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If I may correct the RAHS. AWA was located on Parramatta Road in Ashfield, not Burwood which is further west and adjoining Croydon which is the suburb on the right in this photo. The canal in the centre of this photo is called the iron cove creek, which opens up to iron cove further down stream. Since the mid 90's the area has been redeveloped into a gated community, and the area fronting Parramatta road is where Indian motorcycles, Burger King and KFC now occupy the site. This canal is a natural delineator of 4 suburbs, Ashfield on the top left, Haberfield bottom left, Croydon top Right, and Five Dock bottom right with the road the entry leading to The Great North Road.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, always welcome. We have amended the information presented with this wonderful image.

It looks like a Pacific Telephone employee upgrading the desk phone from rotary dial to Touchtone. Because Convair was a large customer, he was probably assigned solely to work on Convair phones.

The Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) was inaugurated in 1940. Training for members of the WANS included air raid drills, first aid, basic military drills, and even shooting, signalling, and mechanics. In the period leading up to the formation of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), the WANS demonstrated that women were capable of filling roles traditionally filled by men. Sir Percy Spender, Australia’s Minister for the Army, considered women to be an underutilised resource in Australia’s war effort. Consequently, he approved the formation of the AWAS on 13 August 1941 with the objective of releasing more men into forward areas. Source: www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/awas

And work of high merit has been carried out by women members of AEME. Hundreds of AWAS are in the corps, and they are very proud of their AEME colour patch. Some are University graduates. The Army has to rely on many complicated optical instruments for sighting long range artillery, field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, and coast artillery. These instruments range from ordinary binoculars to complex construction. In all-optical predictors of most work the AWAS has shown extraordinary skill. The girls have also been especially useful in instrument making, armature winding, and other work requiring delicacy of touch, quickness of movement, and perseverance. Source: The Arguse, 20 Jan 1945 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1108145