The Role of Women in Australia in 1914- 1918

During the years from 1914 - 1918 Australia was at constant battle all over the world fighting for the british. With battles deaths always follow. So many people say, “what did we ever gain from WW1 we lost so many people as a country”. Although we lost almost 60,000 men and 150,000 wounded or taken prisoner. After the war the British Government offered ex-servicemen free transportation to some of the colonies, 17,000 migrants arrived in Australia between 1919 and 1922. Community organisations paid for migrants to come over to Australia. Small numbers also arrived independently. It was also said that up to 300,000 men came over from britain post war to live. The British government gave an incentive to migrate over because so many people were unemployed in britain. This means in actual fact that Australia didn’t lose men they had a increase in population. But of course the men that were killed in action can not be replaced. Because these migrants were coming from other places they also brought new skills with them which helped life back in Australia.

Women

Back in the early 20th century women were seen to be domestic workers. All of this changed when recruiting for WW1 first started. Because the strong and fit men had to go fight in the war, there was a lack in people working in factories and doing labour work. This meant that all the women then had to go and take over their roles. The women were then doing jobs in the community that required more labour like working in factories. The most common jobs that women were then doing were, nurses,munitions factory workers, sewing bandages, and selling war bonds, shipyards and spies. The women's royal air force was also created which allowed women to become mechanics and fix planes. All...

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...ne of the most admired things by all countries at war.

It was shown various times in many places throughout the 1st World War. For example a stretcher bearer who went by the name Simpson who, with his donkey, risked bombs and bullets week after week to carry the wounded to safety only to finally lose his own life on the beach of ANZAC Cove, will never be forgotten.

Against all odds, the ANZACs had shown they were a force to be reckoned with. Their Aussie sense of humour while facing death daily and their bonds of mateship would later inspire not only Australians but people from all over the world.

The ANZAC spirit was admired by many not only Australians but many others. The spirit was seen to carry them through their battles at Gallipoli, along the Western Front, at places such as Ypres, Fromelles, the Somme and Pozieres and in the Middle East and Beersheeba.