Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

In 1870, an Act was passed so that married women could own personal property. August, 1902, NSW women were finally granted the right to vote. The federal and state move was welcomed by women’s groups. In 1902, Ada Emily Evans was the first woman in Australia to qualify in law when she graduated from Sydney Uni. But ironically, she was not able to practice her new skill under the current law. Australia didn’t need women to replace men in the paid work force desperately. Australian women’s main wartime work was in traditional female roles related to: nursing and volunteer service, and the food, clothing and textiles industries. The government refused them roles auxiliary units for the army. Voluntary work provided the main way for women to contribute to the war. The ‘Australian Branch of the Red Cross’ was established. Its patriotic focus and links with the social elite attracted many middle-class women, and significant donations from many groups. The other major organization for volunteer work was the ACF, which provided the army with ‘comfort boxes’ which contained luxury foods, clothing and other items. The volunteer women in the ACF also knitted socks; they provided soldiers with dry socks to