National Emergency Services poster
While defence was largely a Commonwealth responsibility, the States had a role in helping to protect the civilian population during wartime. In 1939, the National Emergency Services, New South Wales was established with the primary task of devising and implementing a scheme for the protection of the civilian population against possible aerial bombardment in the event of a national attack.
Air raids were seen as a real threat during World War II, and this poster was designed to reinforce the message that the observance of blackout regulations could potentially be a matter of life and death.
Source: NRS 19792 National Emergency Services posters, 1942. Poster – “Target for tonight” [SR Doc 202]
