More Than The Last Shilling: Repatriation in Australia 1994-2018

In this thoroughly researched and highly readable account, Professor Philip Payton brings the story of repatriation in Australia up to date, beginning in 1994 and ending in 2018, the centenary of repatriation Back in 1994, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) was in the last phase of divesting its 'Repat' hospitals, as it turned from being a major provider of medical care to a leading purchaser, part of the response to what DVA thought to be the changing needs of its apparently 'ageing clientele'. At the same time, confronted with what it supposed to be an ever-decreasing pool of clients, DVA looked elsewhere for new roles, absorbing the important task of military rehabilitation and compensation. However, even as DVA devised new strategies to respond to its 'ageing clientele' model, so it became apparent that a new 'wave' of much younger ex-service men and women was joining the ranks of Australia's veterans, many having served in the plethora of recent overseas peacekeeping and other operations, culminating in Afghanistan and Iraq. These younger veterans brought with them new issues and new expectations, prompting DVA's subsequent 'veteran-centric' reforms and its on-going 'transformation' process. In More Than the Last Shilling, Professor Payton explains these dynamic changes of the last quarter-century, and covers a broad range of significant topics, from the lasting legacy of the Vietnam War to the increasing (and sometimes controversial) prominence of commemoration in DVA's many activities.