Prime Minister Billy Hughes, “The Little Digger”, rides high on the shoulders of soldiers along George Street, Sydney, in September 1919. The photograph is an exhibit from the “Billy Hughes at War” now showing at Old Parliament House. The exhibition explores William Morris (Billy) Hughes’s leadership during World War I.
Hughes, who was in parliament for more than 50 years, is known for splitting the Labor Party and the nation in his attempts to introduce conscription for overseas service, championing the Australian troops as “The Little Digger” and his participation in the negotiation of the peace treaty in France in 1919.
Original artefacts including Hughes’s fountain pen, walking stick and false teeth are on display, and are complemented by multimedia and interactive components that give visitors the opportunity to hear the voices of the conscription debate and vote on the issue. Exhibition curator Laura Back said: “He was certainly one of the big characters in Australia’s history and still stirs passionate reactions today”.

Picture courtesy of the National Library of Australia.