Original subtitles

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oh

my

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october 1942

in the 10 months since pearl harbor most

of southeast asia had fallen to the

japanese

burma thailand malaya singapore the

philippines and now they'd set their

sights on new guinea

just a few hundred miles from the shores

of australia

we all knew that the battle for our

homeland would be won or lost in the

jungles of new guinea

[Music]

from the first day of training mick

murphy and i had been mates

i suppose we were pretty different

he was a farmer with a wife and three

kids

i'd never met his family but i felt i

knew them pretty well

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i was a city boy

footloose and fancy free

in five minutes

it's about three mile

from the air strip to the staging camp

our new platoon commander lieutenant

mcdonald be waiting for us there

now apparently

he's a pretty fussy sort of black

so watch on your toes

all of you

a little bit blue

hold it there you blotch hold that

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no worries she'll be right here

what the hell is going on

melbourne cup what's that

horse

not just any horse race mate it's the

melbourne cup

[Applause]

[Music]

shut up

mercury

all right come on there's got to be a

winner here somewhere over here

well

i don't suppose you've got your ticket

actually i don't

it's all right i remember you you've had

10 bob on colonists and 33 to 1.

now i hope that some of that ends up on

the plate tomorrow so is it the most

chance of that father i'm anglican

[Applause]

[Music]

come on

as you've probably gathered i'm your new

platoon commander

lieutenant edward mcdonald

actually i think you all know rather

more about me than i do about you

you're no doubt aware that we've got the

japs pretty well boxed up

the yanks have been floundering around

for weeks trying to push them through

the coast of course we all know why the

yanks aren't much good at fighting

they're too worn out from chasing after

our women folk

but we're going to show the nips that

they can't fall around with 700 boys

from the aif

with a bit of luck we'll all be home for

christmas any questions

how far are the yanks from the coast sir

approximately 12 miles

how long do you reckon it'll take us to

clear it

it's assumed by the brass that will

accomplish it within a week a week i

reckon i could do 12 miles in half a day

good show private you do that

and you can have a hot meal waiting for

the rest of us

got the left-handed some food

are we all shaping up then good thanks

sir

a real bronzer

enjoying your meal

not as good

good as

my mum cooks

we raise our own meat

he's radio ops

lieutenant it's hot sir

first time in action sir

yes it is actually

but i feel like i've been training for

this all my life

cadets at the king's school then

military college

come true and sir

nice to chat with

you come on

melbourne cup night

i'd be out on the town tonight

i mocked it up in my suit

[Applause]

giving the girls a thrill

real romeo

they line up when they see me coming

oh modesto

i wonder how they're managing without me

there's plenty of yanks to look after

that

it's all right for you you're married

yeah

geez i made a real mongrel of myself the

day i left

how come uh the family gave me this

girls must have saved for weeks for it

sally dipped into the family savings

it's a beauty

i gave him hell over it

i wanted him to have the money for

himself especially with me away

don't worry

i'll make sure you get back

pig's ass you're the one that'll need

looking after

father

these men are going off into battle

help them by giving them the strength

and the courage that they need

enable them to meet their danger bravely

keep them from disease and sickness

and bring them back safely to their

loved ones

let us pray

is

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[Applause]

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so

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i don't fancy our chances

want to give it a go

he used to be a lifesaver at bondi

so

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so

[Applause]

cool

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let me keep down

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see the top of the radio

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keep going

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come on

come on

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is

oh

foreign

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so

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so

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the enemy are on their way

with the help of the gods

sato and i will kill them

if i must die

i will do my best to do so

with a noble spirit

for the emperor

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it's impressive

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so

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jets

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doesn't appear to be any movement

they might be all dead

something else

check it out

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leave the ring gun here

i'll cover you

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so

uh

um

uh

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make

one

two

three go

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so

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so

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so

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and that's enough

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jewels of the

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best day

homie trap

he's

piss it off

hey macdonald

mcdonald

bastard

lyndon tennis

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make it torn again

well it looks as if everybody's left

right oh there's nobody left shut up

just gotta tie this

stop the flat

[Applause]

right

that'll stop it be right in a minute

we're not finished yet we might be the

last ones here

but i'll tell you what i'm gonna do

now listen

there's a crater back there

just back over there if i can get to

that now listen

i might be able to sneak around the back

of the foxhole right yeah

and drop a grenade in just for a little

presence right right and you think you

can keep it covered yeah i don't want

you to move

right right

i'll be going

nick

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nice

right

on the count of three right yeah one

two

three

[Applause]

