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From the collection of National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)

8050 Items featured online

Functional Object, Marbles

Untitled image

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Have a question? Contact National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)

Historical information

Between 1965 & 1972, twenty-year-old Australian males had to register for National Service. The ballot was held twice a year and the marbles, which bear numbers that represented birth dates, were used in a barrel to determine who would be called up. Each numbered marble represented two birthdates. Men born on the dates of the numbers drawn were thereby called up for National Service.
National Service was a hotly debated issue. These ballot balls were the items at the centre of the argument. The peace movement in Australia was opposed not only to Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, but also to conscription of young men into National Service.