Description
This iconic propaganda poster is one of the most recognizable images from Australia’s experience in the Second World War. Created at a time when the Japanese Imperial forces were rapidly advancing through Southeast Asia, the artwork was intended to shock the Australian public out of complacency and into total war mobilization.
Visual Composition:
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The Aggressor: The central figure is a caricatured Japanese soldier, depicted with an aggressive expression, clutching a submachine gun. He is shown as a giant, literally stepping over the islands of Southeast Asia and New Guinea, with his hobnailed boot poised directly over the Australian continent.
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Symbolism: In the background, the red rays of the Japanese “Rising Sun” flag radiate outward, symbolizing the expansion of the Japanese Empire.
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Geography: The map focuses on the proximity of the conflict to the Australian mainland, emphasizing that the “buffer” of the northern islands had been breached.
Messaging and Tone:
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Headline: The top text, “HE’S COMING SOUTH,” creates an immediate sense of an inevitable, physical threat.
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The Ultimatum: The bottom text, “It’s fight, work or perish,” reflects the Australian government’s “Total War” policy. It informed citizens that every person had a role to play—whether in the military (“fight”) or in essential industry (“work”)—and that failure to do so would result in national destruction (“perish”).
Historical Context: Produced by artist Northfield and printed by the Victorian Railways Printing Office, this poster was distributed shortly after the Bombing of Darwin. It remains a controversial and visceral example of wartime propaganda, reflecting the racialized fears and the genuine existential threat felt by Australians in 1942.