[Applause]

me

[Applause]

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hang on mick

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mick i'm coming mick

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just hang on meg

i'm nearly there

i'm coming

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oh

hmm

oh

you'll be right i'll fix you up and i'll

get back to henderson

no no no mate no

i'll think of something i'll i'll pat

you up

i'll get some fuzzy onesies to help me

get you back to the ammo

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before you know it you'll be back at

ford

you'll be

patched up

and you'll be going home

you'll be walking down the road

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they'll be waiting for you

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and the kitchen will be there

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hotel

what

to

so

so

okay

it takes more than that to stop me jeff

you think i'm gonna go to sleep don't

you

well i'm not

i've got something here to keep me awake

i have always been willing to die at any

time

but nowadays

somehow

i am full of the desire to go back home

alive

just once more

but i will put these thoughts behind me

[Applause]

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yes

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yes

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okay

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so

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what

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[Applause]

oh

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come on come on come on yeah come on

come on get us come on

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oh

you shouldn't have touched him

he was my best mate and you killed him i

don't want johnny jabs touching him

he died

so do we all

we japanese are not afraid to die hey

does this make you feel afraid

is that

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what do you think of that eh

remember me

stanley david's an older boy

[Applause]

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uh

wow

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sorry mate

i sort of looked after you better

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said it's only the female mosquito that

can give you malaria he's a hell man

you've got good eyesight

out there

right

[Applause]

stan

how are you feeling

all right oh you're a very lucky man

you know it was touch and go there for a

while

i called in to see you last night you

were tossing and turning

calling out in your sleep

is there something that you wanted to

talk to me about

i don't think so

not with me

with god

sometimes it can help to talk things

over

he knows

he understands what you've been

it's through up here father

not in new guinea

don't you blame god for the war stand

only man can stop the war

you've got an answer for everything evan

talk to god stan

let him hear your confession

all right father

i'll confess

i confess

that i killed me best mate

put a bullet through his head

i confessed that i killed a [ __ ] out

there

he was lying on the ground helpless and

i stuck me bayonet through him and i

enjoyed it

i confessed that me rotten platoon

leader ran like a bloody rat and left me

mates to die

i confess i'm not a man anymore just

like the rest of us poor bastards up

here we're all just animals

i confess that i hate the politicians

and the generals and the church all of

you for letting us become like

that there's no god up here cause

there's no god anywhere

and i'm a bloody fool for believing all

the [ __ ] i've been fed for years

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don't lose your faith now stan

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now's the time that you need it most

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come on

guys this over

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oh this one's still alive

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good

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you may want to bring those up

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[Applause]

hold the son of a [ __ ] down come on

actually come on

all right now

be all right it's coming on

hang on

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all right

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oh

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we're gonna load it up

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stand

mom dad stand stand home

what time did you get back

how's your leg is it broken

come on

i'm all right

cry

hello son

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badmintons

did you see the japs close up

what are they like

don't pester your brother now bob let

him have his cover in peace

i'm gonna go and tell everyone he's home

you've lost a bit of weight but you

haven't really changed

no

your brother's still full of talk about

joining up

he's not old enough yes he is

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how is mick

he's dead

mick

i'm always

misty

they're all dead

tea will be ready soon

i've got a nice roast

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uh

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you can have all this junk if you want

gee thanks

what's this

nothing give it here

so where's your medals

they've got me

why not dad's got two

you did kill jabs didn't you

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a few

what was it like

it's not like the movies mate

[Music]

violence as they demanded in rather loud

tones the public boycott the restaurant

things got slightly out of hand when a

few rowdier placard heroes began

throwing food stolen from the restaurant

can hardly wait to get to new guinea

don't be so

stupid i'm not being stupid

listen mate

the japs are just about beaten up there

anyway

you'll only get yourself killed or

maimed so some general can get himself

another medal it's a waste of time it's

a waste of men i don't think it's a

waste of time to defend your country

nothing's worth what's going on up there

that's the sort of talk here from

blake's who haven't got the guts to

fight

wake up to yourself you wake up to

yourself i'm a coward i'm talking sense

to you you're talking [ __ ]

