This project started in 2018 after I watched Save Our Sons as part of teaching a secondary school history unit on the Vietnam War.

I looked around for further resources for my students about the actions of women during the Vietnam War protests, and could find very little.

Deciding I could start filling that gap, I interviewed Jean McLean in July 2018. Nearly 60 interviews later, and after countless hours in archives, this is the result. It’s not a complete history of the Melbourne women who were involved in protesting, but it’s a start.

In 2024, this podcast was recognised at the biennial Oral History Australia conference. One of two commended works, the judges said: “This podcast is an inspiring example of the power of oral history to allow historical actors to make sense of their experiences, and to bring us along with them on that journey of understanding. Created as a response to a gap in the historical record, this podcast series fills that gap and then some. The podcast approach makes the material accessible to a wide audience. The fact that this was produced by a solo oral historian completely without institutional support is truly inspirational.”

In 2025, the podcast won the Oral History category of the Victorian Community History Awards.

My name is Alexandra Pierce.

My dad was many things, including a national serviceman who served in Vietnam, and later worked for the Dept of Veterans’ Affairs. My mum has also been many things, including the first woman president of the Legacy Club of South Australia & Broken Hill.

I have taught everything from ancient Egypt to the Cold War at Victorian high schools. With Honours in Roman history and a Masters in medieval history, the Vietnam War is very recent history to me.

I am a passionate advocate for putting women back into the historical narrative.