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Conscription was a contentious issue throughout Australia’s history. One of the earliest conscription schemes in Australia was the Defence Act of 1903. The legislation was passed by the new Commonwealth government and gave them to power to conscript for the purposes for home defence, although didn’t allow for soldiers to be conscripted for overseas service.
The Universal Service Scheme was the first system of compulsory military service in Australia. This legislation was first introduced by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin in 1909 and was met with a wide base of parliamentary support. At the invitation of the Prime Minister, a field marshal of Great Britain, Viscount Kitchener, visited Australia to inspect the existing state of defence for the young Commonwealth. He recommended the introduction of compulsory military training to protect the country’s land and waters, and in response, the law was passed in 1911. The scheme compelled all young men aged from twelve to twenty-six years old to undertake various periods of military training.
The scheme had a chequered rate of success. In June 1922, the junior candidates were abolished and later, after a general review of the defence policy, The Universal Service Scheme was abolished by the Labour Government immediately after they were first voted into parliament in October 1929.
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