We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of lands across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage, and recognise the continuing sovereignties of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which the ACTF is based and pay our respect to their Elders past and present.

We are honoured to have the opportunity to learn from the oldest cultural storytellers in the world and seek to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to share their rich culture and perspectives with children in Australia and around the world via stories on screen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

New Education Package for ANZAC Day

The ACTF has compiled a range of engaging educational content and support materials related to ANZAC Day. The ANZAC Day Education Package contains resources from both My Place and Boy Soldiers.

The episode “1918: Bertie” from My Place depicts one Australian boy’s life in the final days of the First World War. In watching this program – or the three short clips featured on the My Place for Teachers website – students can learn about returned soldiers, casualties of war, the Armistice, and issues facing indigenous soldiers. My Place for Teachers also features curriculum-aligned lesson plans to develop students’ understanding of the significance of ANZAC Day, and the wider historical context of the First World War.

Additionally, the 48-minute telemovie “Boy Soldiers” from the Winners and More Winners series explores the issues of conscription and conscientious objectors during wartime. Boy Soldiers is available on DVD from the ACTF shop.

The ACTF has produced free material to support teachers using Boy Soldiers in the classroom: Teaching Resource A centres on the filmmaking techniques used to tell 14-year old Will Barnes’ story; and Teaching Resource B details the opposing views of conscription, with reference to the 1916 and 1917 referendums.