you wouldn't have a bloody clue it's all

just a uniform to you

what's going on

he's gone crazy

are you all right

yeah mom i'm fine

[Music]

i didn't even do anything just sit

quietly

stan all right i don't know

go in and have a talk to him

[Music]

come in

you've had a rough time son

yeah

yes i suppose the first war my war was

different

look i uh

i know we haven't talked much over the

years but

it's not because i haven't wanted to

it's because

of

just didn't seem to be much point in two

of them

but it would have helped if there'd been

someone

so i just want you to know

that i'm here if

thanks dad

[Music]

they'll eat you snow animals

m

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mario

stop

if you want to relieve yourselves now's

the time

launch thunder

oh

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foreign

come on

yeah

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come on

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uh

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[Applause]

come on peace

peace

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whether a bloody useless light aren't

they

look

turn around

and piss piss

like that

oh what's wrong with them

maybe they don't want us to see what

they've got

oh bugger them i'm busting

give him a demo breaker

show him what to do

good idea

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you turn around

and you piss

like that

peace

we've already done it

now you do it

g'day sid

come to the game

[Applause]

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um

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[Applause]

ginger

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so

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uh

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foreign

foreign

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foreign

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oh

um

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foreign

oh

foreign

i

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oh

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wow

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foreign

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foreign

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dear mrs murphy

i was with your husband mick when he

passed away in new guinea

i know this must be a hard time for you

and like me you probably don't want to

think too much about it

but i brought back some of his

possessions which i would like to give

you

please let me know if it's all right to

post these things to you at this address

or should i keep them until you can pick

them up

if there's anything else i can do to

help i'd be glad to

mick was my best mate

yours sincerely

stan davidson

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i can do that mrs davison are you sure

actually i do have to get to work

it's been lovely meeting you pop in and

see us again if you're down in sydney

thank you you must come and see me if

ever you're in cara not much chance of

that

so

[Applause]

[Applause]

i took these off me

before i buried him

he was furious when we gave him this

watch

because we'd spent the money on him

he talked about you a lot in his letters

he thought very highly of you

he was a good mate

you were with him when he

died yeah

it was a catholic mission that had been

taken over by the chaps

we were told to clear it out

i was wounded fairly early on

mick

tried to get to me to help me

[Music]

it was quick

it was my worst fear

i met him when i was 16

and i knew straight away he was going to

be my husband

there was just something about him

[Music]

he was a rare mixture mick

he was strong and dependable

but real gentle at the same time

he wasn't an angel you'd know that

he could hate to think that we were

making him into something that he wasn't

wouldn't he

[Music]

i'm sorry

don't you try and find a lisa

what about your mates at the front

you're going to leave the fire for them

i suppose come on get out

i don't want to see you around here

again

next

malaria

yes sir

when was your last attack

last week

go to a doctor no sir

didn't see much point i knew what it was

then how do i know you're telling me the

truth

you don't

wounded

in the shoulder and the leg

by the enemy

come on boy

drop your text

right

sorry son i have to make sure

you'll be classified be true

what's that

unfit for active service

you'll probably see the rest of the war

out doing guard duty or

pushing a pen somewhere

yeah bloody drawn guy

does mum know yeah she

might be your posting

they've made me a corporal

good boy

and under report to prisoner of war camp

number 12 at cara prisoner of war camp

what do you do there or that southwest

of bathurst doesn't i think they've got

a lot of eye ties out there isn't that

where your mate's wife lives

seems like as good a place as annie to

see out the wall

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oh

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oh

uh

lance corporal raleigh

orderly rainclark

corporal davidson reporting for duty

yeah i'm here to guard the italians

who do i see

what about

who do i report to

oh well major horden likes to meet the

new arrivals

is he here

no

you expecting him back

yes

would you like to wait uh

he's out exercising his horse

there's a show coming on

thanks

stand easy couple

do you know anything about the geneva

convention

not much sir

they laid down some rules to protect the

rights of prisoners of war

i run this camp by those rules

there are hundreds of thousands of our

boys in the hands of the japs and the

nazis

if we break any of these rules that

gives them the excuse to do the same i

don't intend to give them that excuse do

you understand yes sir

oh it's probably not necessary to say

this to you

it's the soldiers without battle

experience who are trigger happy in my

opinion

but i won't have this camp turned into a

battleground you familiarize yourself

with those rules

sir there's a [ __ ]

