SEPARATION THE FUTURE QUEENSLAND HIGHLIGHTS They

ove, romance, passion...
FIRST GLANCE
Romance and Recruitment
Loss and Loneliness
Long years away and thousands of kilometres apart meant loneliness
and longing became part of everyday life for many Australian couples
separated by war.
Only the brave deserve the fair.
First World War recruitment leaflet
They help shape our lives, even in times of
hardship or sorrow, even in time of war.
War and separation heighten feelings between
lovers, creating for some a sense of urgency.
Romances blossom, and marriages follow,
sometimes within days or weeks as couples take
a chance, defying an uncertain future. Other
couples, more cautious, put passion on hold.
Australia’s armed forces swelled rapidly in 1914, and again in 1939.
However, after an initial surge of enthusiastic enlistments, the number
of recruits began to dwindle. Officials employed a variety of
enticements to maintain a steady flow of new recruits.
Appeals were made to the sporting nature of young men, to their
desire for adventure, and to their ideas of patriotic duty. The
magnetism of a man in uniform was also exploited. During both
conflicts, posters, songs and leaflets promised romantic success to the
soldier. Civilians were depicted as less desirable; a man in uniform
was promoted as irresistible to women.
Recruitment ploys were also
aimed at women. Truly patriotic
young women were expected to
encourage their loved ones to join
up and then faithfully await their
return.
Separation took its toll. Mementoes of a lover
— letters, gifts and photographs — are always
treasured, but under the pressures of war they can
keep a relationship alive.
The exhibition is divided into five themes each
illustrated with personal stories, photos, artworks,
film and sound, and relevant objects such as
gifts of jewellery, wedding dresses and marriage
certificates.
Pictures of beautiful girls, whether
decorating dugouts or the sides of
aircraft, introduced a touch of
glamour, humour, and fantasy into a
world dominated by conflict and
death. Enemy propaganda images,
however, played on the fears of
separated couples. Images of
dissatisfied or lonely women finding
comfort with other men at home
were intended to distress and
distract those fighting.
For others, loneliness and longing
would last beyond the war. “Until
death us do part” became a
devastating truth for many
wartime couples. Although
intensely personal, heartbreak
and grief were shared by
thousands of Australians left
behind when husbands, wives,
and lovers did not come home.
SEPARATION
Letters and Longing
How do you say goodbye when it may be forever? For over a
century, Australians have been answering the call to arms and
leaving their loved ones behind.
While war threw many couples together, separation,
loneliness and trauma could tear others apart.
Peace brought continued anguish for those
who had lost a partner. For survivors, it meant
new beginnings. Thousands of women crossed
the globe, following uniformed strangers from
foreign lands. At home, relationships built on, or
influenced by, wartime experiences were beset by
challenges but also blessed with great joys.
William James (b. 1920)
[Airmen’s non-stop ball]
painted in Australia, 1941
poster paint and pencil on drafting linen
AWM ART93976
R.H. James (dates unknown)
Mister, here’s your hat! Join the AIF
now!
printed in Australia, 1941
offset lithograph on paper
AWM ARTV09468
Meetings and Marriages
Love, for many Australians, has thrived against a background of
conflict, often in the most unlikely places and despite problems of
distance and language.
From local dance halls to English hospital wards, from Canadian
airbases to Egyptian hotels, the movement of men and women in the
services across Australia and the world created fresh opportunities for
young men and women to meet and fall in love.
How do you convey love, loneliness and hope across vast
distances and years of waiting? Postcards and
souvenirs, the familiar mementoes of the traveller,
take on added significance when sent by those
away at war. Letters — handwritten in the
trenches of France, recorded on tape in bases
in Vietnam, typed on computers in Baghdad
— become the lifeblood of romance.
How do you keep love alive when life
is shaped by the threat of death and
the despair of war? Simple
photographs and memories were
carried through years of conflict or
imprisonment: a promise of home
and a warm embrace.
When they did, some rushed to the altar, planning weddings amid
difficulties peacetime brides can never know. Other couples waited
long years to wed.
Some relationships were fleeting, offering adventure, romance and
comfort in times of hardship and peril. Others endured: partnerships
forged in war, yet destined to survive.
Unknown maker
Sweetheart brooch made at Tarakan c 1945
Badge
REL23908.001
Even those couples bought together or strengthened by war faced
difficulties. The impact of war can never be fully understood, not even
by the person who loves you most.
Manton & Sons Ltd
Wedding dress: Mrs V B Glover 1941
Artificial silk; Synthetic
AWM REL32405
THE FUTURE
Beyond the Battlefield
For thousands of women who followed their hearts and husbands
across the globe, peace brought them new lives in foreign lands. In
Australia, the end of war was observed with celebration and, for many,
with the anticipation of domestic life. There were futures to plan and
weddings to be arranged.
Peace brought its own challenges to relationships shaped by war.
Some couples missed the thrill and passion of wartime romance.
Glamour and fatalism gave way to the ordinary activities of domestic
life. Peace was a received with mixed feelings for those facing lonely
years as a widow, often with the added burdens of the single parent.
Many women were destined to remain single, potential husbands and
lovers lying in soldiers’ graves.
