Honouring Our Women

Introduction:

In the year 2000, The Roll of Honour for The Western Australian Centenary of Women’s Suffrage 1899 – 1999 was published in "The West Australian" newspaper. The public had been asked to recognise Western Australian women, past and present who have made a significant contribution to our community since the State was founded. I was proud to nominate my niece, Julie Foley (an outstanding young police woman, who had played a pivotal role in the recapture of a dangerous escapee), my brother's wife, Cheryl McGlashan (who manages Australia’s Land Speed Record attempt) and Florence Dodd (of whom later).

My family history records are another way I have endeavoured to commemorate the Australian story of the contribution of women in our family through the generations. This document investigates our women from Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. "Our Convict Ancestors" tells of the hardships endured by our Irish women, transported to Tasmania. "First Families" and "Tall Ships" tells the story of emigration and settlement, "Lest We Forget" explains our family’s involvement in war more fully and "Our Ancestors" contains all the information collected over 15 years’ research.

Many women have devoted their lives to helping others in the community with little or no personal recognition. The pioneer women, who lived on the land at the turn of the last century lived in little more than humpies, picked stumps from paddocks, often had a brood of children to care for and helped to plant and harvest crops and look after stock.

One wonders how these women coped with the arid Australian conditions in their unsuitably long dresses and long under-garments. Grandma’s Wash Day, a script printed at Coal Creek Historical Village, Korumburra gives us an idea of the laundry ritual.

Others have worked tirelessly in education, either as teachers, like Christina Wieneke, or in church groups, like Mary Dodd and Emma McGlashan.

This is my salute to them.

Western Australia:

Over the last century, the right to vote has been fundamental to advancing the status of women in Western Australia, as it allowed them, for the first time, to directly influence the decisions which affected their lives. It was the first step towards achieving equal pay for equal work, equal rights to education, representation across the range of occupations and professions, the right to sit as judges and on juries and to represent their constituents as members of Federal and State Parliaments and on Local Government.

Florence encapsulated the qualities of the Roll of Honour nominees. She was the force behind her husband, the Hon. Jabez Dodd’s career. Kindly and "Rubenesk", she was also a firm campaigner for King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women and reputedly had politicians "on their knees" to build it. A plaque at the hospital reads: "Centenary Ward, erected through the efforts of the Women's Associations as a tribute to the pioneer women of W.A. Opened by the Hon Minister of Public Health, Mr C G Latham on 5 September, 1932". Florence was quoted as stating that the new Ward represented a Centenary effort of the Women of the State to commemorate the women pioneers.

She was a warm and loving grandmother, a family woman with the ability to organise and debate well. With help in the domestic duties, Florence also ran Dodd’s Newsagency in Mosman Park, which had a mobile library service.

Her interest in issues for women is documented in an extract of "Westralian Voices – Documents in Western Australian Social History", edited by Marian Aveling, an article "Women: Legal Status Doc. 6.34 Equal Pay for Men and Women", which follows:

South Australia was one of the first places in the world to give women the vote in 1894, and was the first in the world to enable women to enter Parliament. Women were also accepted at the University of Adelaide from the commencement of formal lectures in 1876 and in 1878 a charter granted to London University opened all degrees, honours and awards to women.

My great-grandmother, Mary Gardner (nee Brown), recognised the cultural and intellectual capital, along with social position to be gained from higher education. To her credit, she sent five daughters and two sons to university, despite a down-turn in family finances. Mary also recognised that with many daughters, good education was particularly important, as the girls needed to be exposed to the accomplishments and training in the proprieties to enhance their marriage chances. It was remarked rather unkindly of Mary, that she was clever to get her "five plain daughters" married off!

Mary, a slim-waisted, elegant woman, is said to have been a barmaid or housemaid. Her first child was born before her marriage, and with a Catholic mother, and future father-in-law the Founding Minister of the Presbyterian Free Church in Adelaide, there must have been anxious times.

However, she was obviously, highly organised and her social gatherings at her home, "Airlie" were dubbed "The Glittering Gardner Years". Mary and her daughters were women of intelligence and energy. They were also superb banquet-cooks; and no newspaper account of their activities ever failed to mention the food.

