The role of Australian women in World War I was focused mainly upon their involvement in the provision of nursing services.[1] Australian women also played a significant role on the homefront, where they filled jobs made vacant by men joining the armed forces. Women also undertook fundraising and recruiting activities as well as organising comfort packages for soldiers serving overseas. Around the issue of conscription, women were involved in campaigning on both sides of the debate,[2] while they were also equally involved in the New South Wales strike in 1917. Nevertheless, despite this involvement, women have never occupied a central position in the Australian version of the ANZAC myth, although since the 1970s their role has been examined in more detail as a result of the emergence of feministhistoriography, and specialist histories such as the history of nursing.
Queensland nurses leaving on the SS Omrah for World War I, circa 1914Women's Voluntary Registration Office, situated in the quadrangle of the Brisbane Town Hall, 1915. The office was established by the National Council of Women for the purpose of registering women willing to undertake work in connection to the war.Recruitment posters urging women to get men to enlist
One of the primary roles for Australian women during the war was nursing. The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) comprised more than 3000 nurses during the war, over 2,200 of whom served outside Australia. 21 AANS nurses died during their war service and a number shortly thereafter. Nurses were present on the Western Front, and in Greece, England, India, Egypt, and Italy. The AANS comprised trained nurses, trained masseuses, 14 ward assistants and 1 bacteriologist. They served not just in Australian military hospitals but also in British hospitals and in ships at sea.[3]
Hundreds of other Australian trained nurses served overseas with organisations including: the British nursing services, Red Cross, St John Ambulance and the Australian Voluntary Hospital. Australia also sent a number of female VADs to work in military hospitals. An example of these groups is the 20 nurses and a masseuse who were recruited to work in French hospitals by the Australian Red Cross Society, they were dubbed the "Bluebirds" in reference to the colour of their uniforms.[4] The Australian nurses had their roles changed mid-way through World War I. As the war went on, the facilities became better throughout. They were able to clean and sterilize utensils used to clean up wounds. Offer mental support and treatment. And finally offer strong medication.[citation needed]
Other volunteer workedit
The following women's voluntary organisations were involved in support work:[5]
Three women spinning wool to knit socks for soldiers during World War I in Tenterfield, New South Wales, ca. 1915
Awardsedit
The following women received medals or other awards for their war work:
Millicent Sylvia Armstrong (1888–1973) was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers while under fire while volunteering as an orderley in France.
Alice Ross-King (1887–1968) nurse, was awarded a Military Medal for bravery rescuing patients from a burning building, and was made an Associate of the Royal Red Cross.[8]
^"1918: Australians in France – Nurses – "The roses of No Man's Land"". Australian War Memorial. from the original on 27 March 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
^"Forging the Nation: Australian Women". Australian War Memorial. from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
^Kirsty Harris, More than Bombs and Bandages: Australian Army nurses at work in World War I, BigSky Publishing, 2011
^Hetherington, Les (January 2009). "The Bluebirds in France". Wartime. 45: 58–60.
^. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
^"The suffering Servians". Albury Banner and Wodonga Express. New South Wales. 25 January 1918. p. 38. Retrieved 23 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Cashin, Alice Alanna RRC (Matron, b.1870 – d.1939)". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
^ abcd"Women in action – nurses and serving women". from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
^"Attestation Paper of Evelyn Augusta Conyers". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
^Rickard, John (2002). "White, Vera Deakin (1891–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
^"Alicia Mary Kelly (1874–1942)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
^"Faith, Hope, Charity". from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
^"Florence Reid". National Archives of Australia. from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
External linksedit
Frances, Rae: Women’s Mobilisation for War (Australia), in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War.
Further readingedit
Adam-Smith, Patsy. Australian Women At War, Penguin, Melbourne, 1996
Barker, Marianne. Nightingales in the Mud, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1989
Bassett, Jan. Guns and Brooches, Oxford Melbourne, 1992
Beaumont, Joan, ed. Australia’s War 1914-18, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1995
Beaumont, Joan. "Whatever happened to patriotic women, 1914–1918?." Australian Historical Studies 31.115 (2000): 273-286.
Cochrane, Peter. Australians At War, (ABC Books, Melbourne, 2001).
Coates, Donna. "Myrmidons to Insubordinates: Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Women’s Fictional Responses to the Great War." in P. Quinn and S. Trout, eds. The Literature of the Great War Reconsidered (Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2001. 113-142).
De Vries, Susanna. Heroic Australian women in war: astonishing tales of bravery from Gallipolli to Kokoda. (HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN0732276691).
Fallows, Carol. Love and War, (Bantam Books, Sydney, 2002).
Kretzenbacher, Heinz L. "The forgotten German-Australian stories of Australian history: Lesbia Harford’s The Invaluable Mystery and the predicament of German-Australians in the First World War." Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft / Australian Yearbook of German Literary and Cultural Studies (2014) 7:45-77 online[dead link]
McKernan, Michael. The Australian People and the Great War (Nelson, Melbourne, 1980).