Brad Rimmer (dates unknown)
Able Seaman Shane Rowe, a marine technician from HMAS Darwin, kisses
his girlfriend Leading Seaman Aeron Cornelius (previously of HMAS Darwin
but posted off before the deployment) at a homecoming ceremony for HMAS
ANZAC and HMAS Darwin
Fremantle, WA, 17 May 2003
AWM P04192.123
QUEENSLAND HIGHLIGHTS
Geoffrey Mainwaring (1912–2000)
Sunday afternoon
painted in Queensland, 1944
pen and ink with coloured wash
heightened with white, with pencil
on paper
AWM ART21257
American servicemen splash in the sea at Eimeo Beach, near Mackay with local
girls from the ‘Air Force Victorettes’
Australian News and Information Bureau
Mackay, Queensland, c. 1943
digital print 2009
AWM P00561.013
During the Second World War, Mackay in Queensland hosted a Rest
and Recreation Centre for American servicemen. American Red
Cross workers took care of the catering and accommodation needs of
these men who were on leave from fighting in the Southwest Pacific.
They also ran a roster of local girls, the ‘Victorettes’, to entertain them
with dances, meals and trips to the beach.
Ron Letheren (dates
unknown)
Amanda and Peter Kershaw
enjoy a drink following their
wedding at the Brisbane
Botanic Gardens, Mount
Coot-tha. Brisbane,
24 September 2005
digital print 2009
AWM P08833.001
A diving tower and boating facilities were among the amenities at
Lake Eacham, Queensland. The lake was a popular social meeting
place and provided troops with recreation reminiscent of peacetime.
Roy Hodgkinson (1911–1993)
One Sunday afternoon in Townsville
painted in Townsville, 1942
crayon, watercolour, pencil on paper
AWM ART21350
Leisure time in Australian military centres like Townsville in North
Queensland saw servicemen and women socialising with people from
a range of social and cultural backgrounds. In a series of portraits the
artist conveys a beach scene in which members of the Australian
Women’s Army Service mingle with men from the Australian and
US forces.
Flight Lieutenant Peter Kershaw of the Royal Australian Air Force met
Captain Amanda Hinks of the British Army in Banja Luka, Bosnia in
2003. Although they served together for only a few short weeks Peter
and Mandy grew close and vowed to keep in touch. Letters, emails,
phone calls and visits followed until Peter proposed in 2004. Leaving
her family and job behind, Mandy moved to Australia, joining the
Australian Army and marrying Peter in 2005. Both continue to serve
in the Australian Defence Force.
Troopers James Lingwoodock (far
left), from Gin Gin, Queensland,
and John Geary from nearby
Bundaberg, served in Palestine with
the 11th Light Horse Regiment.
Before they sailed in December
1917, the former stockmen had
important business to take care of:
marrying their sweethearts, Daisy
Roberts and Alice Bond, in a double
wedding ceremony in Brisbane.
photographer unknown
Brisbane, 1917
digital print 2009
AWM P00889.007
Courtesy of John Oxley Library,
State Library of Queensland
photographer unknown
Carmelita helps Allen cut the cake at his twentyfirst birthday party. Allen carried this photograph
throughout his service in Vietnam.
Brisbane, March 1966
digital print 2009
AWM P05889.012
Allen May met Carmelita Ingram in 1965 in Brisbane, soon after he
was called up for National Service. The couple quickly developed a
strong relationship and wrote to each other throughout Allen’s service
in Vietnam with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, which
included the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966. When he came
home Allen and Carmelita picked up the threads of their romance,
but it didn’t last. Today, however, the young loves are reunited and
both live in Brisbane.
An Australian War Memorial Travelling Exhibition
Cover image Sydney Mail photographer, A wounded AIF soldier receives an
affectionate welcome home at the ANZAC Buffet, Sydney, c. July 1919, AWM H11574
www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on
OTHER DISPLAYS IN THE STATE
LIBRARY
When I return to you
State Reference Library display cases, level 2
The songs featured in this sheet music display all express the hope
and heartache, dreams and disappointments of love during wartime.
The titles are a small selection from State Library’s vast Music
Collection. Our popular sheet music collection spans from the
Georgian period to the present and provides a unique window into
the past.
Queensland wartime romances
Heritage Collections Reading Room display cases, level 4
Many who have lived through times of war have spoken of the
passionate intensity they experienced when finding love amid the
chaos and confusion. In State Library’s Heritage Collections there are
many examples of holdings relating to love and war. View Queensland
war wedding photographs as well as the WWII documents, images
and letters telling the tragic love story of Flying Officer Charles
Rowland Williams and his fiancé Gwendoline (Bobbie) Parfitt.
EVENTS PROGRAM
Volunteer-guided tours
When
Every Tue & Sat from 9 Nov, 11am
Where slq Gallery, level 2
Tickets Free, no bookings required
For group bookings for volunteer-guided tours contact Visitor
Services ph: 07 3842 9985
Curator’s tours
Join exhibition curator Rebecca Britt, from the Australian War
Memorial, as she takes you on a journey through Of love and war.
