1948: Jen
Jen’s father died in the war, and her mother is planning to marry Wal. Jen struggles to accept Wal, comparing him to her heroic dad. Through cinema outings, car rides, and quiet moments of realisation, Jen’s story explores grief, loyalty, and changing family dynamics in post-war Australia.
1940s Decade Overview
The 1940s were a time of recovery, resilience, and quiet transformation. Post-war grief, emerging national pride, and the rise of cinema and car ownership reshaped family life, gender roles, and civic aspiration. First Nations activism began challenging exclusion, laying foundations for future rights movements.
1939–1945: World War II reshaped Australian society; over one million Australians served, including First Nations men and women, despite discriminatory enlistment policies.
1942: Japanese forces bombed Darwin and Sydney Harbour; American troops arrived under General MacArthur to defend the Pacific.
1945: The war ended. Australia joined the British Occupation Forces in Japan and became a founding member of the United Nations.
1946: Over 800 First Nations workers and families walked off pastoral stations in Western Australia, demanding fair pay and freedom in the Pilbara Strike, which lasted until 1949.
1947: Australia began welcoming non-British migrants from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under the “populate or perish” policy.
1948: Prime Minister Ben Chifley unveiled the first Holden FX, symbolising post-war prosperity and aspiration.
1940s: Women took on non-traditional roles during wartime, then faced pressure to relinquish jobs post-war; gender roles began to shift.
Post-war years: The Baby Boom began, reshaping family life and housing needs across Australia.
First Nations Focus: Despite military service, First Nations Australians faced exclusion from jobs, housing, and civic recognition. Activists began to challenge these injustices, laying the groundwork for future rights movements.
Provocation Question
How do traditions and expectations shape our relationships, and what helps us accept change?
Clip 1: The Pictures
Jen and her friends are at the 'pictures' watching a newsreel that includes an announcement of the birth of Prince Charles. In the cinema foyer, the girls steal a movie poster of Prince Philip, the husband of Princess Elizabeth (who would later become Queen Elizabeth II). The girls discuss the importance of 'handsomeness' and Jen tells them the prince looks like her father, who died in the war. This introduces themes of media influence, grief, and admiration.
Tuning In
Watch the clip carefully. What do you notice about the way people dressed, spoke, and behaved in the 1940s?
As a class, discuss the following questions:
- Why does Jen say Prince Philip looks like her dad?
- What does this tell us about her feelings and memories?
- How do you think going to the pictures was different from watching movies today?
Finding Out & Sorting Out
In groups, investigate what going to “the pictures” was like in the 1940s and how it shaped people’s lives. Use these questions to guide your research:
- What was the cinema experience like at that time?
- How did stardom and celebrity culture begin, and why were movie stars and royalty admired so much?
Once you’ve gathered your information, create a mind map that shows how media influenced people’s dreams and expectations in the 1940s. Include examples of famous film stars or royal figures who captured the public’s imagination. Finally, compare this to how media influences us today – what has changed and what has stayed the same?
Making Connections
In pairs, create a movie guide like those used in the 1940s. Think about what would make people excited to see your film back then – dramatic headlines, glamorous star profiles, and bold visuals. Compare your guide to a modern movie guide or streaming platform description. How has the language, style, and way of attracting audiences changed over time? What does this tell us about traditions, expectations, and how media influences us today?
Share your guides with the class and then discuss:
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How do traditions and expectations (like admiring royalty or movie stars) shape relationships?
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What helps people accept changes in society, like new ideas about fame or family?
Clip 2: The Holdens, Clip 3: Courting Part 1 & Clip 4: Courting Part 2
Clip 2: The Holdens
In this clip, Wal visits Jen's mother to take her to the pictures in his new FJ Holden. Jen is unaware of the affections between her mother and Wal. When Wal gives Jen's mother a kiss goodnight, Jen notices her mother’s affection and begins to feel conflicted.
Clip 3: Courting Part 1
In this clip, Jen and her friends are fantasising about the attractiveness of movie stars and royalty and rating them between one and ten. The girls only rate Wal as a three or four, which makes Jen feel that her friends would not approve if she told them about her mother's affection for him.
Clip 4: Courting Part 2
In this clip, Jen sees her mother’s engagement ring, realises her mother’s decision to marry Wal and begins to accept the change.
Tuning In
Watch the three clips carefully. What do you notice about family relationships and expectations in the 1940s and 1950s?
As a class, discuss the following:
As a class, discuss the following:
- Why does Jen feel conflicted about her mother and Wal?
