The Australian Women's Register

The Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps Association was formed in New South Wales in 1977, following a visit to Australia by HRH Princess Margaret. Colonel-in-Chief (1953-1984) of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC), HRH Princess Margaret visited many parts of Australia in 1975. She observed a WRAAC Parade at Victoria Barracks New South Wales in October that year.

Established after a reunion, the association aims to provide contact and disseminate information to its members. This is achieved through quarterly meetings (March/ May/ August/ November) and a newsletter, Best Times, produced by the New South Wales Association.

Kathleen Deasey was appointed assistant-controller Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), Southern Command in November 1941. Prior to joining the AWAS, Deasey was lady superintendent at Melbourne’s Ladies College, Melbourne. Following World War II, Deasey worked with the Department of Immigration, after which she studied at the Sorbonne, Paris. Later Deasey returned to teaching and was a senior tutor in education at the University of Melbourne and then became Principal of St Ann’s College, University of Adelaide.

The Council of Ex-Servicewomen’s Associations (NSW) was established in Sydney, New South Wales on 20 January 1975, as a vehicle for uniting and representing the many wartime service women who served Australia.

The Sydney & Metropolitan Ex-Prisoners of War Welfare Association was established in 1999 after the NSW Ex-Prisoner of War (POW) Association and the NSW Ex-Prisoner of War (POW) Ladies Auxiliary were disbanded.

The main objectives of the Association are to:
• affirm and promote loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen and the Commonwealth of Australia.
• protect and promote the interests of Ex-Prisoners of War, their spouses, and widows of Ex-Prisoners of War.
• promote friendship and good fellowship between members by way of meetings, visitations and welfare where necessary.
• collect, raise money and receive donations for the carrying out of these objects or for any charitable purpose or for the benefit directly or indirectly of Ex-Prisoners of War, their spouses, and widows of Ex-Prisoners of War.

Membership of the Association is open to any person who was a member of the New South Wales Ex-Prisoners of War Association Inc, or who would have been eligible to become a member. Members of the Ladies Auxiliary of the New South Wales Ex-Prisoners of War Association Inc, or any person who is a spouse or widow of an Ex-Prisoner of War, can make an application to become a member.

Members have regularly visited patients in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals, especially the Concord Repatriation Hospital (now Concord General Hospital). They have also involved themselves in specific projects such as obtaining special patient chairs for the Concord Repatriation Hospital or furniture for the Rose Garden at the hospital. These acquisitions were made with the help of members’ fundraising activities including selling of poppies, Remembrance Day and Anzac Badges as well as running trade tables, garage sales and garden parties.

On 26 January 1997, June Stone was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to veterans particularly through the Council of Ex-Servicewomen’s Associations (New South Wales) and the Royal Australian Air Force Association State Council. She had previously been appointed to the Order of the British Empire (Civil) (BEM) on 12 June 1976.

In October 2002 June Stone became a member of the working group for the “Australian Women in War Project.”

The Australian Army Nursing Service, which was actually a reserve, was established on 1 July 1902. The Service was staffed by volunteer civilian nurses who would be available for duty during times of national emergency. Members of the Service served in both the World Wars, staffing medical facilities in Australia and overseas. In 1949 the Service became part of the Australian Regular Army and is now known as the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC).

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Major Joyce Whitworth was Assistant Commander, Eastern Command New South Wales (NSW), Australian Women’s Army Service. She was discharged from the Army Service on 27 June 1946. From 1959 until 1972 she was President of the Australian Women’s Army Service Association (NSW). On the 21st Anniversary of the Australian Women’s Army Service, Joyce Whitworth planted an Australian Gum (Lemon Eucalyptus) in Hyde Park on the western side of the War Memorial, in the presence of Lt-General Sir John Northcott. For services to the community, Joyce Whitworth was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8 June 1968. In 1989 Joyce Whitworth became Patron of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen’s Associations (NSW), a position she held until her death on 19 September 1998.

Dawn Jackson was born in Kent, England, the daughter of Major-General R E Jackson CMG, DSO. Educated at St Catherine’s Church of England Girls School, Sydney, she served with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and subsequently with the Australian Army Women’s Medical Service. She was a member of the Australian Imperial Forces from 1941 to 1947 and saw service in the Middle East and New Guinea. Colonel Jackson was associated with the combined training of the Army Women’s Services Training Company and the Army Women’s Services Officers School.