When
6 Nov, 11am & 2pm
7 Nov, 11am
5 Feb 2011, 11am & 2pm
6 Feb 2011, 11am
Where slq Gallery, level 2
Tickets Free, no bookings required (limit of 20 per tour)
Fashion illustration workshop
Don Tate: The War Within
Sunday free films
Inspired by vintage fashion items in the Of love and war exhibition,
and State Library’s own collection of rare fashion illustrations, images
and publications, this workshop provides an in-depth and hands-on
session with one of Australia’s most talented fashion illustrators, Grant
Cowan.
When
7 Nov, 10am - 4pm
Where Bank of Queensland Heritage Collection Learning
Room, level 4
Tickets $100, bookings required
Bookings qtix.com.au 136 246 or The Library Shop
Vietnam War veteran Don Tate will visit State Library to share a
personal account of war, illustrated by footage he took during the
Vietnam conflict. Don is the author of the The War Within — regarded
as one of Australia’s most extraordinary and controversial memoirs.
When 1 Feb 2011, 6pm
Five feature films on romance during times of war have been specially
selected by State Library’s Film Coordinator, Bruce Hodsdon, to
complement Of love and war. Visit the exhibition then take in a film.
When
Every Sun from 16 Jan to 13 Feb, 2pm
Where slq Auditorium 2, level 2
Tickets Free, no bookings required
Deepen the conversation – the changing face of
wartime correspondence
Join ex-military personnel and guests as they take you on a journey
through the years, back to a time where it was simpler to preserve the
physical evidence of wartime, love and relationships in letters, pictures
and telegrams. We examine the difficulties of doing the same in our
21st century, technology-driven lives.
When
10 Nov, 6pm
Where Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets Free, bookings required
Bookings qtix.com.au 136 246 or The Library Shop
Conservation clinic
Join us for a special conservation clinic on Remembrance Day when
we invite the public to bring in their special letters, photographs and
memorabilia from past war times. Our on site conservators will be on
hand to advise you on how to keep these precious memories and
mementoes safe for your family and future generations.
When
11 Nov, 1 - 3pm
Where Meeting Room 1a, level 1
Tickets Free, bookings required
Bookings 3842 9069
Enquiries 3840 7779
Open source
Where slq Auditorium 1&2, level 2
Tickets Free, bookings required
Bookings qtix.com.au 136 246 or The Library Shop
Susannah Fullerton: love and war in Leo Tolstoy’s life
and novels
Discover the man behind the novels as author, Susannah Fullerton,
takes you on a journey through Tolstoy’s life, love, writings and death.
When
26 Nov, 1pm
Tea and music – songs of love and war
Renowned operatic baritone Jason Barry-Smith and versatile musical
theatre star Leisa Barry-Smith will delight us with songs from both
World War I and World War II. Please join us for this wonderful Tea
and Music event.
When
30 Nov, 10.30am
Where slq Auditorium 1 and Queensland Terrace, level 2
Tickets$11.50 (includes light refreshments and
booking fee)
Bookings qtix.com.au 136 246 or The Library Shop
Bring in your memorabilia
Do you have any war memorabilia? Do you know how to preserve
what you have? Do you know the part they played in Australia’s
history? As part of the exhibition, State Library will be hosting a war
memorabilia appraisal day. Visiting experts from the Australian War
Memorial will be on hand to offer advice and answer your questions
about your military memorabilia including medals, badges,
photographs, letters, diaries and other wartime treasures.
All welcome, however, STRICTLY NO WEAPONRY OR
MUNITIONS are to be bought to the session. Please note: no
valuations will be conducted on the day.
Presented by State Library of Queensland and the Australian War Memorial
with the support of the commemorations program of the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs.
When
Where
Tickets
6 Feb 2011, any time between 1 - 5pm
slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Free, no bookings required
A Time to Love and a Time to Die
(USA 1958) PG
Sun 16 Jan
Director: Douglas Sirk
Cast: John Gavin, Lilo Pulver
The English Patient
(GB 1998 160 mins) M
Sun 23 Jan
Director: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristen Scott Thomas
Source: National Film & Sound Archive
Senso
(Italy 1954 115 Mins) U15
Sun 30 Jan
Director: Luchino Visconti
Cast: Alida Valli, Farley Granger
Source: National Film & Sound Archive
The Marriage of Maria Braun
(W Germany 1978 119 Mins) M
Sun 6 Feb
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Cast: Anna Schygulla
Source: National Film & Sound Archive
State Library of Queensland presents
The Quiet American
(USA/Germany/Australia 2002) M
Sun 13 Feb
Director: Phillip Noyce
Cast: Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Yen
Loving a soldier
State Library presents a special Valentine’s Day event for partners, family
and friends of absent loved ones in the Australian Defence Forces.
Enjoy an evening of drinks and canapés, live music and good
company, then take an exclusive after hours look at the Of love and war
exhibition.
When
14 Feb 2011, 6pm
Where slq Gallery and Queensland Terrace, level 2
Tickets Free, bookings required
Bookings qtix.com.au 136 246 or The Library Shop
6 Nov 2010 – 20 Feb 2011
Open daily 10am – 5pm
slq Gallery, level 2, State Library of Queensland
Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank