Historical information
This is a collection of seven photographs of Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) personnel posted to the Army Headquarters Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo circa 1957 to 1964. After the disbandment of the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) in 1947 there was only one or two of civilian women in administrative positions at Fortuna. In February 1957 female positions from the disbanded Southern Command Field Survey Section in Melbourne were transferred to newly established positions at the Army Headquarters Survey Regiment, Bendigo. They were accommodated at the newly acquired ‘Turriff’ mansion in Carpenter Street, Bendigo. Their first Officer Commanding (OC) was CAPT Beryl Perry from 1957 to September 1960. Her replacement as OC was CAPT Carol Castor who served in several positions up to June 1967. The main areas of employment in these early days were in administrative positions, draughting in and retouching in Lithographic Squadron. WO2 MA McLaren was the female to reach the rank of WO2 as a Cartographic Squadron section commander in June 1961. WO1 Marj Knight served at Fortuna from 1959 to 1978 was the first female to reach the rank of WO1. WO1 Knight served in the senior Squadron Sergeant-Major and Technical Warrant Officer positions of Cartographic Squadron. She was also the first female PMC of the Army Survey Regiment SGT’s Mess. The WRAAC uniform seen in this collection was replaced in 1979. As the Australian Army implemented the disbandment of the WRAAC as a separate corps in 1980, WRAAC personnel posted to Royal Australian Survey Corps units were integrated into RA Svy.
Physical description
This is a collection of seven photographs of Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) personnel posted to the Army Headquarters Survey Regiment, Fortuna Bendigo circa 1957 to 1964. The photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 300 dpi. .1) - Photo, black & white, c1957. Back row – unidentified personnel, Front row – centre: CAPT Beryl Perry, unidentified personnel.
.2) - Photo, black & white, c1958. Back row – unidentified personnel, Front row L to R: unidentified, SGT MA McLaren, CAPT Beryl Perry, unidentified (x2).
.3) - Photo, black & white c1959. Back row – unidentified personnel, Front row L to R: unidentified (x2), SGT MA McLaren, CAPT Carol Castor, unidentified (x3).
.4) - Photo, black & white, October 1961. L to R: WO2 MA McLaren, PTE CA Brown, CAPT Carol Castor, PTE HS Pasley, PTE BJ Madex, CPL Marj Knight.
.5) - Photo, black & white, October 1961. L to R: PTE BJ Madex, PTE HS Pasley, PTE CA Brown, WO2 MA McLaren, CPL Marj Knight.
.6) - Photo, black & white, August 1963. Back row – L to R: PTE Hollingsworth, PTE GM Hill, PTE PE Sykes, PTE Nola Strawbridge, PTE Jan Cruickshank, PTE Margaret Taylor, PTE Prescott, PTE RR Hutton, PTE BJ Madex, PTE BM Fuhrmann, PTE Cockburn. Front row – L to R: PTE NA Falot, LCPL JA Hurst, SGT Marj Knight, CAPT Carol Caster, CPL Jennifer Murray, LCPL A Burrows, unidentified.
.7) - Photo, black & white, 1964. Back row – L to R: PTE Dianne Fowler, PTE Leslie Mortimer, PTE Marlene Penglase, PTE Marg Cooper, PTE Irene Rankins, PTE Elaine Veith, PTE Lyn Ireland, PTE Marg Murphy, PTE Nola Downes, PTE Joan Lawler, PTE Henni Schunck. Front row – L to R: PTE Loretta Hall, LCPL Jo McNamara, SGT Marj Knight, CAPT Carol Caster, CPL Nola Strawbridge, PTE Mary McHugh, PTE Kalen Sargent.
Inscriptions & markings
.1P to .3P, .7P - no annotation, .4P to .6P - Personnel (surnames, no rank) annotated on back.