- How do her friends’ opinions influence her feelings?
- What traditions or expectations about family and marriage are shown in these clips?
Finding Out & Sorting Out
In pairs, role-play a conversation between Jen and her mother about the themes of change and loyalty. Imagine how each character might feel and what they would say. After the role-play, choose either Jen or her mother’s perspective and write a journal entry that explains what they have learned about change. Include thoughts, feelings and any realisations that came from the conversation.
Making Connections
Reflect on Jen’s emotional journey and the cultural dynamics of post-war Australia by making personal connections. Use the following prompts to guide your thinking:
- Have I ever struggled to accept change in my family?
- What helps me feel proud of my family’s story?
- How do media and traditions shape how I see myself?
Write your reflections in a short paragraph, linking your own experiences to the themes to the provocation question: How do traditions and expectations shape our relationships, and what helps us accept change?
Australian Curriculum Links
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Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Knowledge and Understanding - History |
causes and effects of changes to the local community, and how people who may be from diverse backgrounds have contributed to these changes |
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the motivation of people migrating to Australia since Federation and throughout the 20th century, their stories and effects on Australian society, including migrants from the Asia region |
Understanding – Civics and Citizenship |
why people participate within communities and how students can actively participate and contribute to communities |
diversity of cultural, religious and/or social groups to which they and others in the community belong, and their importance to identity |
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Skills – Questioning and Researching |
develop questions to guide investigations about people, events, places and issues locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including annotated timelines and maps |
develop questions to guide investigations about people, events, places and issues locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including annotated timelines and maps |
develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats |
develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats |
Skills - Interpreting, analysing and evaluating |
interpret information and data displayed in different formats analyse information and data, and identify perspectives |
interpret information and data displayed in different formats analyse information and data, and identify perspectives |
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives |
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives |
Skills - Concluding and decision-making |
draw conclusions based on analysis of information |
draw conclusions based on analysis of information
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develop evidence-based conclusions
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develop evidence-based conclusions |
Skills - Communicating |
present descriptions and explanations, using ideas from sources and relevant subject-specific terms |
present descriptions and explanations, using ideas from sources and relevant subject-specific terms |
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions |
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions |
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Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Language |
understand how the language of evaluation and emotion, such as modal verbs, can be varied to be more or less forceful
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identify the subjective language of opinion and feeling, and the objective language of factual reporting |
understand how to move beyond making bare assertions by taking account of differing ideas or opinions and authoritative sources |
understand the uses of objective and subjective language, and identify bias |
Literacy |
recognise how texts can be created for similar purposes but different audiences use interaction skills to contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic-specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetically regular words plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations to inform, express opinions or tell stories, using a clear structure, details to elaborate ideas, topic-specific and precise vocabulary, visual features, and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume |
compare texts from different times with similar purposes and audiences to identify similarities and differences in their depictions of events listen for key points and information to carry out tasks and contribute to discussions, acknowledging another opinion, linking a response to the topic, and sharing and extending ideas and information plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation
plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations to report on a topic, tell a story, recount events or present an argument using subjective and objective language, complex sentences, visual features, tone, pace, pitch and volume
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describe the ways in which a text reflects the time and place in which it was created use appropriate interaction skills including paraphrasing and questioning to clarify meaning, make connections to own experience, and present and justify an opinion or idea plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and punctuation including dialogue punctuation plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include relevant, elaborated ideas, sequencing ideas and using complex sentences, specialist and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features |
examine texts including media texts that represent ideas and events, and identify how they reflect the context in which they were created use interaction skills and awareness of formality when paraphrasing, questioning, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, and sharing and evaluating information, experiences and opinions plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include information, arguments and details that develop a theme or idea, organising ideas using precise topic-specific and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features |
Critical and Creative Thinking
Students investigate historical media, compare past and present influences and create their own 1940s-style movie guide, encouraging them to analyse perspectives, identify patterns and generate creative responses.
Ethical Understanding
Students consider issues of loyalty, grief, family relationships and social expectations, helping them reflect on different viewpoints and understand how values influence people's decisions and actions.
Intercultural Understanding
Students explore how post-war Australian society was shaped by British cultural influences, including the royal family and celebrity culture, and compare these historical attitudes with contemporary social values and beliefs.
Personal and Social Capability
Students develop empathy and self-awareness by examining Jen's emotional journey, reflecting on their own experiences of change and family relationships and collaborating with others through discussion, role-play and group inquiry activities.