Mary Dodd (nee Wallbank) and Emma McGlashan (nee Whitford) were both members of the Primitive Methodist Church at Salisbury and worked on committees. Although 82 years old, Mary is mentioned as helping to raise £55 in The Salisbury Bazaar held on 10th February, 1886.

Like many children of Cornish emigrants, Emma was a staunch Methodist. From 1920-1922, then 1926-1929 and 1930 she served as Vice-President and in 1923-1925 as President of the Salisbury Girls' Guild (later renamed the Salisbury Methodist Church Guild). In 1932 Emma was made a life member. The group was formed to sew, make items for missions or for the Church fair. Christian devotions, readings and musical items were regularly part of the programme, nearly every week. Often monies were also raised with concerts and the proceeds were spent on the church and the manse.

At a meeting in 1911 a Branch of the Ladies' Foreign Mission Auxiliary was formed, and Emma was elected foundation Treasurer. In 1934 she was elected President. Much of the members' time was spent in making articles of clothing to send to the missions or raising money to support them. Many of their meetings were spent in rolling bandages and making "yaw" pads and face washers. In the early years they collected used medicine bottles and small jars for use in the mission hospitals. From the 1950s on they collected used postage stamps that were sold to raise funds for the missions. They celebrated their twenty-fifth birthday on August 27th 1936 with a special luncheon. Foundation members, including Emma cut the cake, lit the candles and blew them out.

A wonderful story teller, Emma listened to current affairs and debated well. Tiny, she is remembered as an old tartar and tee-totaller. Emma and her husband also ran a store at Orroroo and raised three children.

Women, War & The Depression

When Australia went to war, the remarkable resilience and fighting spirit of its women came to the fore. During the wars, wives and mothers took over the role of head of the household, managing businesses and farms. The letters and comfort funds sent to troops, eased their loneliness and made them feel their service was worthwhile. Emma McGlashan and Florence Dodd, both saw two sons enlist and serve in Europe. Two of these were our grandfathers, Hughie Dodd and Ricky McGlashan, whose sweet-heart and wife were left at home wondering if they would return.

Florence was President of the Soldiers’ Welcome Home Committee in both wars. Iris Gardner (nee Wieneke) was President of the Ladies' Comfort Fund at Northgate, Queensland and organised parcels for soldiers fighting overseas in World War II.

Unfortunately the world's economic conditions had started changing in 1928. "Australia in the Twentieth Century" by AGL Shaw & HD Nicholson states that primary product prices of wool, sugar and dairy produce fell. By 1931-32 wheat was less than 20c a bushel and wool and butter less than 10c a pound, sugar 2c. European financiers immersed in their own economic problems could not lend more to Australia, so development and works stopped. Some manufacturers went bankrupt and all reduced their spending. Unemployment grew and grew like a snowball. In 1932 one quarter of those normally earning wages were unemployed.

Our women faced the challenge of "making ends meet". Iris had to feed and clothe her young family. Her first husband had been shell gassed in World War I and suffered repeated bouts of bronchitis and defective vision. He died from influenza, pneumonia and cardiac failure, just eight months after their fourth child was born. Iris gained employment selling insurance, pedalling around on push-bike. She was enormously successful and persuaded clients that without insurance when her first husband died, she would have been destitute. During the depression, men were allocated work according to the number of their dependants and her second husband had just three days' work on the roads.

Each of Iris’s children saw military service. Daughters Jean and Diana enlisted in the WAAF, and earlier, Diana had served in the Land Army, tobacco farming on the Atherton Table Lands in Queensland.

Enid Dodd (nee Grieve) also enlisted in the WAAF in Queensland and coincidentally she and Diana met Western Australian servicemen. They both left their families in Brisbane to start new lives in Western Australia. That wrench away from friends and family must have made them feel very much alone at times. Enid’s husband was diagnosed with tuberculosis after his discharge and his hospitalisation caused immense financial and emotional hardship.

Queensland:

On the eve of the 21st century, it is a pleasure to reflect back on the matriarchs who did so much to shape what we are today.

