Article: The Courier Mail (Brisbane), April 15th, 2007

Noni's History Lesson
Helen Tsitouris

ACTOR Noni Hazlehurst is embarrassed Australians know so little about their nation's history.

The former Play School favourite who plays the wife of Australia's World War II Prime Minister John Curtin in the ABC drama Curtin, says she was no exception when she took on her role beside William McInnes.

Hazlehurst, 53, who lives in the Gold Coast hinterland, said working on the movie changed the way she looked at politics and history.

She has called on schools to focus on Australian history so children "learned more than just a cursory understanding of Anzac Day".

Curtin, which will be screened next Sunday at 8.30pm, is an inspirational story about the former journalist who led Australia during Japan's Asia-Pacific invasion.

"I wanted to do justice to this role. Australians know so little of our own history. The onus is on anybody who is exploring a bit of that history to get it right and to give an accurate portrayal," Hazlehurst said.

"It's pointless doing stuff that's not accurate."

Labor leader Curtin came to power with Australians fearing an invasion.

"The Japanese started to head south and (British leader Sir Winston) Churchill and (US President Franklin) Roosevelt were not listening to Australia when he wanted his troops to come back and defend Australia," Hazlehurst said.

"He had to try very hard to get them to turn that around, which he did. He did not sleep until he knew they were safely back in Australian waters.

"It's important to engender in kids a sense of the importance of our story and have an understanding of where we have come from rather than a cursory celebration of the Anzac spirit."