tick.” Use emotive and civic language.	Civic Identity Courage
Year 5	AC9E5LE01 Analyse how historical and cultural contexts shape characters and events	Sorting Out: Explore Sid’s story as an Aboriginal soldier. Write a journal entry from Sid’s perspective about the Armistice.	War Civic Identity
Year 5	AC9E5LY06 Create multimodal texts using narrative and informative elements	Going Further: Create a podcast or digital slideshow about Bertie’s community care. Include narration, images, and music.	Family Civic Identity
Year 6	AC9E6LE01 Respond to texts shaped by historical and cultural contexts	Making Connections: Reflect on the meaning of Armistice. Write a commemorative poem or speech for a school assembly.	War Grief Civic Identity
Year 6	AC9E6LY06 Create texts that integrate ideas and perspectives	Taking Action: Design a class anthology of remembrance stories. Include student-written pieces inspired by Bertie’s episode.	Memory Courage Community

Country/Place: Compare Bertie’s community care and hospital visits with First Nations relationships to Country, kinship, and healing practices, especially in times of grief and recovery.

Culture: Explore storytelling, remembrance, and civic pride across communities, including the contributions of Indigenous soldiers like Sid and the cultural significance of service.

People: Highlight the role of Elders, returned servicemen, and community leaders in shaping values, resilience, and civic responsibility, especially in the face of exclusion and loss.

Asia and its Diversity: Use WWI-era migration and enlistment patterns to explore cultural contribution and diversity, including the experiences of Asian and Indigenous soldiers.

Achievements and Contributions: Celebrate the roles of migrant and First Nations families in shaping civic life, wartime service, and remembrance traditions.

Asia/Australia Connections: Reflect on how storytelling, memorials, and civic rituals foster belonging, intergenerational memory, and shared identity across cultures.

Additional Resources

Episode Stills

Sid and Bertie talking with Mr Watson

A soldier in military attire holds a cricket bat while standing on a quiet road, looking intently at a young boy dressed in vintage clothing and shorts. Behind them, a child in a dark outfit rides a bicycle, adding a sense of nostalgia to the scene, surrounded by greenery and brick walls.

The telegram boy waiting for Sid and Laurie

A young boy in vintage clothing and a cap stands in a shop, looking serious. In the background, a man with a mustache watches him, dressed in a green cardigan and white shirt. Various items and clothing are visible on shelves around them.

Bertie in Mr Watson's shop

A boy in shorts and suspenders runs energetically down the street, while a woman in a white dress and headscarf looks back in concern. A soldier in a uniform, wearing an armband, follows closely behind, with another boy holding a bat standing nearby. Fallen leaves scatter on the ground, hinting at an autumn setting.

Bertie taking the news badly

A group of people dressed in historical clothing gathers outdoors in front of a rustic, stone building. In the center, a man and a woman exchange a handshake, while other attendees observe and smile. The scene captures a lively, celebratory atmosphere, reminiscent of a bygone era.

Celebrating Armistice

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