On 2 December 1957 Dawn Jackson was appointed the second Director of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps, a post she held until February 1972.

Dawn Jackson was appointed to The Order of the British Empire – Officer (Military) on 11 June 1960 for her services to the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps.

Colonel Dawn Jackson died on 20 January 1995 in Canberra.

In 1996, as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Fleur Spitzer was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to women. She was recognised in particular for services to the ageing through the work of the Alma Unit, Australia’s first multidisciplinary research and teaching unit focussing on the health and well-being of women aged 65 years and over. Established in 1993 at the University of Melbourne with an endowment from Spitzer, the Unit moved to Victoria University before closing in 2005.

Kathleen Fowler enlisted in the Australian Women’s Army Service in 1943 and served in a variety of postings until demobilisation in 1947. She re-enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Army Service in April 1951. From 1961 she was directly involved in planning and administration of the WRAAC. On 23 Feb. 1972 she became the third Director of WRAAC and remained in the position until 4 July 1977.

Colonel Fowler was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 9 June 1975.

Source used to compile this entry: A Stroll Down Memory Lane: A Brief History of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps.

Born in Burma in 1932, Barbara Maxwell came to Australia with her family in 1946 and attended Girdlestone School, Perth, Western Australia. She joined the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC) in 1952, serving in Japan, and was in every Australian Command with the exception of Eastern Command.

While posted to the 11th RAANC, Western Command, Warrant Officer 2 (WO2) Barbara Maxwell gained selection for the Officers’ Cadet School. This was after the Military Board gave approval for other ranks of the RAANC to attend the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) Officer Cadet School. Except for the last few days of the course Barbara Maxwell wore her RAANC grey uniform and she won the ‘Scarf of Honour’ (dux) for the course.

Barbara Maxwell was fourth Director of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps from 5th July 1977 to 14th March 1979. She was the first Director who had not previously served in Australia’s wartime army. Following her retirement from the Army Barbara Maxwell pursued a business career with her husband, Bruce Starrett. [1]

[1] Soldiers of the Queen by Janette Bomford p. 117

Kitty McEwan was educated at Ormiston Ladies’ College and became a freelance journalist working with Australian Home Beautiful in 1929. Interested in the game of golf, she began writing about women and golf, for the Radiator in 1937 and the Sun News-Pictorial in 1938. She organised fund-raising for patriotic appeals during World War II. In June 1942 McEwan was appointed superintendent in Victoria of the Australian Women’s Land Army, a position she held until March 1946. After the war she returned to journalism, writing for the Sun News-Pictorial from which she retired in 1966. Kitty McEwan served as honorary publicity officer and an executive member of the National Council of Women Victoria and a councillor of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. She died on 17 August 1969, aged 75 years.

Appointed lady superintendent of the New South Wales Army Nursing Service Reserve (NSWANSR), Nellie Gould left Australia on 17 January 1900 with thirteen nursing sisters to serve in the Boer War as part of the British Army. The nursing contingent returned to Australia in 1902.

On 27th September 1914 Nellie Gould enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and served in Egypt, caring for Gallipoli casualties, followed by service in France and then England. She returned to Australia in January 1919 and was discharged on 3 March. She was unfit to take up nursing duties again and from 1920 she received a war service pension.

In 1916 Nellie Gould was awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal (1st class) for her war work.

The Army Nursing Service Reserve was established in 1899 and attached to the New South Wales Army Medical Corps. This was the first official female army nurses’ organisation in the Australian colonies. Nurse Nellie Gould was appointed lady superintendent of the Reserve. On the 17 January 1900 Nurse Gould left with thirteen nursing sisters to serve in the Boer War as part of the British Army. The nursing contingent returned to Australia in 1902. The Reserve was replaced by the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS), that was formed post Federation.