Oppenheimer, Melanie. "‘The best PM for the empire in war'?": Lady Helen Munro Ferguson and the Australian Red Cross Society, 1914–1920." Australian Historical Studies 33.119 (2002): 108-134.
Oppenheimer, Melanie. Australian Women and War (Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Canberra, 2008).
Oppenheimer, Melanie. Oceans of Love. Narrelle - An Australian Nurse in World War I, ABC Books, Sydney, 2006
Reid, Richard. Just Wanted To Be There, (Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Canberra, 1999).
Scates, Bruce. "The unknown sock knitter: voluntary work, emotional labour, bereavement and the Great War." Labour History (2001): 29-49.
January 01, 1970
australian, women, world, role, focused, mainly, upon, their, involvement, provision, nursing, services, australian, women, also, played, significant, role, homefront, where, they, filled, jobs, made, vacant, joining, armed, forces, women, also, undertook, fun. The role of Australian women in World War I was focused mainly upon their involvement in the provision of nursing services 1 Australian women also played a significant role on the homefront where they filled jobs made vacant by men joining the armed forces Women also undertook fundraising and recruiting activities as well as organising comfort packages for soldiers serving overseas Around the issue of conscription women were involved in campaigning on both sides of the debate 2 while they were also equally involved in the New South Wales strike in 1917 Nevertheless despite this involvement women have never occupied a central position in the Australian version of the ANZAC myth although since the 1970s their role has been examined in more detail as a result of the emergence of feminist historiography and specialist histories such as the history of nursing Queensland nurses leaving on the SS Omrah for World War I circa 1914 Women s Voluntary Registration Office situated in the quadrangle of the Brisbane Town Hall 1915 The office was established by the National Council of Women for the purpose of registering women willing to undertake work in connection to the war Recruitment posters urging women to get men to enlist Contents 1 Nursing 2 Other volunteer work 3 Awards 4 Opposition 5 Notable Australian women involved in the war 6 References 7 External links 8 Further readingNursing editOne of the primary roles for Australian women during the war was nursing The Australian Army Nursing Service AANS comprised more than 3000 nurses during the war over 2 200 of whom served outside Australia 21 AANS nurses died during their war service and a number shortly thereafter Nurses were present on the Western Front and in Greece England India Egypt and Italy The AANS comprised trained nurses trained masseuses 14 ward assistants and 1 bacteriologist They served not just in Australian military hospitals but also in British hospitals and in ships at sea 3 Hundreds of other Australian trained nurses served overseas with organisations including the British nursing services Red Cross St John Ambulance and the Australian Voluntary Hospital Australia also sent a number of female VADs to work in military hospitals An example of these groups is the 20 nurses and a masseuse who were recruited to work in French hospitals by the Australian Red Cross Society they were dubbed the Bluebirds in reference to the colour of their uniforms 4 The Australian nurses had their roles changed mid way through World War I As the war went on the facilities became better throughout They were able to clean and sterilize utensils used to clean up wounds Offer mental support and treatment And finally offer strong medication citation needed Other volunteer work editThe following women s voluntary organisations were involved in support work 5 Australian Red Cross Women s Christian Temperance Union Australian Women s National League Voluntary Aid Detachment Australian Comforts Fund The Cheer Up Society nbsp Three women spinning wool to knit socks for soldiers during World War I in Tenterfield New South Wales ca 1915Awards editThe following women received medals or other awards for their war work Millicent Sylvia Armstrong 1888 1973 was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers while under fire while volunteering as an orderley in France Mary Josephine Bedford 1861 1955 was awarded the Order of St Sava for her services as an ambulance driver in World War I Agnes Bennett 1872 1960 was awarded a Servian Order of St Sava for her contributions as the Chief Medical Officer of the Ostrovo Unit 6 Alice Alanna Cashin 1870 1939 nurse was awarded a Royal Red Cross for serving as the head of a surgical ward in Egypt for the Queen Alexandra s Imperial Military Nursing Service She was then awarded a bar to the Royal Red Cross for saving wounded soldiers on the HMHS Gloucester Castle when the ship was torpedoed by a German U boat 7 Dorothy Cawood 1884 1962 a nurse from Parramatta was awarded the Military Medal for bravery rescuing patients from a burning building 8 Phoebe Chapple 1879 1967 a South Australian medical doctor was awarded the Military Medal for her heroic service in France during World War I Evelyn Conyers 1870 1944 New Zealand born Australian matron in chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service was awarded the Royal Red Cross for conspicuous services rendered and later a Bar in recognition