• Entry type: Exhibition
  • Entry ID: AWE0782

Australian Women in War

Summary

Australian Women in War is an online exhibition listing Australian women, and women’s organisations, who offered their assistance in the Boer War, World Wars and subsequent conflicts. It provides links to biographical, bibliographical and archival information relating to a small selection of these individuals and organisations in the Australian Women’s Archives Project register. The project was a joint initiative of the New South Wales Local Committee of the Australian Women’s Archives Project (AWAP) and the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

From the information obtained the following conclusions were drawn: All associations, whether military or civilian, were proud of their volunteer status; ex-members made few distinctions between their service and association, in actual fact they were seen as one; some of the significant people suggested for biographies served in more than one conflict.

Published resources

  • Site Exhibition
  • Book
    • From blue to khaki: The enlisted voluntary aids and others who became members of the Australian Army Medical Women's Service and served from 19421-1951, Mount-Batten, Betty J, 1995
    • Australian women at war, Adam-Smith, Patsy, 1984
    • Guns and brooches : Australian Army Nursing from the Boer War to the Gulf War, Bassett, Jan, 1992
    • Red Cross VAs: A history of the VAD movement in New South Wales, Oppenheimer, Melanie, 1999
    • Women Make Australian History : Women in Wartime 1914-1918, 1939-1945, Dugan, Michael and Gunter, Anne, 1996
    • Our War Nurses: The History of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps 1902-1988, Goodman, R.D., 1988
    • W.R.A.N.S. : the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service, Curtis-Otter, M, 1975
    • Women in khaki, Oliff, Lorna, 1981
    • AWAS : women making history, 1988
    • Memoirs of an AWAS driver, Staube, Lorna Staub, 1989
    • We answered the call : AWAS of Western Australia and their mates, Tucker, Eileen, 1991
    • History of the Women's Australian National Services, 1940-1946, 1947
    • 2nd Australian Ambulance Car Company, 1942-1946., [198-]
    • Khaki-clad and glad : 30 years after, A.W.A.S. Association (N.S.W.), [1971]
    • Candles in the sky, Alldritt, Nancy, [1998]
    • You'll be sorry!, Howard, Ann, 1990
    • Ships belles : the story of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service in war and peace 1941-1985, Fenton Huie, Shirley, 2000
    • The Diggers : makers of the Australian military tradition, Coulthard-Clark, Chris, 1993
    • Australian nurses since Nightingale 1860-1990, Burchill, Elizabeth, 1992
    • Army nursing services: Australian Imperial Force and Australian Military Forces., Australian Imperial Force (1914-1921), 1916
    • The Australian Army Nursing Service: a short history with World War One nominal roll and award citations, Smith, Neil C, 1996
    • Australian Imperial Force: order for nursing service, Australian Imperial Force, 2nd (1939-1946), 1914
    • A brief record of the Australian Army Nursing Service, 1939-1945, [1985?].
    • Captives: Australian army nurses in Japanese prison camps, Kenny, Catherine, 1962-, 1986
    • Desert, bamboo and barbed wire: the 1939-45 story of a special detachment of Australian Army nursing sisters, fondly known as the "Angels in Grey" and their fate in war and captivity, Murphy, Frances, 1983
    • Extracts from regulations and orders; seniority list, Army Nursing Services, Australian Imperial Force, 1917
    • The grey battalion, Tilton, May, 1933
    • Our kind of war, Critch, Mary, 1981
    • The reflections of an old grey mare: a salute to those who served, Underwood, Polly, 1987
    • With the AANS: 1939-1945, Eadie, Edith D. K.; Australia Remembers 1945-1995 S.A. Committee, 1995
    • The Fourth Service : ex Australian Women's Land Army, World War II, Macklin, Mary, c.2001
    • Girls with Grit: Memories of the Australian Women's Land Army, Scott, Jean, 1995
    • We also served, far north coast N.S.W. ex-servicewomen 1939-1945, Buckley, Martin J., c1995
    • The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901-2001, Palazzo, Albert, 2001
    • Colonel Best and her soldiers: The Story of the 33 years of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, Ollif, Lorna, 1985
    • Portrait of a nurse : prisoner of war of the Japanese 1942-1945 Sumatra, Darling, Pat, 2001
    • Soldiers of the Queen : women in the Australian Army, Bomford, Janette, 2001
    • A Stroll down memory lane, WRAAC Association, 2001
    • Their sacrifice: Australia remembers 1945 - 1995, Linn, Rob, 1995
    • VAD's in peace and war : the history of Voluntary Aid Detachments in Australia during the 20th century, Goodman, R D, 1991
    • Just wanted to be there : Australian Service Nurses 1899-1999, Reid, Richard, 1999
  • Resource Section
  • Resource
  • Edited Book
    • Backing up the boys : the Australian Women's Army Service and Albury army area, Martin, Desmond (Ed.), 1988
    • A special job : the Wheatstone girls, 1943-45, Kirby, June (compiled and edited by), 1999
    • Thanks girls and goodbye : the story of the Australian Women's Land Army 1942-45, Hardisty, Sue (ed.), 1990
    • The W.A.A.A.F. book, Stevenson, Clare and Darling, Honor, c1984
  • Thesis
  • Newspaper Article
    • In honour of our women, Robinson, Peter, 1998
    • Poetic memorial under fire, Smee, Sebastian, 1999
  • Journal Article
    • Symbols in stone, Brennab, Betsy, 1985

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