The Ipswich Central Library recently held an information awareness session – “In Her Shoes : Remembering Ipswich Women” – which focused on the lives and experiences of some remarkable local women. This event proved very popular with over 90 people in attendance.
Guest speaker Irma Deas of the Ipswich Genealogical Society recounted the life of her grandmother, dedicated local nurse and midwife Louisa Linning. As a family member, Irma was able to offer a unique perspective on her ancestor’s fascinating story and provided many personal and interesting details about Louisa’s life.
Louisa Linning on her graduation, Marburg, Ipswich, 1907. Image Courtesy of Picture Ipswich
The audience also heard about the experiences and contributions of Ipswich women on the home front during the First World War. The experiences of Elizabeth George and Mary Fleischmann were highlighted during the session, with a special emphasis on the postcards and cards that were sent to their sons fighting overseas.
As well as these ladies, the dedicated efforts of Elizabeth (Eliza) Cameron and her Train Tea Society colleagues were recounted. The Ipswich Train Tea Society were an impressive group of ladies as they met all the trains conveying returned men, at all hours, as they arrived in Ipswich. They served tea and refreshments to the men who were continuing their journey. These patriotic works were remarkable, especially considering that according to a Queensland Times article from November 1922, it was estimated that between 30 000 and 40 000 returned soldiers actually passed through Ipswich en route to Brisbane. To learn more about the contributions of these women, you can check out some historical newspaper articles on Trove.
The ladies of the Train Tea Society – taken on the verandah of Mrs J.A. Cameron’s residence. Image Courtesy of “Ipswich in the 20th Century” by Robyn Buchanan
The war efforts of other Ipswich women were also recognised with a presentation about some of the Comfort Clubs run in Ipswich during the war. Comfort Funds existed nation wide and provided free comforts (hence the name) to Australian fighting men in all battle zones. The motto was “Keep the fit man fit”. One such effort by a local Comfort Club was the Billy Can scheme whereby billy cans were filled with Christmas cakes, cigarettes and gifts for soldiers. The Western Suburbs, Blackstone and Silkstone, and Booval all had Comfort Funds .
Members of the Ipswich Booval Soldier’s Comfort Club, Ipswich, 1916-1917. Image Courtesy of Picture Ipswich.
The session closed with a presentation by the Library’s Digital Archivist emphasising the Ipswich shops and storefronts aimed at female shoppers in Ipswich. Below is just one of the images shown on the day that are available through Picture Ipswich.
Cribb & Foote Department Store window display of Silktex Stockings, Ipswich, 1920s. Image Courtesy of Picture Ipswich