My great-great grandmother, Helena Tolmie (nee MacRae) was heavily pregnant when she sailed with her husband, Roderick and two year old, Isabella, from Birkenhead, England to Queensland in 1862. They followed the fast but dangerous Great Circle route, which took ships into bitterly cold and stormy Antarctic waters.

Four weeks after departure from England, Helena gave birth on board to a son, James. The ship sailed direct to Moreton Bay, Queensland, where the family arrived safely on 1^st November, 1862 in time for the hot Australian summer. "Stone on Stone" by their late descendant, Prof. Neil Yeates states that, on arrival, Roderick secured a position as a sheep overseer on Wallan Station, West Darling Downs and children Helen (Ella), Mary and Christina, were born there between 1865 and 1868. About 1870 the Tolmies left Wallan for Toowoomba where their last four children, Sarah, Agnes, Roderick and Margaret were born between 1872-1878. Sadly Helena died three years later, at age 39 years, from pneumonia.

Oral family history differs as to what happened to Roderick. He either left home, abandoning his nine children, or was speared by aboriginals. Isabella and James were 21 and 19 respectively at the time of their mother's death. Both never married, and assumed the responsibility of raising their siblings.

Although Helena did not live long, she left me the legacy of an ancient heritage. The Rev Alexander MacRae, BA, recorded her ancestry back to the 15th century in "History of the Clan MacRae". The pride of her birth was passed down orally through the generations and one can assume she used this tool to motivate her children to achieve to their full potential and to live worthy lives. Her daughter, Christina was given the "Keys to the Town of Roma" for community service. She and her sister, Mary were teachers, married and raised their families. James' career included being a teacher, an editor, a Member of Parliament, an Alderman and a farmer. His sister, Helen (Ella) did not marry and was Matron of Toowoomba General Hospital. Sarah and Agnes both followed Ella in the nursing profession and remained single. Agnes, the Matron of Maryborough Hospital, was awarded an OBE for her involvement in the World War I Women's Memorial, Red Cross and Girl Guides. Sadly, Roderick junior died in his 30's, unmarried. Margaret married Herbert Yeates and brought up her family.

In the same year as the Tolmie’s arrival in Queensland, 15 year old Katharina Hoffman married in outback Toowoomba. She signed her marriage certificate with an "X". Oral history records that she lost an eye on her wedding day. In those days, soft drink bottles had marble stoppers over rubber rings to keep in the gas. When a person wished to drink the contents, the marble was pushed in. For some reason, Katharina's soft drink had become pressurised and an explosion caused the loss. She thereafter wore a glass eye.

Katharina was very close to her sister, Annie. As their husbands were carriers, they often travelled in drays together out west. Katharina usually carried her son, Jack, on the saddle with a three bushel bag rolled up and tied to the pommel. They had many falls coming up the range.

I have visited Roma, where Katharina and her family finally settled down as hoteliers, and her place of birth, Bayreuth, Bavaria. The contrast could not be greater. As an Australian, unable to speak German, I was thrown into the same situation Katharina would have faced on arrival, three years before her marriage. I experienced a feeling of being "alien", and because I was unable to communicate, a consequent feeling of inferiority.

Bayreuth, the home of Wagner, has magnificent architecture, two palaces, extensive gardens and beautiful churches. Roma in January seemed an arid, desolate place with flat, dusty land stretching out infinitum.

Only one of Katharina’s twelve children died in infancy, a remarkable thing in those days. Katharina died in 1933, aged 86 years. According to an undated newspaper clipping held by the family entitled "Two Queensland Pioneers", Katharina's memory had been keen to the last, and many a tale of flood and field, famine and plenty, dangers and happy times were recalled by her. "Truly a Woman of the West. So passes away another of those heroic women who throughout troublous times and dangers, kept steadfast courage and great heart and hope".

Conclusion:

Piecing together the jig-saw-puzzle of a woman’s life history is more arduous than tracing a man’s. This document briefly touches on the Australian stories of some of our matriarchs, giving an overview of their many qualities.

The research has been an education in itself, opening up many windows to new experience and knowledge. It has been time consuming, frustrating and yet rewarding. Most of all, it became an all-consuming passion. A definition of the word "passion" comes to mind: "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those".

Gail Dodd (nee McGlashan)

December 2000

Australian Coat of Arms