Clare Stevenson was appointed Director of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force on 9 June 1941. Thus she became head of the first Women’s Service formed in Australia for ground-staff duties with an armed force. After the war Stevenson returned to her executive position with Berlei Ltd. Also she became involved with community work. For forty years she was affiliated with the Services Canteens Trust Fund. Clare Stevenson, with a group of friends, helped initiate the Scholarship Trust Fund for Civilian Widows’ Children. She also helped establish the Kings Cross Community Aid Centre as well as the Carer’s Association of New South Wales. On 11 June 1960 Clare Stevenson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for social welfare services on behalf of ex-servicewomen. On Australia Day 1988 she received the Member of the Order of Australia award for service to the community and to the welfare of veterans.

The Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the World War II Australian Women’s Services. It was disbanded in December 1947.

A new Australian women’s air force was formed in July 1950 and in November became the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF). The WRAAF was disbanded in 1977 and female personnel were absorbed into the mainstream RAAF. Australia’s first female air force pilots graduated in 1988 and today, with the exception of the airfield defence units, there are few jobs within the RAAF barred to women.

In 1924 Florence Wallace (as she was then known) became Australia’s first certificated woman radio telegraphist and in 1924, the only woman member of the Wireless Institute of Australia. She was the founder and director of the Electrical Association for Women, established in 1934. In 1939 she founded and directed the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps, which later became the starting point for the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS). Rosemary Broomham wrote in the biography of Florence McKenzie in 200 Australian Women that altogether Mrs McKenzie trained over 10,000 servicemen in Morse, visual signalling and international code, and she trained 3000 women, a third of whom went into the Services. On 8 June 1950 Florence McKenzie was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her work with the Women’s Emergency Signals Corps.

At the end of the World War II, surplus funds were divided between the different state Women’s Land Army groups. New South Wales was allocated 500 pounds. A group of ‘girls’ who had worked at the New South Wales Australian Women’s Land Army Headquarters, established a committee. Aileen Lynch former AWLA superintendent in NSW suggested that the money be placed in an account which would be used to establish a club to further the interests of all ex-members of the AWLA in welfare, training and advisory capacity. The club was to have a city base where the girls could continue their wartime friendship and arrange return visits to the country centres where they had worked. [1]

[1] Scott, Jean. Girls with Grit p. 157

The Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was established in April 1941 when the Royal Australian Navy enrolled 14 women at HMAS Harman, the wireless telegraphy station near Canberra. It was a non-combat branch of the Royal Australian Navy that, like many of its sister services created during the Second World War, alleviated manpower shortages resulting from men being assigned to combat roles.

WRANS performed a variety of duties, including working as telegraphists, coders and clerks; but also as drivers, education officers, mechanics, harbour messengers, cooks and sickberth attendants. They worked for intelligence organisations and as domestic staff at Government House, Yarralumla.

The Service was temporarily disbanded in 1948, but was re-formed in 1951 to help the RAN cope with manpower shortages. By 1959 the organisation was incorporated as a non-combatant (and thus non-seagoing) part of the permanent naval forces.

Women were permitted to serve aboard Australian naval ships in 1983, which meant that WRANS personnel were fully integrated into the Royal Australian Navy. This being the case, 1984 the WRANS was permanently disbanded.

Sally Carlton was superintendent in Western Australia of the Australian Women’s Land Army during the Second World War.

Born in Perth, she attended Perth College and became a ‘Girl Friday.’ Later she joined the West Australian newspaper and was in charge of the file room. Here she hand indexed all news in the papers each day. After a failed marriage Carlton worked as the organising secretary with the Lady Gowrie Child Centre (Perth) in 1942. She responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking a person to organise the recruiting of women for the Western Australian Land Army. Involved with the Girl Guide movement, Carlton had conducted training sessions for the Women’s Australian National Services (WANS) officers. Initially supervisor she was later titled State Superintendent.

After the war, Carlton worked at the Princess Margaret Children’s Hospital as a social worker. As she wasn’t qualified she completed mature age matriculation and then tertiary studies at the universities of Western Australia and South Australia, while working full-time.

On 31 December 1960, Sally Carlton was awarded the Order of the British Empire – Member (Civil) for service to the Girl Guides Association in Western Australia.

The Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) was established in April 1951 to help overcome a manpower shortage. During the late 1970s female soldiers began to be integrated into the Army at large and in early 1985, the WRAAC was disbanded. The last Officers’ Cadet School parade (6 December 1984) on the WRAAC School parade ground saw the Officer Cadets and the WRAAC Contingent marching to the strains of “Soldiers of the Queen”. Prior to the formal closing of the gates the WRAAC School flag was ceremoniously lowered and slow marched “off”, to be folded and handed over to the Chief Instructor of the WRAAC School for safe keeping. The gates, which had been repainted for the occasion, were then closed by Major Diane McVicker of the WRAAC School and Mrs Gwen Ellis – sister of Colonel Best.