yes it's one of the prisoners

the nips make good cleaners

i thought the prisoners here were

italian

yes most of them are but we've got 300

japs here they're the ones you'll be

guarding your experience with them will

come in very useful

well i'm glad to have you aboard

davidson uh lance corporal riley will

show you the quarters

[Music]

yeah there's a bloody [ __ ] love of that

horde

nothing too good for them

fresh fish three times a week

that's the dap compound over there

koreans and foremost has been one on

their own

the eye ties are in the other two

exactly don't need guards those eye ties

block them out and they fight to get

back into camp

where you got ted

you've been fighting those blokes

much fight left in those

[Music]

left

left right left

left

foreign

good morning major holden how are you

today very well thank you

it's only six or four today two are sick

today

corporal start the count

squad

start the count

what do i do

follow me digger and start counting

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14

15

16

17.

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bloody hell not these two again come on

up

don't get up

go on your backside maggies

i said get up

you did

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what is it

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foreign

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foreign

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you heard what he said get back in the

line and bloody stay there

you two be nothing but trouble since you

got here you've had enough chances

detention block this time oh yo

hey sorry

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i was very surprised by your conduct

this morning davidson i would have

thought a man with your experience and

know how to handle the chaps

we very nearly had a nasty situation on

our hands

sir

i'd like to request a transfer

let me guard the italians

the italians my old mother could guard

the italians lance corporal riley could

guard the italians i need you in the

japanese compound you've got to

understand what i went through in new

guinea

those animals wiped out my whole section

killed my best mate

i thought coming here would give me a

chance to get away from all that to just

forget it

relax corporal

i'll go and relax

that's my son

robert

boy about your age

he's a prisoner of the japs

when i first heard that i thought that

i'd never be able to face a [ __ ] again

but i'm afraid i had to

and then i discovered that what they say

is true that the best way to get a

problem out of your system is to do just

that face it

believe me son you can't run away from

my problem

you've got to stop sometime

and it'll always be there waiting for

you

so stay

and face it

and come to terms with it

will you give it a go

i suppose so sir

good lad

now i want you to take the rest of the

day off come back tomorrow and make a

fresh start

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so

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stan

sally murphy

what are you doing here in kara i've

been posted to the pw camp

the ruthless and the toothless

that's what they call the guards up here

well i'm one of them

the italians

no the japs

i'll understand how awful

can't you get a transfer

i've tried they wouldn't give me one

what are you gonna do

not much i can do

still got the farm

of course

we talked about it so much i reckon i

know exactly what it looks like

well i'm on my way home now would you

like to come and have a look for

yourself

i'll give you a lift i've got my bike

outside

motorbike yeah

go

[Applause]

ah thanks stan

cup of tea soon vittorio

hello lucy

old dog

victoria's a prisoner at the camp he

just works for me here during the day

without a guard

a lot of the italian christmas live on

the farms out here

i don't know how i would have managed

without vittorio

he used to work as a farm in italy

before the war sit down

it's family owned land i haven't seen

much of the italians oh they seem quite

a happy bunch not like the japs they're

a silly lot i've got the creeps just

looking at them

you're home early

hello

is that daddy don't be silly daddy's

dead

mr davidson was in the war with your

daddy this is margaret and to reyes

hello shirley did you bring me anything

shirley a little next time

therese could you take this tea out to

victoria i'll do it you're too small

you'll spill it i'll take it i am not oh

shirley mia caramirri

shut up mama

that's enough to raise you can take the

tea and shirley you take some cake all

right

there you go

[Music]

would you like to stay for tea

it's only stew

nick said you could make stew out of an

old army boot and make it taste good

things aren't quite that bad yet

thank you so much that's grandpa's house

in broken hill

that's rabbit when she was baby

and that's your daddy daddy said you

used to live in a hole in the ground

with him

and he snored and kept him awake that's

not true

mick used to read me bits of your

letters at night

i knew about margaret winning the

athletics medal at school

ray's coming top of the class

rabbit trying to cut her own hair

just about everything i reckon

did he tell you why he called a rabbit

he delivered her

vic did

she decided to come early

he was frightened at first

but then when it all started he was

wonderful

and then when she was born

he held her in his arms and he cried

and he called me rabbit

that's right

he said you look just like a skinned

rabbit

he was the best mate a man could ever

have

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foreign

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oh

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oh

[Applause]

is

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hmm

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do

you