of her valuable nursing service On 1 January 1919 King George V appointed Conyers a Commander of the Order of the British Empire In 1921 she was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal with diploma 9 Pearl Corkhill 1887 1985 nurse who was awarded a Military Medal for showing courage when attending to wounded during an enemy air raid Clare Deacon 1891 1952 a nurse who was awarded a Military Medal for bravery rescuing patients from a burning building 8 Vera Deakin 1891 1978 humanitarian was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE for establishing the Australian Wounded and Missing Inquiry Bureau 10 Mary Derrer staff nurse Military Medal for bravery rescuing patients from a burning building 8 Alicia Mary Kelly 1874 1942 Irish born Australian nurse who won the Military Medal for gallantry under fire and the Royal Red Cross 2nd class A R R C 11 Rachael Pratt 1874 1954 a nurse who was awarded the Military Medal for courage under fire 12 Flora Reid 1867 1950 Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire DBE was an inaugural recipient of the DBE for aiding convalescent soldiers 13 Alice Ross King 1887 1968 nurse was awarded a Military Medal for bravery rescuing patients from a burning building and was made an Associate of the Royal Red Cross 8 Opposition editA number of Australian women opposed the war or certain aspects of it Australian pacifists and anti conscription activists during this period included Bella Guerin and Doris Blackburn See also World War I conscription in AustraliaNotable Australian women involved in the war editMain page Category Australian women of World War IReferences edit 1918 Australians in France Nurses The roses of No Man s Land Australian War Memorial Archived from the original on 27 March 2011 Retrieved 22 November 2010 Forging the Nation Australian Women Australian War Memorial Archived from the original on 25 December 2010 Retrieved 22 November 2010 Kirsty Harris More than Bombs and Bandages Australian Army nurses at work in World War I BigSky Publishing 2011 Hetherington Les January 2009 The Bluebirds in France Wartime 45 58 60 Women in wartime Archived from the original on 17 February 2011 Retrieved 10 February 2011 The suffering Servians Albury Banner and Wodonga Express New South Wales 25 January 1918 p 38 Retrieved 23 April 2024 via National Library of Australia Cashin Alice Alanna RRC Matron b 1870 d 1939 Australian War Memorial Retrieved 31 May 2020 a b c d Women in action nurses and serving women Archived from the original on 17 February 2011 Retrieved 10 February 2011 Attestation Paper of Evelyn Augusta Conyers National Archives of Australia Retrieved 25 April 2018 Rickard John 2002 White Vera Deakin 1891 1978 Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol 16 Archived from the original on 16 April 2019 Retrieved 29 April 2019 Alicia Mary Kelly 1874 1942 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University Archived from the original on 4 March 2011 Retrieved 10 February 2011 Faith Hope Charity Archived from the original on 20 July 2013 Retrieved 4 March 2013 Florence Reid National Archives of Australia Archived from the original on 5 March 2019 Retrieved 3 April 2019 External links editFrances Rae Women s Mobilisation for War Australia in 1914 1918 online International Encyclopedia of the First World War Further reading editAdam Smith Patsy Australian Women At War Penguin Melbourne 1996 Barker Marianne Nightingales in the Mud Allen amp Unwin Sydney 1989 Bassett Jan Guns and Brooches Oxford Melbourne 1992 Beaumont Joan ed Australia s War 1914 18 Allen amp Unwin Sydney 1995 Beaumont Joan Whatever happened to patriotic women 1914 1918 Australian Historical Studies 31 115 2000 273 286 Cochrane Peter Australians At War ABC Books Melbourne 2001 Coates Donna Myrmidons to Insubordinates Australian New Zealand and Canadian Women s Fictional Responses to the Great War in P Quinn and S Trout eds The Literature of the Great War Reconsidered Palgrave Macmillan UK 2001 113 142 De Vries Susanna Heroic Australian women in war astonishing tales of bravery from Gallipolli to Kokoda HarperCollins 2004 ISBN 0732276691 Fallows Carol Love and War Bantam Books Sydney 2002 Kretzenbacher Heinz L The forgotten German Australian stories of Australian history Lesbia Harford s The Invaluable Mystery and the predicament of German Australians in the First World War Australisches Jahrbuch fur germanistische Literatur und Kulturwissenschaft Australian Yearbook of German Literary and Cultural Studies 2014 7 45 77 online dead link McKernan Michael The Australian People and the Great War Nelson Melbourne 1980 Oppenheimer Melanie The best PM for the empire in war Lady Helen Munro Ferguson and the Australian Red Cross Society 1914 1920 Australian Historical Studies 33 119 2002 108 134 Oppenheimer Melanie Australian Women and War Department of Veterans Affairs Canberra 2008 Oppenheimer Melanie Oceans of Love Narrelle An Australian Nurse in World War I ABC Books Sydney 2006 Reid Richard Just Wanted To Be There Department of Veterans Affairs Canberra 1999 Scates Bruce The unknown sock knitter voluntary work emotional labour bereavement and the Great War Labour History 2001 29 49 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Australian women in World War I amp oldid 1220364238, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
