«Love of home and country will always appeal to the man with a heart»: The impact of World War I on Italian communities in Australia 1914-1922.

This article addresses the role of nationalism and identity in relation to the experience of Italians in Australia, and more specifically, North Queensland, during World War One. Through a comparative study with the experience of Italians in the United States during World War One it is possible to comprehend further how the events of World War One impacted the Italian communities of Australia. World War One was a seminal event for the Italian communities in Australia as, unlike World War Two, the fact Italy and Australia were fighting on the same side gave Italians a sense of place in their new country they had not experienced before. However, when the Italian government attempted to forcibly conscript overseas Italians to fight on the Italian front, a policy they were helped with by the Australian government, it brought about challenging questions concerning citizenship, identity and the rights of immigrants residing in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]