The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
This poster was created for the Vietnam Moratorium movement, and was specifically targetted at teachers in an attempt to get them to protest Australian involvement of the Vietnam War.
Teachers were certainly a strong target audience for the larger Vietnam Moratorium movement. With many of the soldiers fighting in Vietnam - particularly those that were conscripted - teachers would have played a significant role in their life up until that point and were hence likely to be very emotionally invested in the well-being and futures of many of these soldiers. The sentiment that was trying to be enforced by the printers of this poster was that they, the teachers, had helped to shape the unbringings of these men, who were now to be seemingly sent off against their will to fight in a war that appeared to not directly impact Australia. This poster curiously uses this sense of connection to the young men going off to fight, by invoking and highlighting the moral sentiments of the teachers, directly targetting "Teachers of Conscience." The poster implies that by ignoring this plea for support, a teacher would thereby be indicating their lack of conscience.
This particular poster promotes a protest on 5 May 1970, just three days prior to the first, and largest, Vietnam Moratorium protest. The poster's aims are clear and concise: "withdraw all troops now" and "repeal the National Service Act" speak to the key aims of the Moratorium movement in order of precedence: withdrawing Australian soldiers from the Vietnam War; and repealing the National Service Act.
The poster features two silhouettes of a stylised dove, one with a picture of a crying and injured Vietnamese child cut into the shape of a dove and the other a blue silhouette. The dove symbol has been assocaited with war for millenia, with the ancient Mesopotamia goddess of war Innanna-Ishtar often depicted accompanied by the bird. In terms of a symbol of peace, the dove has held this meaning since early Christianity, where it was commonly depicted on sepulchres. In the lower right corner of the poster is the Vietnam Moratorium 'wheel' symbol.
Two silhouettes of a stylised dove, one with a picture of a crying Vietnamese child cut into the shape of a dove and the other a blue silhouette. The accompanying text advertises Teacher's Day in the
This poster relates to one of the smaller, side protests relating to the Vietnam Moratorium movement. The Vietnam Moratorium campaigns were a result of a conference held in Canberra in November 196
This poster was created in 1970 to promote an art show as part of the greater Vietnam Moratorium movement. The art exhibition was held at Darlinghurst Gallery (162 Crown Street, Darlinghurst) over 4,
Australian Vietnam Moratorium Campaign poster. The top two thirds of this poster features a large Moratorium symbol in orange floating on a blue background. The title and text are printed in white bel
Australian Vietnam Moratorium Campaign poster. The top two thirds of this poster features a large Moratorium symbol in orange floating on a blue background. The title and text are printed in white bel
Australian Vietnam Moratorium Campaign poster. The top two thirds of this poster features a large Moratorium symbol in orange floating on a blue background. The title and text are printed in white bel