The WRAAC Prayer was also included in the ceremony:

Almighty God, we ask you to reveal yourself in the fullness of your love to all who reach out to you. Help us to recognise ourselves as your children. Let the day soon dawn when we will allow your love to right every wrong.

Give us the courage and self control to play our part as members of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps to help your kingdom come on earth. Lead us in the pathway of life as your own wisdom and love see best: we are anxious only to do your will.

We ask you to give us the grace to rise above temptation, to be patient when tired, to be kind and helpful towards others.

To all members of our Army grant the special blessing that we need. Preserve us from selfishness. Bless every member of our Corps, our families and friends.

We come to you as children to our Father, asking these and all other blessing, in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

During World War II Beryl Pender was superintendent in Queensland of the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA). She was previously with the Queensland Public Service and secretary to the Queensland Trade Commission. Pender was the first married woman to be readmitted to the public service on the outbreak of the war. Following the war she maintained an interest in the ‘land girls’ and helped with the organising of the 30-year reunion and a short history of the organisation.

Journalist Margaret Curtis-Otter, whose husband (Donald) was serving with the navy, enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) on 18 January 1943 and became second in charge of this service. She was one of the first 16 officers and became an adviser to the Naval Board after the war, as well as Acting Director WRANS, while Sheila McClemans attended the Victory Parade in London in 1946. Margaret Curtis-Otter worked with Naval Control, assisting with the assembling of convoys and arranging for the departure of merchant ships. Later she became one of the founders of the Naval Information Service, when she joined the Naval Office. In 1975 the Naval Historical Society published W.R.A.N.S. : the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service written by Margaret-Curtis Otter. On 2 January 1956 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services as Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association.

Agnes Hodgson was superintendent of the Australian Women’s Land Army in Tasmania.

In 1940 she became the organising secretary when the Tasmanian government provided a grant to help establish the Agricultural Department’s research farm at Cressy as a training farm for land girls.

On 28 June 1963 a Steering Foundation Committee was formed to set up an association for members who had served in the WRANS. The Ex-Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service was established on 20 September 1963.

The Association aims to provide social contact and to look after the welfare of members through self-help funding.

Membership of the Association is available to any female who served with the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) as well as female Navy sailors since 1985.

At the end of the World War II (the last wartime WRAN was discharged in 1948) ex-personnel set about re-establishing their lives in peacetime. For many this involved raising a family. By 1963, almost 20 years after the war’s end, a group of ‘girls’ found that there was still a common bond (from the war years) between them and decided to place an advertisement in the North Shore Times about plans to start an association.

Once established, monthly meetings were held, for many years, at “Johnny’s” Naval House at Grosvenor Street Sydney. The area known as the ground floor “Snake Pit” and the “Wrannery” on the first floor were popular meeting places. An open invitation was extended to ‘country girls’ to attend meetings when they were in Sydney.

During the 1980s Johnny’s Naval House was refurbished and now houses the Sydney Futures Exchange. Meetings were moved to the Gallipoli Club and later the City of Sydney RSL. Meetings are still held here on the second Friday of each month, 3rd Floor, City of Sydney RSL, 565 George St at 1300 hrs. Any Ex-Wran, or serving sailor is most welcome.

The Association produces a magazine (six times per year) The ‘Ditty Box’ through which information is disseminated. Members are advised of the changes in conditions/benefits and entitlements available from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Also listed are social functions and news, as well as changes to the contact registry.

During World War II June Jorgenson (née Jordan) joined the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) and was a Leading Writer in the Captain’s and Admiral’s office. She served at HMAS Penguin, HMAS Moreton, mainly at HMAS Kuttabul and HMAS Rushcutter. Following the war Jorgenson became an active member of the Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women. On 26 January 1997 Jorgenson was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to veterans through the Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women and the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service. On Anzac Day 2003, she was awarded the Commonwealth Centennial Medal.

In October 2002 June Jorgenson became a member of the working group for the “Women in War Project.”