Australian Women in War

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra is a research center and museum dedicated to Australia's experience in war and peacekeeping. The video aims to explore how the memorial represents the experiences of Australian women in war, questioning if the portrayal is fair and accurate given that not all who served were men.

The Boer War was the first conflict involving Australian women, primarily as nurses. Displays showcase their uniforms, equipment, and a letter revealing their roles: nursing the sick, providing comfort, and writing letters for disabled servicemen. The Roll of Honour acknowledges one nurse, Sister Fanny Hines, whose death from pneumonia on duty highlights the dangerous conditions and devotion of nurses. The video also touches on the grief and loss experienced by women on the homefront.

The Roll of Honour for World War I lists 23 nurses, indicating an increase in female enlistment. The Hall of Memory, dedicated to the Unknown Australian Soldier, displays a window depicting the WWI nurse, emphasizing qualities like devotion. While displays for soldiers vividly portray their suffering, evidence of nurses' experiences in these exhibits is less prominent. The video then examines the role of millions of women on the homefront, noting that objects like a soldier's family photographs and a bridal gown lost to war convey the personal impact of conflict on women as wives, mothers, and friends.

The Roll of Honour for World War II shows an even greater number of women, not all nurses, with 70,000 serving in forces and 180 losing their lives. A nurse's uniform with a bullet hole, belonging to Vivian Bullwinkle who survived a massacre and POW camp, underscores the increased danger. Displays of dolls in various uniforms and detailed exhibits show women taking on diverse jobs in services and industry, such as drivers, mechanics, and scientific roles, often to free men for combat. The shift to portraying a servicewoman in the Hall of Memory's mosaic for WWII reflects this broader involvement. The video also notes the importance of traditional domestic roles, emphasizing that the 'war was fought in the kitchen' through rationing and resourcefulness.

In post-1945 conflicts (Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq, Afghanistan) and peacekeeping operations, women's roles continued to evolve. Korean War displays still highlight nurses, but the Vietnam War section introduces entertainers like Sylvia Ray. The video also acknowledges women's involvement in anti-war protests like the 'Save Our Sons' movement. Australian women have served in UN peacekeeping missions since 1988, with Major Susan Felsch, a doctor who died in a plane crash, being a notable example. The presence of an Australian woman soldier in the East Timor INTERFET display suggests that men and women may now be performing similar duties in the defence forces.

The video moves beyond the Australian War Memorial to local site studies in Gippsland, Victoria, to uncover more personal stories of women in war. The Briagolong Cemetery features a memorial to Annie Whitelaw, who lost four sons in the war, revealing the profound grief of mothers. The nearby Briagolong hall's honour roll, with brackets indicating a blind to shield Annie from her sons' names, further illustrates this pain. The Stratford Museum showcases objects like Alice Mitchell's sewing machine, used for voluntary comforts work, and a mosaic dedicated to Louie Blanche Riggall, a Red Cross volunteer who died in WWI but was not on the local honour roll. The Sale war cemetery includes the grave of Sergeant Beale of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, who died in a training accident during WWII, highlighting the risks faced by women in support roles. Finally, a historic desk from Invermichie School reveals the story of Irene Hannon, a female teacher stepping in for male teachers called to war, and having to record a predecessor's death in action, showcasing the increased reliance on women during WWI.