We've had conscription three times: During both world wars, and peace time conscription to "National Service" during the 1950s, which extended on into the Vietnam War.
It was immensely unpopular with the majority of those who were conscripted, and with their families. It's a certain vote loser.
My personal experience was good. The timing was lucky -- 1956 was after Korea and before Vietnam so, unless there had been a blow-up over the Suez Crisis I was unlikely to see any action. It was an opportunity to experience things I would never have done otherwise.
The attitude during WWI was different to the later period for Australians still considered themselves to be a British colony. By WWII (partly because of the way Australian soldiers were led by incompetent British officers during WWI -- and I'm quoting my father who fought in France and Belgium from 1915-1918) that attitude had changed. We were now a nation in our own right, and in our own eyes.
